Creature of Habit: Courtney Barnett Live at Trades Club

Focusing on the newest record Creature of Habit (2026), Courtney Barnett played a sold-out show at Trades Club in Hebden Bridge on the 30th March. Barnett’s well-known lyrical quirks and skilled musicianship excelled in the live setting, but it was her onstage warmth that truly stood-out, creating a sense of community between the primarily Northern English crowd and this Australian musician.

The 200-capacity cooperative club is one of the most talked about venues in the country, and one I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time. A 10 minute walk from Hebden Bridge station and just a train away from Leeds, Trades Club didn’t disappoint. Its welcoming atmosphere and built-in coolness can only have developed over years of live music, pints, and homemade food. As we queued for tickets, I was surprised at the laid-back environment of such a renowned venue. One guy stood by a small blackboard that read “INDONESIAN FOOD”, a steaming plate of spiced rice in hand. Someone else crossed our names off a printed piece of paper, not a ticket scanner or QR code in sight. This was set to be a surprisingly intimate gig from a fast becoming songwriting legend.

The homely atmosphere continues into the bar that separates the pub dining room from the gig space, the queue for drinks blending into the small, already crowded audience. I see a sign that reads “Welcome to the Trades Club. The Trades is a safe space, which means that racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia aren’t tolerated here.” Their website also opens with an endorsement for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The Trades Club was reopened in the 1980s as a socialist cooperative and music venue, and has evidently continued to thrive on its progressive history.

It was not long before Barnett was onstage, joined by Warpaint drummer, Stella Mozgawa and long-term bassist, Bones Sloane. ‘Stay in Your Lane’, the first track from the new album, opened up the set, followed by fan favourite ‘Avant Gardener’ from The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas (2013). The intimacy of the venue and closeness of the crowd, paired with Barnett’s electric charisma resulted in an attentive listening experience. Both old favourites such as ‘Small Poppies’ and ‘Depreston’ from Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (2015) and new tracks from Creature of Habit (2026) are met with packed-crowd dancing and singalongs. Phones are only taken out to capture out a small moment or two, and chatter is minimal. Barnett is captivating. Her guitar playing stands out, complex instrumentation seamlessly layered with her vocals. The quirks in her voice, such as its occasional huskiness and Australian lilt, are even more charming off-record, whilst Barnett’s lyricism similarly shines in its uniqueness, matching the independent icon status of Trades. 

“I can see right through ya / Yeah, I can read your bones / Just like a telephone book / Maybe I should, give it up, begin again”, sings Barnett on the conceptual centre of the new album, ‘Mantis’. A figure of hope and of regeneration, the literal praying mantis that inspired Creature of Habit (2026) aptly reflects where Barnett was at creatively when making this album. Looking ahead to creative and personal change, Barnett’s recent release is full of relatable details of quotidian life and a sense of driving forward. 

In a departure from her own discography, the band played a surprise cover of Paul McCartney/Wings ‘Let Me Roll It’. Two chords in, and the crowd are already on board. The playfulness of the track is not lost on the band, who loyally follow its dips and crescendoes. It is part of the set’s generosity, a desire to entertain and to connect with the crowd. Bartnett, in this playful performance, stumbles upon a cover that naturally slides into her effortless style.

A special moment of the night is the stripped-back performance of ‘Mostly Patient’ for which Bartnett is left alone onstage. Its soft repetition and gentle depiction of an individual makes for a moving performance. “What’s inside that cloudy little head?/ C’mon, won’t you stretch it out?” 

Returning the energy for the encore, Stella, Bones, and Courtney launch into the higher tempo ‘Pedestrian At Best’, and I am surprised at the range of the setlist. The structure of it was almost album-like in its attention to dips and peaks, changes in genre and sound. There is something special about this setlist’s careful organisation, made up of over 13 years of recordings.

Finishing with the energy of ‘Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party’ from Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (2015) is the tone-perfect conclusion, though I sense that the audience could have happily stuck around for more.

Words by Francesca Lynes