The first night of Gang Of Youths tour in Melbourne, Australia was one to remember…
Written By | Hannah Robinson
On Sunday the 28th of October, Sydney five-piece band, Gang Of Youths, played the roof off the Forum in Melbourne, Australia. This first show of their Say Yes To Life tour starts their massive eight-show run of sold out nights at the Forum, the last being the 13th of November. They then set off around Australia before heading to USA, Canada and New Zealand, finishing the tour back in Fremantle, Australia on the 10th of February, 2019
To kick off the night, singer-songwriter Charlie Collins brought us a powerful, enchanting performance. The backlit artist and her talented band were bathed in red hues and sounding like a modern, indie Fleetwood Mac. The theatre floor was filling up and concert goers were definitely getting into it.
See Clips From Charlie Collins’ Performance Here.
See More Photos of Charlie Collins Here.
The sold out crowd had filed in nicely by the time the lights dimmed just after 9pm. Everyone could barely contain their excitement, and the cheering started as soon as David Le’aupepe, Donnie Borzestowski, Max Dunn, Jung Kim and Joji Malani made their way onstage. The ARIA 2017 album of the year Go Farther in Lightness track list closely resembled the show set list with the first seven songs in the same order. Lead singer, David Le’aupepe, expressed to spectators that this “wasn’t on purpose”, banter such as this adding to the intimate nature of the show. David then went on to share his love for Melbourne, explaining that it’s in his top five favourite places after New York, London, Paris and Berlin. I’m sure the statement “We wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for this city” will remain in Melburnian fans’ hearts.
See Clips From Gang of Youth’s Performance Here.
See More Photos of Gang of Youths Here.
On a side note, I will never get used to the beautiful Forum Theatre venue and I am especially grateful for the staff. I felt nothing but safe and looked out for. I believe that on this night the staff were appreciative right back as I heard a security team member express to bar staff how well behaved and tame the crowd was. Mutual respect like this makes the event even more enjoyable for everyone involved.
The night went by with various light displays of an array of colours and shapes that seemed to echo the diverse range of attendees. I couldn’t help but feel moved by the way this band reaches people’s hearts as I watched a man, who must have been in his sixties, dancing his heart out only metres from teenagers doing the same. Each of the five bands members performed with electric passion, the crowd and musicians seemed to feed off each other’s energy. They flew through the sixteen song setlist with the audience dancing, singing, cheering along and getting lost in the music. Closing song, Say Yes To Life, the beautiful, ‘embrace life to the fullest’ anthem, was an eagerly awaited hit and the crowd was very pleased to dance the night to a close with it.
Here’s a sneak peek of the tour.
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