In his long-awaited first visit to Australia, as part of his 2026 Live In Australia & New Zealand Tour, Toshiki Soejima played in Melbourne for the first time in our country to a sold-out show at Northcote Social Club crowd filled with patient and dedicated adoring fans.
Stepping onto the Melbourne stage, the neo-soul, jazz, hip-hop and modern groove Japanese guitarist was accompanied by Yoshua Yoshida on the bass, Yoshitaka Utano on the keyboard, Ryo Kanda on the drums, and his wife Naho Soejima on the trumpet and other instruments.
Melbourne patrons were captivated from the very beginning, thoroughly impressed by each musician’s skills. Meanwhile, I was quietly amused by the snake plushie wrapped around the neck of Yoshua Yoshida’s bass guitar. I don’t know if the snake had a name, but I’m calling it ‘Snakey’. It was just so cute and completely random.
Toshiki Soejima affectionately commented to the Melbourne audience that it was his first time visiting Australia and was familiarising himself with our local coffee culture, Toshiki mentioning a “Long black”, and even the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chant which he executed successfully. He shared he was really happy to be in the country and thanked patrons for being here with him.
Highlights of the evening include the song ‘Tokyo’, ‘Birth’ which was my favourite with its J-Pop sound, ‘Cry For You’ which had Toshiki’s partner Naho sing and pull out the trumpet, and ‘Snow Remix’ which had band member Yoshua Yoshida surprising us all by rapping. It was also great to see Ryo Kanda command the room with his impressive drum solo and the beaming face of keyboardist Yoshitaka Utano, when he played a groovy solo, his fingers flying over the keys effortlessly. Admittedly, it was my first time seeing an artist who does not sing, and it was such a surprising and wonderful experience.
Sharing that it was his dream to become a professional guitarist, Toshiki Soejima stated that with his first visit to Australia, this experience has been a “dream come true”. This heartfelt statement was well received by his Melbourne audience and responded to with loud supportive cheers.
The evening shared with Toshiki Soejima and his band created a wholesome little community just for the night. Concluding the concert with an encore to the song ‘Life is Better’, the Melbourne venue was filled with great music and great vibes, one last time.
Toshiki Soejima’s 2026 Live in Australia & New Zealand Tour was proudly presented by ACY Live. The sold-out Melbourne concert took place at Northcote Social Club on Saturday April 25th.
For more information, visit:
https://toshiki-soejima.com
https://www.instagram.com/toshikisoejima
https://www.instagram.com/acylive
Photography by Grant Alexander.
