LIVE REVIEW: A Celestial Event – Mallrat at Fortitude Music Hall

Photo by Robbie Hume

Last Friday night, Meanjin/Brisbane welcomed home its pop princess, Grace Shaw, AKA Mallrat, who took the stage at Fortitude Music Hall. The evening marked the second show of her world tour celebrating the release of her second album, Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right. It was a magical blend of jumping to the beat of our hearts and humming wistfully along to Mallrat’s soaring vocals and vivid storytelling.

Seeing Mallrat play a headline show for the first time was truly mesmerising, having only seen her set at Laneway Festival back in 2023. The evening made me fall in love with her all over again. Everything—from the way she glided, danced, and spun across the stage to her spellbinding lyrics and angelic energy—had me connecting with her songs in a way I hadn’t before. Performing beloved tracks like 'Groceries' and 'Charlie' alongside new songs like 'Pavement' and 'My Darling, My Angel' from her latest album, she held my attention completely. Mallrat has always brought heart—with a twist—to her music, and I felt every bit of that in her live performance.

Photo by Robbie Hume

Opening the evening was Melbourne/Naarm-based Prophecy Girl. They entered the stage wearing a shirt that read “Protect Trans Kids,” instantly creating a sense of connection in the room. As a self-proclaimed “vampire slayer”, inspired by the beloved ’90s show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (a personal favourite of mine), they exuded every bit of that energy and more. They even included a cut from the Twilight soundtrack in their rotation.

Next up was fellow Melbourne/Naarm based DJ Denim, who brought the bass to the floor. With rainbow strobes electrifying the venue, they had the crowd dancing non-stop, as if hypnotised.

Then came Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Daine, and I got to witness the true meaning of hyperpop. Daine entered wearing all black, eyes covered beneath a fur hooded jumper. I was particularly captured by Daine when they performed their new single—the title track of their upcoming album—I Want the Light To Swallow Me Whole. The song began slower than their others, with Daine asking the audience to turn on their flashlights. Phones lit up instantly. Bodies intuitively swayed side to side. Then the performance took an exciting turn, ending in a raw scream into the mic like a true heavy metal artist. One song even gave me Charlie XCX vibes, highlighting Daine’s eclectic style.

And then, the queen of the night herself—Mallrat—took the stage. Before we even saw her, a single spotlight swept across the audience. It moved around mysteriously while ambient, spacey music built the suspense of Mallrat’s arrival. Five minutes later, she appeared, and the crowd erupted. It felt like she was a spaceship coming into landing.

Photo by Robbie Hume

She opened her set with a new favourite of mine and the first track from her new album, 'My Darling, My Angel'.

It was from that moment I noticed a strong theme Mallrat carries in both her music and presence. Everything about her feels celestial. She sings of stars, moons, solar systems, and angels to atmospheric electronic music. She often pairs cosmic metaphors with grounded, everyday lyrics that make her songs particularly vivid. As I looked around the hall, I could see the crowd mesmerised by every word, singing and swaying to her stories. I too, felt mesmerised, as if I could reach out and touch the moments she sang of.

Mallrat is a master of storytelling and stringing together similar sounding words. Even so, I don’t think I’d felt the potency of her lyrics until that night. I feel a big part of that was her stage presence—no instrument in hand, just her voice and her movement. I felt very at ease watching her, even with her varied repertoire of both soothing and high energy tunes. During her more intimate songs, she chose to stand still, holding the mic stand and meeting the gaze of the audience like we were friends. And then for those bouncier songs, she would twirl across the stage with her signature fur tail attached.

Photo by Robbie Hume

Toward the end of Mallrat's set, she picked up a red heart-shaped guitar that had been hanging in the background, untouched. She began strumming it—just as the title of the song suggests—like a 'Rockstar'. After leaving the stage briefly, she returned for an encore, ending the night with a dreamy combination of 'Hideaway' and 'Love Songs'.

To conclude: everyone should experience an evening like this—one where you leave the venue feeling like you’re floating home.