8 February 2023 – The Toff, Melbourne – words by Sarah Gorozidis – pictures by Paris Gorozidis
Continuing the high from the previous night where Lexi Jayde opened for Finneas at the Forum, Lexi performed an intimate but energetic gig in the heart of Melbourne. It was a sold-out show at The Toff, a small venue, so it was very sweaty and hot, but it didn’t stop the fans from having the time of their lives.
Supporting her was the amazing Tilly Fenton who charmed the audience, warming them up for Lexi Jayde. It was one of those gigs where the audience was full from the beginning of the support act, so Tilly had a full house to bounce off. Playing a lovely acoustic set with just herself and a guitarist increased the intimacy of the set. Not having any released music Tilly showed Melbourne her talent and sound which the crowd embraced with open arms. Despite a few technical difficulties Tilly positively shook off the distractions and continued her set with her breath-taking vocals. She performed 2 fan favourite covers, ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles and ‘Soaked’ by BENEE, this caused an uproar of singing from the audience.
Tilly closed with a beautiful and catchy original, ‘New York Apartment’, I am super excited to see what the future holds for the up and coming Tilly Fenton.
The show began with a cool pre-recorded spoken diary from Lexi talking about the aftermath of a breakup leading into her first song of the evening ‘Newbury Park’. The audience projected heaps of energy and IT didn’t stop the whole night, both singing the lyrics to every song and jumping up and down. I had never heard either Lexi or Tilly prior to the gig but I personally felt that the two sets blended together in a way. The music of both artists main theme being about heartbreak and relationships, they both had similar sounds. Nevertheless, they are both extremely talented individuals but there was no sense of contrast between the two. I think it would’ve been more interesting for the audience if there was a bit of diversity in sounds.
This was her first ever Australian headline tour, her small Australian tour being a run of sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney as she was supporting the beloved Finneas in both states. Accompanying Lexi on stage was Ryland on guitar and Jacob on the drums, although they were a small band, they got the job done. There was a strong connection between Lexi and the audience, in between songs she interacted with the crowd answering questions and accepting gifts including a toy koala, exclaiming “you spoil me.” Lexi likes to think her music is like “free therapy” to her listeners this statement received a massive roar of agreement from the crowd.
Lexi had incredible stage presence and a strong connection with the fans, her songs enveloped a universal experience or idea that her fan base could relate to. Although she only has a small fan base in Australia at this point in time, I am sure that it’ll begin to expand as she increases her releases, grows and evolves as an artist.
