Crowded House Live Review by Ryan Beardsley
Some of my earliest musical memories are from the drive into school as a young whippersnapper, being at the mercy of whatever my mum had in the tape machine that day.
In fairness to the old girl there was some good stuff in there; Madonna, Roy Orbison, REM but I vividly remember the joy of when it was the turn of Recurring Dream and I have had a big soft spot for the boys from Melbourne ever since. Tonight I get to experience Crowded House live some 30 years after those halcyon days but boy were they worth the wait.
It’s a cool visual set up evoking a camping trip, with the band embarking on stage each carrying an old lamp to give the feeling of a campfire sing along, and talk about bringing out the big guns early, they launch straight into Weather With You and place goes wild, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in their sixties jump out of their chairs so quick.
It’s a proper hit parade with some truly special renditions of the classics, World Where You Live has everyone dancing in the aisles followed by all timer Fall At Your Feet, Neil Finn’s voice still holding on at the tender age of 66 and he still has that boyish, impish charm that made so many warm to them.
The lineup of course is very different from their early days, other than bassist and mainstay Nick Seymour it’s pretty much a Finn family affair, Neil leading his son’s Liam and Elroy and as you can expect they have an affable chemistry although they do sometimes forget that this is daddy’s show when it comes to audience banter.
We go further back in time for a Split Enz song, Message To My Girl gets a great reaction from the diehard fans in the audience, and even the dreaded new material is perfectly pleasant, Magic Piano sees Finn tinkle the ivories to promote new release Gravity Stairs. Along with The Howl it’s clear why this eight record has been so well received by fans and critics alike.
But it’s the hits that we all want to hear and the boys from Melbourne are more than happy to oblige, Four Seasons In One Day sees Neil Finn conduct the o2 arena in a mass sing along and the song itself reflects what an underrated songwriter he has always been. The ability to craft a world through words is a talent that is often overlooked and there are few in the pop world who have done it better than Finn so consistently.
Don’t Dream It’s Over is the set highlight and it’s one of those time stands still performances where you’re just grateful to bear witness to such a beautiful song that means so much to so many, performed impeccably by a band who so clearly still have the passion and the drive to give back to their public.
Locked Out ends the set on an upbeat note to cap off a perfect night, a joyous stroll down memory lane from a band reinvigorated, a show that no one will forget any time soon.
You can find further tickets to remaining shows here.
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