Crowded House at Sidney Myer Music Bowl
The world is a different place but some things remain. Music and love.
The long-awaited return of Crowded House has arrived; with a new lineup including founding members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour, supported by producer and keyboardist Mitchell Froom, guitarist and singer Liam Finn and drummer Elroy Finn. Taking over the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for two incredible shows, our team was fortunate to attend night one in Melbourne of the Dreamers Are Waiting tour – aptly named from their seventh studio album which took home the ARIA for Best Adult Contemporary Album in 2021.
Opening for Crowded House at this momentous event was one of our favourite Aussie bands, Middle Kids. The Sydney alt-rock trio consisting of Hannah Joy, Tim Fitz and Harry Day, were our team’s first show back post-pandemic at the Melbourne Recital Centre, and we couldn’t have been happier for them to be sharing the stage with such an iconic and influential band. Their set primarily focused on songs from their ARIA award winning album Today We’re The Greatest,and debut album Lost Friends. Playing a set comprising of their greatest hits, highlights for the audience included Never Start, Your Love, Lost in Los Angeles, R U 4 Me?, Questions, Stacking Chairs, Edge of Town and Today We’re The Greatest. Middle Kids’ set engaged the early arrivers from the get-go, warming up the stage for what was to come.
Once it was time for Crowded House to kick off, we buckled in for the solid two hour setlist ahead. With the legendary band’s long and successful 35 year career, with a barrage of endless hit to choose from, the biggest question on our minds was what hit tracks would be played. For many, the night would be about reliving the best music of their time. For others, it was seeing a band they’ve grown up with, all thanks to their parents.
Crowded House wasted no time in showing the audience they meant business; opening with keystone tracks Weather With You, Mean To Me, and Fall At Your Feet. The band, fronted by Neil Finn with accompanying vocals from son Liam, spoke about how much they’ve missed Melbourne, and about how growing up they didn’t have a choice but to love our great city. Following on with Don’t Stop Now, the band invited Middle Kids back onto the stage to provide backing vocals to Dreamers Are Waiting tracks Playing With Fire and To The Island.
Before launching into Pineapple Head, Neil responded to a punter shouting out to him; ‘I don’t know what you said, but it sounded really positive. We have a kind audience.’ Performing Show Me The Way, the band then began to dig deeper into the back catalogue with an incredible guitar solo from Liam Finn in When You Come, a quieter acoustic track Private Universe, crowd-favourite Four Seasons in One Day and Sister Madly. Taking a minute between songs, Neil engaged the crowd and announced ‘It was worth the wait. Thank you for hanging in with everybody’.
Next up on the setlist was Love Isn’t Hard At All and Silent House – a beautiful song about long goodbyes. It was this moment in the concert which felt like a turning point that kicked things up a notch, with everyone rising to their feet and belting out every word to World Where You Live and Don’t Dream It’s Over. Closing out the main set, the band performed Whatever You Want and Locked Out, which ended with Liam pulling some incredible aerial guitar stunts, and one of our all-time faves – Distant Sun.
While punters waited for the band to return, there was a murmur in the audience who were debating what songs might be included for a stacked encore. Returning with the full band, Neil and co launched into Something So Strong – receiving the loudest reaction from the audience in the night. Sneaking in a snippet of Split Enz’s I Got You, this was followed by It’s Only Natural, which kept the good times rolling. As an audience member held up a sign with a song request, Neil took a moment to deviate from the setlist to give them what they asked, performing Not The Girl You Think You Are. The six song encore concluded with Liam on vocals for Goodnight Everyone, and Neil belting out Elephants and Better Be Home Soon.
The 25 song set list was all that we could have hoped and dreamed of – a perfect mix of the classic hits and the band’s incredible new album. As Crowded House took their bow, a punter managed to jump up onto the stage to join in their celebrations, as Neil exclaimed ‘I would’ve hugged you, but we’re in a bubble!’ Leaving the stage and the screaming crowd, we commenced our trek back; our conversations drowned out by thousands from the full capacity crowd singing Better Be Home Soon over and over as they proceeded on their journey home.
All in all, the expectations on the show could not have been higher, and all punters went home knowing that live music is officially back in full swing.
Crowded House will be performing a second show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday 9 April 2022. All upcoming tour dates can be found here.