By the time Eskimo Joe hit the stage for the third and final show at Freo Social, there was already a feeling in the air that this one carried a little extra weight. Three consecutive sold-out nights will do that. The room was buzzing, packed to the rafters with a hometown crowd that knew every word and every beat by heart. On a cold Fremantle night, it felt like something more than just another gig: it was part celebration, and part send-off. A final hometown moment before the rest of the country gets its turn, with the ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine 20th anniversary’ run continuing over east next week. And being on home turf, of course, meant Fremantle got it first—loud, proud, and in full. Plenty in the crowd weren’t just here for one night either; they’d been here for all three nights, soaking in every last second.
Of course, the centerpiece of these three nights was 1996’s ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine’ was played in its entirety. An album that clearly held a lifetime of memories for so many of us in the room, each song landing with the full weight of nostalgia but still hitting with the same immediacy it always had. You could feel it in every chorus, every knowing glance between band and crowd. Tonight it was something special: a shared history being relived in real time.
There’s something different about seeing a band like this on home soil. Fremantle has always been part of Eskimo Joe’s DNA, and nights like this prove that connection hasn’t faded an inch. From the first notes, the crowd was fully focused and locked in. We were loud, loyal, and fully aware they were witnessing a band that simply does not miss a beat in their own backyard. The greatest band to come out of Freo? On nights like this, it’s not even a debate.
What made this run particularly special was the effort to keep things fresh. Changing the setlist each night is no small ask, but it paid off in a big way. For this final show, the encore alone felt like a reward for those who’d stuck it out across the trilogy—’Foreign Land,’ ‘The First Time,’ ‘I’m So Tired,’ ‘Love Is a Drug,’ and ‘From the Sea’ all landing like a perfectly curated greatest hits moments without ever feeling predictable.
Between songs, the band harnessed the intimacy of the room. There was plenty of onstage banter, stories behind the tracks, and that easy, self-aware humour that’s always been part of their charm. It never felt rehearsed or forced – just five musicians (including the legendary Timothy Nelson on keys) genuinely enjoying the moment, sharing it with a crowd that’s grown up right with them.
Support came from Alex Lloyd, who delivered a set full of warmth and familiarity, even if it wasn’t without its hiccups. A few early guitar issues crept in, leading to some impromptu comedy (that he dismissed as totally scripted ‘acting’) as he reassured the audience he had in fact done a soundcheck. If anything, it added to the night’s character – raw, human, and refreshingly unpolished in all the right ways. Man that guy can sing, and when you can hear his guitar man can he play guitar…
As the final notes rang out and the house lights came up, there was a shared understanding in the room: this was something special. Three sold-out nights, three different setlists, one of the greatest albums of the 90’s, and a band that continues to deliver with heart and precision. If this is the shape of things to come for the anniversary tour, the rest of the country is in for something huge – but they’ll have to work hard to match what Fremantle just witnessed and we all played a part in. Fremantle’s greatest band? You betcha. Best Australian album of the 90’s? Quite possibly…
GALLERY
