Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett was back at Rock City last week, treating her fans to another captivating performance with songs from her back catalogue and new album, Creature of Habit, with support from Body Type...
Courtney Barnett played at Rock City during her last visit to Notts in 2022, and an expectant crowd piled into the main hall for another stellar set at the heralded venue, which is celebrating 45 years of live music, club nights, and being a mecca for music fans across the country.
I was introduced to Barnett's music back in 2015 just after the release of her debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. Since then, she's released four solo albums and a collaboration with former War on Drugs guitarist, Kurt Vile. She's been nominated for a Brit Award and a Grammy, and has won a host of Australian music accolades, including the 2022 Best Independent Rock Album award at the Australian Independent Record Awards for Things Take Time, Take Time. I was eager to see what Courtney Barnett had in store this time around, especially after the release of Creature of Habit in March this year on indie label Mom + Pop Music.
First up, though, was support act Body Type, a four-piece all-female rock band formed in New South Wales in 2016. They got their name from the fine print of a parking ticket during a practice session: "Make: Toyota, Body Type: Station Wagon."
The band doesn't have a fixed lead singer, so members Sophie McComish, Annabel Blackman, and Georgia Wilkinson-Derums take turns performing, backed by Cecil Coleman on drums, which adds variety and an air of unpredictability to Body Type's live shows. There's also a connection with Barnett's drummer this evening: Stella Mozgawa played on the band's third album, Tally, released in July this year.
At around 8:00, Barnett came on stage to a warm reception from the crowd, sporting a baggy green T-shirt with red stripes, a silver chain (not Mr T levels of bling but noticeable from the back of the room), and a "choppy" mullet. She was laid-back, friendly and talkative with the crowd. Barnett has always come across as likeable and this attitude resonates in her irreverent, relatable and self-deprecating lyrics. The aforementioned Mozgawa was on drums, with Bones Sloane on guitar and backing vocals.
The first song of the night was Stay In Your Lane, the opening track on Creature of Habit and the first single from the new album. Its chugging intro gives way to Barnett's Aussie-twanged, chatty vocal style; before it kicks in with a more jagged indie sound.
The opening part of the gig offered a nice spread of songs, as City Looks Pretty, fan favourite Avant Gardener, and Small Poppies covered all four of her solo studio albums before returning to Creature of Habit with Mantis.
Behind Barnett was the album cover of her latest album, a big, green praying mantis. When speaking to Relix Magazine earlier this year, she revealed she had sent a picture of a Mantis to Mozgawa, who informed her it was a sign of patience and perseverance, which resonated with her and seemed a fitting image to have as an album cover. Rock City did a lot with a little in terms of lighting; the visuals sync nicely with upbeat songs such as History Eraser and Nameless Faceless, and then bring them down for introspective tracks such as Another Beautiful Day and Depreston.
The gig was in its final stages when it paused after Barnett noticed a crowd member had fainted and needed to lie down. The diligent Rock City staff sprang into action as audience members helped the person recover, and the gig continued after a few minutes.
Barnett wound down with the beautifully melancholic Mostly Patient, the last song from Creature of Habit. As always, you have a brief "will they, won't they?" moment regarding an encore, but Barnett didn't let us down.
She returned to the stage to another enthusiastic reception and ripped through Pedestrian at Best. "Put me on a pedestal, and I'll only disappoint you. Tell me I'm exceptional, I promise to exploit you," she wails as she comments on the pressures of indie-rock stardom and expectation.
It's an expectation she wears well, once Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party ends, Barnett receives a raucous send-off as she exits the stage; there's a warm murmur of appreciation for another outstanding Nottingham gig.
Courtney Barnett performed at Rock City on 16 October 2026, with support from Body Type
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