09/02/2026

Hazlett – Tuning Fork: February 8, 2026 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Indie-folk singer-songwriter Hazlett brought his soaring vocals to The Tuning Fork last night at the last of his shows on the Coming Home Tour, propelling the crowd on a turbulent flight through the emotional journey of his past loves, and the cost of pursuing his musical passion on the other side of the world.

Walking into the venue, I noticed the strung up orange lightbulbs that zig zagged across the ceiling, reminiscent of a Melbourne Laneway in the late evening, a cosy spot to wrap up in a red-wine-blanket and chat with friends late into the night. Fitting scenery for the Australian-born Hazlett. Plenty of snapback caps and sunglasses atop heads graced the space between bodies and lightbulb strings, illustrating the calm nature of the crowd and the gig itself.

Fables

The room was half-full by the time supporting act New Zealand indie-folk ensemble Fables entered the stage at 8 p.m. Singer and guitarist Jess Bailey set the mood with charming – if self-deprecating – humour that became the theme of the set, masterfully getting the audience onside with relatable anecdotes and reflectively laughing at her own foibles.

Together with the other half of her duo for the evening, Auckland-based musician Arahi, they launched into the first song, Sundown, a single Fables released in 2025. It felt intimate, as though it was simply two musicians who enjoy jamming together, and this time they just happened to be in front of a live audience. They followed the first track with a deeper emotional dive into Eyes Closed, Arahi adding the vocal colour and guitar layering.

After a joking anecdote about waiting around for her divorce to go through, they played one of their newest singles Enough. In between this and their next song Someone I Know, Bailey tuned her guitar live and openly chatted with the audience about her sometimes frenetic brain, and the fact that she’s sweating so much she’s discovered her “knee pits”. From the crowd’s laughter and the person to my left saying “she’s hilarious,” I’d say we got a comedy show along with the music. It was refreshing to have such an honest voice on stage.

Fables then rounded out their set with their fifth and final song Back Up Plan and encouraged the audience participation to finish off. They had most of the room singing their final lyric “not for you,” into the yawning space of the final chord, Bailey at the front like a choir conductor for the assembled pupils in front of them.

Hazlett

The venue had filled to around two thirds of capacity. The stage was shrouded in darkness. The lights were dimmed. Brushed cymbals clued in the crowd, with sustained chords layering on top, finally a male voice said “1 2 3 4,” and the band launched into the first song Please Don’t Be from Hazlett’s 2023 album Bloom Mountain. The lights glowed orange, revealing Hazlett’s white singlet, figure-hugging blue jeans, and cap placed over his long curly hair, reflecting the same laid-back fashion of the crowd gathered in front of him. His band was illuminated also, a guitarist/keyboard player, a bassist, and drummer.

Hazlett shared between this and his second song Stolen Seasons that his voice was “hanging on by a thread,” which is a testament to how he pushed through for the set as it remained consistent and rarely faltered all night, even impressively through a sustained falsetto section.

Cemetery and Missionary Feelings came next, keeping close quarters with the indie-folk pop genre, playing with swelling and falling dynamics that felt like a soft turbulence to the ear and lulled the crowd into gentle swaying. They were re-energised by his next song queen of the season. Here, the disco ball in the middle of The Tuning Fork’s ceiling was the perfect actor, with a golden light bouncing off it, fragments arcing into the crowd.

He then played tell me something, a song off the 2025 album last night you said you missed me. The intimate, subdued and pensive nature of the gig lent itself to sharing details of his life on the road, including what Hazlett has missed out on by seriously pursuing music as a career, and the homesickness he’s felt in waves. The next three songs explored these feelings with The First Train Home, I’m Not Ready To Go and Shiver. Then came his title track last night you said you missed me and single fast like you to round out live renditions of his more recent work.

The penultimate song Blame the Moon brought with it a fuller band sound. It began slowly and built up with more layers added, giving Hazlett the chance to show off his musician chops with crisp guitar riffs shining through. Some of the audience joined in, singing and clapping along to what felt like some of the most well-known lyrics of the evening. Introducing the final song, doing my best, the audience reacted with an audible “awww,” knowing it was almost over. The band played with a renewed energy that rose with the ascending melody. The last chord rang out to the wolf whistles and cheers of the crowd, with Hazlett immediately taking off his guitar and picking up a wine glass, ready to celebrate the end of the evening, and the tour.

The performers had touched down to kiss the tarmac after an hour and 15 minutes of soaring vocals and a tight-knit band sound forged by months of touring together.

It was clear that Hazlett delivered a satisfying indie-folk journey which, much like returning from a too-short vacation, made the audience want to take off and experience it all over again.

E.J. Rzepecky

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