Hiatus Kaiyote Transforms the Enmore into a Universe of Sound 20.09.2024 – Backseat Mafia

Hiatus Kaiyote will take to the stage tonight at the Enmore Theatre. The excitement is high as they recently released their new album ‘Love Heart Cheat Code’, which was released last June.

First up is Gut Health, the dance-punk band who are firm favourites at Backseat Mafia. The band recently released ‘Stiletto’, which our reviewer Jess Hutton wrote: ‘Stiletto’ unfolds like a sprawling film score, constantly shifting and turning, never staying in one place for too long. Tonight, Gut Health stun the crowd with their raw, unfiltered energy, a collision of punk, post-punk and experimental noise that electrifies the room. The Enmore pulse with every chaotic riff and thrashing beat, vocalist Athina Uh Oh commanding attention, her vocals cutting through the noise with fierce intensity. Her vocals recall the ferocity and howling of Poly Styrene, but with a distinctly modern twist.

When Hiatus Kaiyote take the stage, they’re all fluid movement and effortlessly cool – Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield at the helm, commanding the room with a voice that feels like it’s been lived a lifetime. Paul Bender, Simon Mavin and Perrin Moss weave around her, creating a rhythm that’s part heartbeat, part incantation. This is a band that’s never just played music – they create worlds. A figure in a love-heart suit – one I’d seen walking through Enmore earlier in the evening – appears onstage, suddenly part of the spectacle, swaying in sync with Saalfield, as if sucked along by some invisible current. It’s absurd and magical, the kind of moment that only happens in the fleeting spaces between song and sensation.

Above I see a girl dressed in white, her body moving like a slow-motion echo of the music. She sways, unhinged, eyes closed, completely surrendered to the soundscape. Hiatus Kaiyote has that effect: their music takes hold of you, leaving you both disoriented and completely at home in the moment.

Love Heart Cheat Code Australian Tour
Tickets HERE.
Saturday 21 September – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Friday 27 September – Astor Theatre, Perth
Saturday 28th September – Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide