Kisschasy - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 13th June @ Fortitude Music Hall, Bris QLD

Kisschasy
The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
June 13^th, 2025
Supports: Sly Withers and Suzi

The resurgence of emo-tinged rock has seen a multitude of 2000s bands spring back into action. Short Stack, The Juliana Theory, American Football, something is in the air and is breathing life back into the hearts of the elder emos. This is exactly what I saw on Friday night when I had the pleasure of watching Kisschasy – to play the entirety of Hymns For The Non-Believer no less. 

I scurried into the Fortitude Music Hall to escape the bitter chill outside. The hall had become this warm oasis where I spied plenty of leather jackets and skinny jeans, the crowd seemed to revel in the opportunity to break out their winter wardrobe, myself included. 

There was an eager energy that flurried through the crowd, and it wasn’t just because of the band. As I eavesdropped on conversations most of what I heard was catch ups with old friends reminiscing on the last time they were in the valley.

“I remember seeing these guys at The Lions Den.” Said one fan to another.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a long-time listener of Kisschasy, but I was living vicariously through these conversations, picking up on their fluttering enthusiasm.

Melbourne-bound singer-songwriter, Suzi, was set to kick off the evening. It’s always a pleasure seeing Suzi live. One of my favourite parts of the show is watching the crowd’s reaction to the track ‘Everyone I’ve Met Hates Me’. The lyrics are so raw, relatable and painfully honest. So much so, when the lights turn and face the crowd, you can see audience members look to one another and ask, “Is this song about me?”. Honestly, it’s quite therapeutic to know that so many people crammed into one room experience the same suffocating waves of social anxiety.

‍Sly Withers then entered the stage. While the quartet’s initial stage presence and crowd engagement seemed slightly stiff, the initial awkwardness smoothed itself over, until eventually it was natural and easy. What Sly Withers lacks in performance, they make up for in sound, casting their pain-ridden emo vocals throughout the venue.

Finally, after a half hour that felt like three, Kisschasy was about to begin. An ominous chorus sounded throughout the speakers. It was childlike and eerie, a hymn (for the non-believer) calling the audience back to their younger years.

The band entered donning all black, frontman Darren Cordeaux in particular wore a black suit jacket that hung loosely with a Matty Healy-like zest (The 1975 frontman for the ill-informed). The band instantly broke into ‘The Perfect Way To Meet’. While I originally thought the crowd would erupt into song, I was struck to see minimal movement from the opening track. Then again, it was 9:30, far past all our bedtimes.

However, as ‘Opinions Won’t Keep You Warm at Night’ began to play, the audience belted out all the energy they had been saving that night. Crowd members ran toward the stage, holding hands and singing as they went. As the final chorus played, the instruments went silent, and the lights blared in the faces of the audience.

‘Sometimes, days are like this and you don't agree with what you see / But I will never let the bitter things you say ever get to me’, sounded out from the fans like the chorus at the beginning, deeper now, but with the same hope and excitement as it always had. 

As the set continued, I observed the crowd from my little spot in the corner. My eyes kept wandering back to one guy in front of me who sported a curly mop-top of hair that he repeatedly tossed out of his face as he sang every lyric of every song. I wondered if he had grown those emo bangs out for the gig, or if they had never really left. 

My favourite track of the night had to be ‘My Bible Is a Scrapbook’. The lights turned a ferocious red as the heavy rock number blared over the speakers. It was an engaging change of pace from the rest of the set. 

After many classic anthems and guitar swaps, the evening was of course closed with ‘Dissolution’ before the outfit wandered off stage. Darren promptly returned to give a melodic solo rendition of ‘Dinosaur’. With this track, the crowd melted into warm reminiscence. Old friends held onto one another’s shoulders and swayed to the nostalgic tune. Couples also held one another, and I wondered if this song was a soundtrack to when they first met. Honourable mentions to additional crowd favourites such as 'Spray-On Pants', 'Do-Do's & Woah-Oh's' and new single 'Lie To Me'.

Kisschasy’s Brisbane show was a tender night of nostalgia. The Melbourne outfit played a collection of classic throwbacks that sent the audience back to the noughties. Suzi and Sly Withers offered their own emotional hymns that left the night in a whirlwind of emo-tinged catharsis. Overall, it was a great experience to see Hymns For The Non Believer played in full, and I left The Fortitude Music Hall a sure Kisschasy fan.

Review by Grace Cameron @disgracefultaste

The tour concludes next weekend. Final tickets here.

Photo Gallery by Lily Withers-Clarke @soundobscura. Please credit Wall Of Sound and Lily Withers-Clarke if you repost photos.