Julia Jacklin made a surprise appearance at The Tote in Melbourne yesterday (June 1st), performing an afternoon set at the venue’s Bootleg Kidney Fundraiser to support a friend of the venue with medical costs. She did not, however, perform her Australian Music Prize-nominated solo material or with her recently-reunited band Phantastic Ferniture. Rather, Jacklin fronted up with Binspoon – a band that is self-described as “Australia’s premier Grinspoon tribute show”.

The supergroup band consists of Jacklin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, former San Cisco bassist Jennifer Anslett on lead guitar, Moody Beaches‘ Jessie Dennis on bass and Sarah Thompson (ex-Camp Cope) on drums. The performance marked Binspoon’s live debut, and was a half-hour set covering some of Grinspoon’s biggest hits including ‘Just Ace’ and ‘Lost Control’. Watch a snippet of the band performing the latter song below, courtesy of fellow performer Tom Lyngcoln.

Binspoon’s debut was also notable for being Thompson’s first public live performance since Camp Cope’s final show at the Sydney Opera House in October 2023 – which, coincidentally, both Anslett and Jacklin also performed as part of. Other performers on the bill for the Bootleg Kidney Fundraiser included Melbourne noise-rockers Batpiss, singer-songwriter Emilee South and Palm Springs – the solo project of Tropical Fuck Storm‘s Erica Dunn, who also fronts the band Mod Con.

At the time of writing, Grinspoon have not responded publicly to the unveiling of their new tribute band. They have, however, expanded their 30th Birthday Bonanza Australian tour for later this year, which will see them joined by Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems for most of the run. Having sold out their original Melbourne show at the Forum Theatre on Friday, December 19th, the band will return the following night for an encore performance on Saturday, December 20th. Tickets for that, as well as all remaining tickets for the rest of the band’s national tour, can be found by clicking here.

Further Reading

Julia Jacklin On Not Censoring The Personal In Her Music

Night At The Barracks And The Parkland 2025: Missy Higgins, Cut Copy, Icehouse + More

Julia Jacklin Review – Artist Justifies the Acclaim at Melbourne Gig