Southern Gothic meets Tasmanian Gothic
PHOTOS & WORDS BY BRITTNEY MCCARTHY OF BM IMAGES
PUBLISHED FOR OUTSIDERS JOURNAL
If there were a festival fitting for Ethel Cain to perform at, Dark Mofo is the one, a celebration of the dark, the mysterious and filled with nocturnal revelry. Collapsing at her Sydney Opera House show on June 3rd I was worried that other shows would be cancelled but thankfully Ethel was okay and continued to perform every show for the rest of her Australian tour.
If you were hoping to catch Ethel Cain up close during Dark Mofo you needed to plan ahead, daughters of Cain were lining up for the sold out show from 10am ready to get as close to the stage as they could to hand over letters and gifts and to sing their heart out.
This was my first time at Odeon Theatre and it was a special venue to be inside, enormous detailed ceilings and gorgeous fixtures throughout. I also loved the option to find a comfortable seat upstairs to enjoy the show with a clear view of the stage.
Stepping into character, Hayden Silas Anhedönia walked onto the stage as Ethel casually and comfortably, smiling at the crowd before starting the set with A House in Nebraska which first appeared on her 2018 EP, Sad Music for Sad People. It’s no surprise that what followed was an hour of goosebumps, tears and smiles. I walked around during the set and no matter where I looked in the crowd I could spot someone overcome with emotion, holding their hands to their chest or face completely mesmerised by Ethel’s haunting voice layered over the droning sadcore music. Emotion was only amplified by Ethel making eye contact with those at the front as she sat on the edge of the stage and sang to them, allowing them to be vulnerable, whatever emotion they needed to feel and release in that moment.
Ending her set with American Teenager from her debut studio album Preacher’s Daughter released in 2022 the crowd were able to wipe away their tears to hold their hands in the air for the anti-war, anti-patriotism anthem.
