Crowded House Live Review by Ryan Beardsley
Some of my earliest musical memories are of driving to school as a young whippernapper and being at the mercy of whatever my mother had put in the tape machine that day.
To be fair to the old lady, there was some good stuff in there. Madonna, Roy Orbison, REM, but I vividly remember the joy I felt when it was my turn to perform “Recurring Dream.” Since then, I have had a huge admiration for the Melbourne boys. Tonight, I will be experiencing Crowded House live for the first time in about 30 years since those halcyon days, but was it worth the wait?
In a cool visual setting that evokes a camping trip, the band takes to the stage each holding an old lamp, creates a campfire atmosphere, sings together, talks about bringing out the cannons early, and straight into Weathering with You. Rush in. The place went wild and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone in their 60s jump out of their chair so quickly.
This is a proper hit parade with some truly special renditions of classics. World Where You Live has everyone dancing in the aisles, followed by All Timer’s Fall At Your Feet. Neil Finn's voice still holds true at the young age of 66; His boyish and cheeky charm warmed many people’s hearts.
Of course, the line-up is very different from the early days, and apart from bassist and breadwinner Nick Seymour, it’s almost like the Finn family, with Neil leading his sons Liam and Elroy, who, as you might imagine, occasionally I forget that, but we have a friendly chemistry. When it comes to audience banter, this is Daddy’s show.
Split Enz’s songs go even further back in time. Message To My Girl garnered a great response from the adoring fans in the audience, and even the scary new song felt perfectly at home, with Magic Piano seeing Finn ringing out the ivories to promote his new release Gravity. stairs. Together with The Howl, it’s easy to see why these eight records are so well received by fans and critics alike.
But it’s a hit we all want to hear and the Melbourne boys are happy to oblige, as the Four Seasons in One Day sees Neil Finn sing along in unison at the O2 Arena. The song itself reflects that he is an underrated songwriter and always has been. The ability to create worlds through words is an often overlooked talent, but few in the world of pop have done it more consistently than Finn.
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” was a highlight of the set, and it was great to hear such a beautiful song that meant so much to so many people, played so perfectly by a clearly still band. It’s one of those standstill performances that you’re just grateful to be able to witness. They have a passion and drive to give back to the public.
“Locked Out” ends the set on an upbeat note to end a perfect night, a show no one will soon forget, a fun stroll down memory lane from a reinvigorated band.
Tickets for the remaining shows can be found here.
