A Cold Night and Hot Tunes with Mama Kin Spender
Fremantle was cold and windy on Sunday night, and the Port Beach Garden Bar was a sea of crocheted granny blankets as the crowd waited for Mama Kin Spender to take to the stage. Even the kids stopped playing and huddled up to their parents. Fortunately, the songs of Mama Kin Spender bring with them a warmth that can make you forget the most extreme weather, and for the next 45 minutes, we were spellbound.
Friends and musical collaborators for 15 years, Golden Magnetic is the first joint album from the amazing Danielle Caruana aka Mama Kin and former Offcutts lead singer Tommy Spender. My biggest regret of 2018 has been not buying a copy on special gold vinyl, so I jumped on the chance to be present at the last of their shows touring this album.
The emphasis was on community and connectedness, with merchandise and raffle tickets being sold to raise funds for St. Patrick’s Community Support Centre. In fact, Mama Kin Spender were joined on stage by both the WAAPA Gospel Choir and St. Patrick’s Starlight Hotel Choir. While praising the choir, Daniella urged people to buy raffle tickets reminding us that the people who use St. Pat’s are a part of our community - not separate from it.
Every song was full of emotion. ‘Underground’ — about the unique ways in which nature communicates — had even the trees waving in appreciation. ‘Carry Me’ captures the feeling of wanting to escape from the crushing depression in your own head, but being unable to do it by yourself. She puts her whole body into this song, turning her drumming into a kind of performance art that perfectly conveys the exhaustion and longing heard in the lyrics.
Finally, the wind let up and we could stand to dance for faux-encore of the single ‘Air Between Us’.
With back-up from Perth singer songwriter Jacob Diamond, the night was full of wholesome family vibes and great tunes — that I can now relive on my very own gold record!
