REVIEW: Phantastic Ferniture Come Home for Christmas

“It’s going to be pretty interesting…” Julia Jacklin laughed as she and Phantastic Ferniture guitarist Liz Hughes joined me in a park outside Blackheath Community Centre on December 20.

“My 90-year-old grandma’s going to be here. So, I know I’m going to be looking out at her and be like, is she doing all right? Is she comfortable? Is it too loud?”

This would be a unique concern for most musicians – especially of Jacklin’s stature. Both Phantastic Ferniture – the rocking four-piece which she fronts – and her world-famous solo project have packed-out theatres nationally and internationally. Only the previous night ‘Phan-fern’ had filled the Metro Theatre, where atop the glamorous stage they had leaned into the ‘rock star’ persona – remaining at the venue well after the show to take photos and sign merch for streams of adoring fans.

Now, the band was returning to their home in the Blue Mountains, where they hadn’t played since a small gig in a pizza shop in 2016. The objective was to step away from the glamour and host a DIY hybrid Christmas party/concert for friends and family of all ages.

“Organising it was a lot of work,” Hughes told me between phone calls from family members who were urgently trying to help locate some mic stands for the performance that evening. “Since this is a council venue there’s a lot more paperwork involved – I had to do a six-hour first aid course, and we had to do a letter drop to all the surrounding streets just to tell them about the noise.”

Yet, despite these hurdles, as I returned to the venue that evening, the work had clearly been worth it.

The large hall had been dressed in decorations that resembled more of an end-of-year school Christmas party than a high-profile concert. Glowing Christmas trees stood in every corner, tinsel and presents lined the stage, the canteen was serving rice paper rolls and chai tea, and the merch stand was selling raffle tickets for $5. Both outside in the park and inside before the stage, parents, children, teenagers, and grandparents all came together in a loud congregation of happy laughter.

There was such a great atmosphere, it felt as if this act of community was the main event rather than the approaching music. So much so that when the band eventually came out onto stage dressed in Santa hats and Christmas clothes, they almost seemed disappointed they weren’t in the audience with us.

Of course, the band soon replicated our joy among themselves. Amid side eyes and grins, funky bass riffs thumped, steady drums rolled, and Hughes’ guitar ripped with distorted chords and sharp electric licks. Meanwhile Jacklin’s famous voice broke through with cool, punchy lyrics as she danced freely between band members.

It was a performance full of great moments, where the audience belted beloved lyrics and danced with the same carefree energy as you would at a family event. During ‘Fuckin ‘n’ Rollin’ – the band’s most infectious number – a boy at the front of the audience was lifted onto his dad’s shoulders and the pair danced as Jacklin lowered herself to sing in his face.

But beyond the music, what I found most special was the happiness the band promoted. It was clear – as Jacklin handed water bottles to kids dancing at the front and invited her brother onto stage to fling candy-canes into the crowd – that this was a community that she and the band absolutely adored.

More than their performance on stage was Phantastic Ferniture’s performance of coming home. Of working hard behind the scenes to make this party a success. Of giving kids and adults a place to dance side by side. And above all else, reuniting with community and celebrating Christmas together.