Live Review: Costume

It wouldn’t be Dark Mofo if there wasn’t a performance that left you feeling mystified and intrigued simultaneously. In this album premiere show, Costume took the unique and dramatic to new heights with their ethereal take on the darker side of electro. 

In the lead-up to the festival, it was hard to miss seeing the statuesque figure of Adam Ouston clad head to toe in pastel pink in all the promos. Ouston is a Hobart local who developed the Costume project and recorded debut album Pan in Reykjavik at the iconic Greenhouse Studios. The result is something that blurs the lines between performance art piece, theatre and EDM. 

Costume is an auditory experience in its own right, yet it’s the combination of sequins and spandex, a violinist clad in a black lace bodysuit and melodramatic masked dancers that kept the audience entranced. The songs themselves reference a touch of Röyksopp and The Knife, with a hint of Bowie and Morrissey in Costume’s haunting vocals. Not bad company to be in.

The crowd was perhaps a little bewildered at first when Costume began, largely due to the fact it was 7pm on a Wednesday evening. By a couple of songs in, they were on board, embracing all that Costume had on offer. The illusion was shattered slightly when Costume reverted back into being Adam Ouston for a moment and addressed the audience, “Who gets this many people to their first gig?” he asked. “You do,” was the unified reply from many.

Naturally with a name like Costume there was an outfit change before the last few songs. Returning resplendent to the stage in a sequined, tiger print unitard complete with a sheer Dracula-style cape and fabulous hair to match, Costume kicked the show up another notch with some dancey numbers. 

The final track was complete with a shirtless, gold paint-sprayed saxophonist that had everyone asking, “Where was he the whole time?”     

Who knows what could be next for this project? Costume joked that they would be back in 30 years with Zimmer frames still performing at Dark Mofo. Now that would be a spectacle.