Crowded House really are one of Australasia’s most timeless bands. At Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena on Wednesday night (November 13th), fans young and old came out in their droves to listen to the evergreen outfit, who played beloved classics, new anthems, and started an impromptu mosh pit with a lengthy encore.
Seeing them live was like meeting up with an old friend: familiar and warm, but with some new stories to tell.
No matter the era – Woodface, Time on Earth, or their latest album, Gravity Stairs – Crowded House had music for everybody inside the arena.
The band of old friends is now very much a family affair, with the legendary Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, pianist) now joined by Nick Seymour (bass), Mitchell Froom (producer, keyboardist), Paul Taylor (percussionist), and his sons Liam (guitar) and Elroy (drums) in the lineup.
Nick, Mitchell, Paul, and the Finns wasted no time in putting the crowd to ease, splitting jokes and swaying hips. Sometimes one would crack a dad joke, or unload an inside joke, that was met with resounding laughter from the crowd. The Rolling Stone AU/NZ cover stars are, after all, the boyish grandfathers of ANZ rock – anything they said was lighthearted and well-intentioned.
Floating set decorations shaped like tastefully coloured spiders legs adorned the stage. Red curtains at the back – perhaps a homage to their debut album cover – was a nice touch, as the songs took you on a journey all the way from the ’80s to the ’00s, to this year and back again.
Credit: Mauve O’Connell
After a couple of songs, the dynamic between Neil and Nick could only be described as joyful – those two know the steps to each other’s stage presence by heart. The larger than life personalities of the band shone bright – almost as much as their stunning, choir-like harmonies.
From a tender “Fall at Your Feet” to a gritty “Black & White Boy”, Crowded House delicately swung from big sounds to fragile numbers, in the way only they can do. When Elroy joined his father for “Thirsty” at the front of stage, the eldest Finn was as proud as punch.
Crowd members began to dance down the aisles to the front as the band belted out crowd favourite “Four Seasons in One Day”. “You’re in the show now, Christchurch!” Neil yelled joyously.
After a rousing and poignant rendition of “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, the Christchurch crowd laughed and stamped their feet for an encore – to which they were treated to five whole songs. While some were like an espresso shot to the head, the band really pulled some stuff out of the archives like their debut album track, “We’re Getting Somewhere”.
Nick even had to run around to Neil while playing to check what key to play. “I hadn’t played it since I was 15!” he said defensively.
The whole show was both a tribute to Crowded House’s glorious past and a reminder of exactly why they’re still going strong all these decades later.
Ticket information for Crowded House’s Australia and New Zealand tour can be found here and here.
