Live Review: Lifehouse – 16th October 2015 – Big Top, Sydney, Australia
3 min read
It may have been 15 years since their last Australian tour, but Australian fans definitely haven’t forgotten about LA alt rockers Lifehouse. The band stopped off in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne before finally arriving in Sydney on last night for their last Australian show at the Big Top in Luna Park before jetting off to Auckland.
Australian rockers Stone Parade sealed off a nice support set and the time barely ticks past 9:10 as US rockers Lifehouse take to the stage of the Big Top at Sydneys Luna Park. After a welcoming roar from the crowd Lifehouse launch into their set with Hurricanes, the first track off their new album Out Of The Wasteland. The track is high energy and exactly what you hope to hear right off the bat from a band of this caliber.
After a quick “Hello Sydney”, a more familiar track was next with All In – one of many epic ballads to come during the show. While I found the next few songs including Between the Raindrop, One For The Pain, Stardust unfamiliar ground, the rest of the audience sang every word with conviction and by the time the intro to Halfway Gone is ushered into the set, the crowd is hanging on every guitar chord, every drum beat and every word Jason Wade is singing.
The atmosphere in the Big Top started to simmer down as the band delivered a stellar live version of You and Me; the crowd swaying together with their hands in the air and singing in unison. At the halfway point of the set the band left the stage, leaving only Wade and his guitar to face the audience before performing 4 songs on his own, one of which is the haunting Somewhere In Between, a song that still after 14 years can send a shiver up your spine. The rest of the band returns for the bridge of Everything and they launch into the last run of their set with a partial cover of You’re The Voice by John Farnham performed by bass player Bryce Soderberg.
Finally, the band closed the main section of the set with Broken, a song I first discovered through the film trailer for The Time Traveler’s Wife. Since then it’s been one of those songs that always evokes emotion out of me and pull at my heart strings in a big way and I was not disappointed by the live version. The band found the perfect balance between the delicacy and emotion of the lyrics and the need to put in the energy and intensity of playing such a powerful song live.
It’s obvious that there is an encore, yet people start to leave, maybe to beat the crowds in the carpark. A bit unfortunate as they were about to miss out on hearing one of the biggest songs of the 2000’s and some of the bands most successful hits. The band returned to close off the night with a fantastic encore beginning with Flight, another slow track from their latest album.
The crowd knows what’s coming next and there is electricity in the air. “Desperate for changing, starving for truth. I’m closer to where I started, I’m chasing after you.” Everybody has been itching to hear this song and it certainly showed with the kind of woo hoo’s you come to expect at a One Direction concert. Lifehouse most definitely saved the best for last with signature hit Hanging By A Moment capping off a brilliant show.
After seeing Lifehouse deliver a stellar set last night in Sydney, it was clearly evident that the band is incredibly talented and carry a very strong stage presence. While the acoustics of the Big Top weren’t perfect, the size of the venue was great. The venue isn’t huge but the crowd still fills it out nicely. While it’s hard to say when Lifehouse may return to Australia, if you’re ever given the opportunity to experience their live show, I’d say take it!
Setlist
Hurricane
All In
Between the Raindrop
One For The Pain
Stardust
Whatever it takes
Sick Cycle Carousel
Halfway Gone
You and Me
All in All
Only One (acoustic)
Take Me Away (acoustic)
Somewhere in Between (acoustic)
Everything (electric ending)
Spin
Nerve Damage
Runaways
First Time
Broken
Encore
Flight
Hanging by a Moment
