Canadian queens of indie-pop harmonies Tegan and Sara managed to well and truly pack all the available space at Metropolis Fremantle on Monday night.

The room was filled to capacity early, making a cushy debut for Kaki King ’s first support slot in Australia. King’s seemingly endless experimental set involved fingerpicking, fret tapping, both lap steel and acoustic guitars, electronic audio looping and layering, and an occasional demonstration of her breathy yet strangely alluring vocals. The predominantly instrumental performance appeared to take many by surprise, but if the audience was not appreciative of the style they didn’t show it, and King was applauded offstage in good humour when her exhibition came to an end.

Tegan and Sara appeared shortly after, looking eager to start. A full band consisting of a drummer (Johnny) a guitarist/keyboardist (Ted) and bassist/synth player (Shaun) followed the pair onstage, creating a comfortingly full scene. The strains of Dark Come Soon filtered through the cheers and whoops from the ecstatic crowd.

The Quins sported matching haircuts and similar outfits, but their performance managed to adroitly sidestep the usual cliches and stereotypes that accompany their ubiquitous tag of ‘lesbian twins’. Conspicuously absent from their music and onstage banter are any references to their sexuality, which explains their widely variable fan demographic. Hysterical fans were mixing with both the big gruff blokes clutching pint glasses and the pack of overdressed and over-intoxicated cheerleader types in the corner. The crowd were soon singing the lyrics of the second song of the evening, and the namesake of their fifth studio album, The Con .

After jaunting through Relief Next To Me and Are You Ten Years Ago? , Tegan began to regale the audience with the tale of the last time she visited Australia. Apparently it began and ended with violent diarrhoea, which the outgoing twin cheerfully mimed. This disturbing impression aside, the band launched into Hop a Plane , followed by the bouncy Speak Slow . Where Does the Good Go? elicited another hearty sing-along from the crowd, fortunately not loudly enough to overwhelm the plaintive cry of Tegan as she pleaded “look me in the eye and tell me no love’s like our love”.

I Bet it Stung showcased Sara’s beautiful vocals. By this point, it was obvious that although sheer talent and confidence in both girls makes their reputation as great artists; their collaboration undoubtedly makes their work outstanding. So Jealous and Like O, Like H emphasised the entrancing quality of their sisterly harmonising, even during slightly darker moments of their repertoire.

Kaki King returned to the stage to fill her part in Floorplan, and continued to add her presence and fretwork to Knife Going In and Monday, Monday, Monday.

Referred to as the ‘sensitive side’ of the set, the band knocked out the equally sweet Soil, Soil and City Girl before Tegan introduced Nineteen as the song for co-dependent people. Surprisingly powerful for a song about clinginess, the Tegan-written ballad generated a fair bit of movement on the dance floor. It was during this song that the drummer exhibited a facial expression that can only be described as sheer glee. It was a pleasure to see that both band and audience were still rapt with the performance this far into the set.

The best indicator of the band’s mainstream success came as the audience began to sing as one to Back in Your Head. Call It Off capped off the “official” end of the set, and the Quins eliminated the gig ritual of “encore awkwardness” by applauding themselves. Their five-song encore consisted of I Know, I Know, I Know, You Wouldn’t Like Me, a hilariously accurate cover of Rihanna’s Umbrella, the anticipated Walking With a Ghost, and finally Living Room.

Despite constantly changing instruments and playing 25 songs without a break, neither Tegan nor Sara, nor any of the other band members ever flagged in their energy or dedication to the performance. The atmosphere of the night couldn’t be called ‘energetic’, but it definitely felt inspired. The strength of their band’s live performance is just icing on the cake for the exceptionally talented Tegan and Sara, who left the crowd at Metropolis with more than enough frenetic beats, soaring vocals and catchy tunes to last until the next time they hit our shores.