Kelsy Karter and The Heroines: Small But Loud at Valley Bar in Phoenix, AZ

For many artists, a tour cycle is tied directly to an album release, a promotional push, or a carefully orchestrated marketing campaign. For Kelsy Karter & The Heroines, however, the Pleasure Tour feels refreshingly different. The Australian/British rock 'n' roll outfit, fronted by New Zealand singer-songwriter Kelsy Karter, brought the second U.S. stop of the tour to Valley Bar in Phoenix, Arizona on June 2, 2026, proving that sometimes the best reason to hit the road is simply for the love of it.

With their most recent album released in January 2025, the tour isn't attached to a new record rollout. Instead, the band has embraced the pure joy that comes from live performance—the very concept that inspired the tour's name: The Pleasure Tour. That passion was evident throughout the night, as every song was delivered with an energy and commitment that made it clear the band wasn't simply playing shows; they were celebrating them.

As a self-proclaimed theatre kid, Karter's artistic influences were impossible to miss. From the moment she stepped on stage, the performance carried the flair and drama of a cabaret production. The inspiration makes perfect sense given that Karter recently completed a run of cabaret and burlesque performances in London's West End portraying Jessica Rabbit. Elements of that character seemed to bleed naturally into her stage persona, creating a captivating blend of sultry femme fatale confidence and tough-as-nails rock star swagger.

Her outfit reinforced the aesthetic perfectly: a nude corset top accented with black lace detailing, white lace shorts, thigh-high stockings attached to the shorts with garter straps, towering black patent leather boots, oversized pearl necklaces, and an assortment of rings. Among them was the band's custom Heroine Ring—a limited-edition piece featuring the band's logo, a symbol so significant to Karter that it's also tattooed on her upper arm.

The theatricality began before Karter even appeared. Drummer Sebastian Boyse, guitarist Matt Peach, and bassist Tommy Gent took the stage first as the venue speakers blasted "Sweet Transvestite" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As the song drew to a close, Karter emerged under dim lighting and immediately shifted the atmosphere.

Launching into a slowed-down acoustic rendition of the opening verse of "God Knows I've Tried," she commanded complete silence from the room. The crowd became so quiet that a text notification from the back of the venue was clearly audible. It was a striking moment of control and intimacy. Gradually, the rest of the band joined in, building the arrangement layer by layer until the first chorus exploded into a full-band performance. The song transformed from a delicate acoustic introduction into a soaring rock anthem, seamlessly restoring the room's energy before flowing directly into the funkier, faster-paced "Devil on My Shoulder." The transition showcased Karter's vocal range early, effortlessly moving between vulnerable restraint and powerhouse rock vocals.

Three songs into the set, Karter paused to check in with the crowd.

"Who's seeing us for the first time tonight?" she asked.

After a sea of hands went up, she smirked.

"You're welcome."

It was the first of many moments that demonstrated her natural charisma as a frontwoman.

From there, Karter laid out the band's expectations for the evening.

"You guys see how small I am?" she asked, referencing both her own petite stature and the intimate crowd size.

The audience responded with a few laughs and scattered cheers.

Unsatisfied, she asked again with greater emphasis.

The crowd responded louder.

Still not enough.

"When I ask you a question, you answer..." she began.

"YES MOMMY!" someone immediately shouted from the audience.

"...with passion!" Karter finished, drawing laughter throughout the venue.

Then came the challenge.

"DO YOU SEE HOW SMALL I AM?!"

This time the room erupted.

Having finally achieved the desired volume, Karter explained that the crowd had "got no fucking excuse" not to be loud all night.

The phrase "We're small, but we're loud!" quickly became the emphasis throughout the evening.

"It doesn't matter if we're playing to five people or five thousand people," Karter told the audience. "We're going to give you the best Kelsy Karter and The Heroines show we possibly can give you."

Then she reminded everyone that live music is a two-way relationship.

"This is a partnership, yeah? We're here for you tonight. Are you going to be there for me tonight?"

The response was immediate—the loudest cheers of the evening up to that point.

The speech concluded with one of the night's most human moments. Mid-sentence, Karter found herself battling a mouthful of hair and turned to Peach, asking him to entertain the crowd for a moment.

Whether an intentional test of the crowd having her back or a natural human moment, it served as a perfect demonstration of the band's chemistry and stage presence.

Peach promptly began a story about that morning in Arizona, revealing that he had been stung by a scorpion shortly after waking up. The crowd responded with knowing laughter and sympathetic groans. He assured everyone that aside from the encounter, Arizona had been lovely before jokingly asking what exactly a scorpion even was.

Any Arizonan knows the answer and was eager to share it.

As audience members enthusiastically explained that scorpions are arachnids, Karter laughed and deadpanned, "Oh, it's a reptile." Ever one to continue the bit, she turned it into a friendly international rivalry, "We've got scarier shit in Australia, just so you know."

The spontaneous exchange became one of the many standout moments throughout the night. It highlighted the band's ability to remain fully engaged with the audience, transforming an unexpected interruption into a memorable piece of crowd interaction.

Following the impromptu scorpion debate, Karter guided the audience into the next chapter of the evening by discussing the themes behind the band's most recent album, Love Made Me Do It. She explained that the record explores many different kinds of love, particularly the kinds that don't often receive attention in mainstream songwriting. Before she could continue, an audience member enthusiastically shouted, "I love you!"

At first, the declaration seemed fitting.

Then Karter revealed the next song would be "Hotel Flamingo."

"Weird timing, but okay," she responded.

The crowd laughed before the band launched into the track, which tells the story of a prostitute and a drifter falling in love and explores the vulnerability experienced on both sides of that relationship. By this point in the evening, the audience was fully invested and particularly vocal during the song's chorus. Karter leaned into the energy, stepping away from the microphone and allowing the crowd to sing portions of the chorus back to her, turning the performance into one of the night's most communal moments.

About halfway through the night, Karter revealed that the band was already hard at work on what will become their third full-length album. Before continuing, she asked if the audience would mind hearing something that hadn't yet been released.

The answer was immediate.

The band debuted "One Man Show," a work-in-progress track from the upcoming record. Even in its unfinished state, the song felt polished enough to suggest it has a strong chance of making the final album. Following the performance, Karter checked in with the crowd for feedback and was met with enthusiastic cheers.

Still, she included a disclaimer.

As a "real proper rock band," she explained, they're willing to play songs while they're still being developed—whether they're only "kinda good" or "really good."

"Never shit, I hope not," she added, drawing laughter from the audience.

Listen to the live performance of “One Man Show” here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XaFi3iKfLWzNUVgBpC1kSSXlpOfijVtm/view?usp=sharing