Things have been on the up and up for three-piece group Ghost Care as of late, and their showing at Badlands on this chilly June Saturday (26th) night was reminiscent of that. The last time I was able to catch Ghost Care at a live performance was in a pre-pandemic October 2019 at The Bird, for their out of the park launch of the appropriately titled ‘Home Run.’ So admittedly, some of the details are hard to recall, but perhaps it was the cavernous interior of the Badlands mainstage that enhanced the gorgeous shimmering ‘Telecasting’ guitar tones of Beau Torrence, or the infectious energy of both bassist and backing vocalist Tanaya Harper, and steady yet classy drummer; Luke Del Fante, that resulted in nothing less than a masterclass in live performance, and an obvious milestone in how far this group has come artistically and performatively, no doubt priming ‘Ghost Care’ to be seen soon playing huge festival stages once restrictions around Australia are lifted (fingers crossed!).

The night started off strong with Claudie Joy and the Joy Boys taking the stage first to show off their tightly composed indie rock, with a little touch of folk in a five-piece package. Claudia Tero’s descriptive and beautifully delivered melancholic lyricism were complimented and carried by melodic motifs laid out tastefully by Finn Pearson, and when the tightly harmonized crescendos between the two peak, the audience was left with a beautiful, yet sinking feeling in the heart, almost nostalgic, from mere moments ago. With a short appearance from cellist/clarinettist Isla Boughman, Claudie Joy & Co set themselves apart, leaning into this more folky flavour of indie rock in the most tasteful was possible.

Second up were Smol Fish (with an ‘o’), a charming four-piece indie group consisting of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synth and glockenspiel putting a unique twist into the already enticing ‘slice of life’ approach to songwriting. Clancy Davidson leads vocals with softly strummed guitar and tongue in cheek lyricism, in tracks such as ‘Sad Girl Summer,’ which transitions from chirpy, jangly indie pop, to a chorus that feels like a daydream at a carnival or circus troupe. Softly played drums and seamless bass guitar playing laid the groundwork for newly released ‘Like a Lemon,’ to flourish which embraced dreampop influences like ‘The Cranberries’ to form this dream-like soundscape, interspersed with Davidson’s down to earth, slice of life lyricism.

Following Smol Fish were Airline Food, a four-piece indie-pop group embracing influences of psychedelic pop and synth-wave, who didn’t wait long to turn up the temperature and energy of the cavernous room. Led by Jack Annear on lead guitar and vocals, and driven by Conor Levy’s sheering synth washes, Airline Food made quite a landing in front of a growing crowd, soon began matching the energy of the music. Technical guitar riffs from Annear and lyricism taking inspiration from the groups ‘Mild High Club,’ and ‘Homeshake,’ it really felt like I was transported into a world full of brightly coloured neon gas tubing. With the crowd revved up and excited by the synth-driven talent, it was time to introduce the protagonists of the evening, ‘Ghost Care.’

Like all good adventure stories, especially of those beginning it is important to set the tone for the adventure to come, and when Howard Shore’s beautifully composed ‘Concerning Hobbits’ theme rolled out from the speakers as gently as the rolling hills of Bag End, so too did Ghost Care, with all the enthusiasm and joviality of Frodo Baggins (big feet not included). Ghost Care started strong smashing out hits such as ‘Home Run’ and ‘Kevin Garnett’ with surgical precision, yet looking like they were having the time of their lives. Briefly, before Claudie Joy, I was able to have a short chat with drummer, Luke. There I asked about how closely he thinks they were able to replicate their produced sound in front of a live audience. To that, he commented that layers of overdubbing would be needed to get to the same sound, but despite that what followed was a sound seemingly bigger and fuller than a lot of their produced tracks. Harper’s dreamy backing vocals and whispered lines in ‘Kevin Garnett’ pushed that rounded sound of the group to new heights as the trio dominated the stage, their infectious energy spilling out into the crowd and making it impossible for me not to grow a big grin at their performance.

Perhaps the cherry on top were the dual covers of Howard Shore’s ‘The Bridge of Khazad Dum’ in staying with the Tolkien theme and Cloud Control’s ‘Gold Canary’ that sealed the performance, placed in between songs tastefully which seamlessly transitioned making it hard to establish where one song began, and another ended. On stage, it was obvious that Ghost Care have picked up a thing or two from touring regionally with Spacey Jane, one of those aspects is the undeniable feeling of fun the band radiates with each chord change and chorus transition. With smiles matched only by those mirroring them in the crowed, Ghost Care danced, sang and performed their flawless set, launching their new single ‘Only Friend,’ a melancholic, high-energy track with fantastic harmonies by Torrence and Harper, and a riff that has been stuck in my head ever since.

Reflecting on the evening after, it was clear that plenty has changed for Ghost Care. The sheer difference in stage presence from their late 2019 launch and now is astounding, and proof that they have truly come into their own as a group. Their musicality seems to have evolved to a level where their outwardly exuded confidence in being on stage in front of a large crowd is obvious and is worth paying attention to, and will have them festival-ready, for whenever it is appropriate to do so. In this respect, Ghost Care have markedly evolved their performance skills through their recent touring and are taking it so in their stride making me excited for what is to come for the rest of 2021.

Days after in reflection, after Perth and Peel regions were locked down on the Sunday of the same weekend, it marked how special this show was, and served as a reminder of how invigorating live music can be to a community. Both the young and old peppered the crowd of Badlands, almost signifying a universal appreciation for what is around us, and what talents brews and grows in our local bars and venues. As states around Australia struggle with controlling the spread of COVID-19, going into long periods of lockdown thereby throttling local music is the norm, however we in Perth find ourselves in a unique situation. For each gig is a reminder of how precious these moments are, as at any moment of time, we could be locked down to our homes, only to relive moments like these though music streaming services. As I think back to the night, I smile, reminiscing of the times before COVID-19, remembering how I had almost taken for granted the freedoms and opportunities there were to support and participate in a live venue context. But as we hopefully transition out of this four day minimum lockdown, I encourage all to keep and eye out at your local and keep the music scene breathing of our isolated nation.