Crowded House has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I, like many, grew up with their songs. Hearing them on the radio, on CDs at home, at events, on TV shows and more. They are ingrained in the fabric of the Australian, New Zealand, and wider international music scene over the past 30 odd years. Everyone I know can recognise at least one song.
A band formed right here in Melbourne; they felt right at home on stage at Rod Laver Arena for their 2024 Gravity Stairs Tour (titled after their 2024 album of the same name). The arena was full to the brim with every section packed, and singing heard from the very back row of the nosebleeds.
Crowded House’s energy levels were high, stating they used their recently completed European leg of the tour as “a warm up” for playing back home. They took to the stage amongst uproarious cheers and red lights, bursting through with energy and opening with ‘Mean To Me’, inciting crowd call and responses from the get-go.
While many international acts who have played Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena bring a variety of costume changes, fireworks and other spectacles, I was most impressed with how Crowded House put their music forth as the star of the show. Their energy, spirit and music filled the iconic Melbourne venue in a way that no amount of pyro ever could.
The way they interacted with each other reminded me of bands I grew up with, who made music their heart, soul and whole life. The down to earth Aussie and NZ personalities kept banter casual and frequent in between songs. Crowded House could be mistaken for performing at the local pub, based on their light hearted jokes. They acknowledged this themselves right at the start with vocalist and guitarist Neil Finn saying, “I promised not to talk too much, and what am I doing? Fucking talking!”
The setlist was the perfect balance of old and new. Something that stood out especially, was how every single song had a section of the audience who strongly resonated with it. Crowded House have a catalogue of such well known hits, but even the lesser known and newer tracks had a passionate response and you could feel people connecting with each song.
From their 2024 studio album Gravity Stairs, the attentive Melbourne audience were treated to a live performance of ‘Teenage Summer’, a dedication to living the most, no matter your age, and musically, a hit of nostalgia. Amongst this from the new album was also ‘Oh Hi’, ‘The Howl’, and ‘All That I Can Ever Own’. These newer tracks were interspersed throughout the night, keeping fans of all their eras and incarnations hooked to what the next track would be.
Of course, we also had the hits which included, ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘Four Seasons in One Day’, ‘Weather With You’, ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Something So Strong’ and ‘World Where You Live’ as part of the setlist too, all sparking great audience responses, with everyone jumping up from their seats to dance and sing along.
There were sweet, poignant, and funny moments between father Neil Finn and his sons Elroy and Liam (also members of the band). Even the grandchildren at one point came on stage in their oversized noise protective headphones, to inform Neil Finn that they had to go home to bed by 10pm. The family spirit extended past biology to the rest of the band members, their crew, and to the audience. A feeling of connection and belonging was strongly felt in the Melbourne arena.
There were also some surprises in the set including some Split Enz songs; ‘Message To My Girl’ and ‘I Got You’ (Neil Finn’s former band before starting Crowded House), one of Elroy Finn’s own songs the band has “adopted as their own”, and dedications to their set design and creation team, family and friends, and former band member Paul Hester (1959 –2005).
After a brief pause, the band returned for a massive six-song encore, stating they would play right up until the 11:00pm curfew, and if their mics cut off, it was up to us, the audience’s job, to finish singing with them. Luckily, they finished right on the dot, giving Melbourne patrons as many great moments as they could.
Concluding with the classic ‘Better Be Home Soon’, Melbourne fans transformed into an eclectic choir, singing every word of the last chorus. You could tell that these songs and this band really meant something special to every person in the room. Crowded House commented themselves, feeling “So reverent, you won’t need to go to church on Sunday!”
There is something about Crowded House that you just can’t quite put your finger on. Their sound is so unique, from their distinctive guitar styles, illustrative lyrics, and especially, Neil Finn’s unique voice. There’s a feeling of nostalgia to their music no matter the release date. Even the newer tracks just capture a feeling of memories, of living, of home, and human connections. It’s ethereal, to say the least.
A local powerhouse of pop-rock, Crowded House’s Gravity Stairs Tour Melbourne show warmly emitted themes of connectiveness, energy, music, and bringing people together. Crowded House are as strong as ever.
Crowded House performed in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday the 10th of December 2024 as part of their 2024 Australia and New Zealand Gravity Stairs Tour, proudly presented by Live Nation. The band continue their Australian leg of the tour in Newcastle on December 13 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre before finishing in Brisbane at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 14.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.crowdedhouse.com/post/australia-and-new-zealand-gravity-stairs-tour
https://www.livenation.com.au/crowded-house-tickets-adp1359
https://www.instagram.com/crowdedhousehq
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaY4Qzbi0DVPX-c5Pvf-yxg
Photography by @r.ollerdoor.
