Project Description

CHVRCHES

@ Sydney Opera House

07/01/2019

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Georgia Griffiths

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CHVRCHES never thought they’d play Sydney Opera House, but on Monday night the dream became a reality. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, the band had criss-crossed the country as part of the Falls Festival tour. Sydney Opera House was their last stop, and they made it worthwhile for everyone who came out.

The show got off to a slightly slow start. Vocalist Lauren Mayberry was energetic, twirling around the stage in a black tutu. Despite some killer heels, she was almost childlike in the way she moved around the stage. The rest of the band was nearly lost into the strobing lights and all attention was on Mayberry.

After the first couple of songs, I was a bit worried that it was all going to be the same. Having seen their set at Falls Festival, I was prepared for more from the male members of the band. Unfortunately, the lights were shining more than they were. My concern was premature however, as once they overcame their nerves about performing in the Opera House the show became more what I had expected. The real turning point was when Martin Doherty took centre-stage, leaving Mayberry to jump on keys. He was an awkward front man, erratically moving around the stage while singing. It definitely wasn’t the highest point of the night, but it was enough to loosen the band up. From there they all seemed much more comfortable with their performance, and within a few songs they had the entire crowd on their feet.

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The one thing that stuck with me after the show was how genuinely friendly and funny the band seemed. Mayberry spoke about whatever was on her mind between songs, from needing her glasses to see the set list to a spoiler-free review of A Star Is Born. The rest of the band humoured her, good-naturedly ribbing her about how she thought glasses would be a good disguise. These interactions really worked in their favour, because the crowd was entertained and the songs didn’t just blend together.

While newest single Graffiti was well-received, it was CHVRCHES’ older discography that really got the audience going. Recover, from their first album The Bones of What You Believe, had the whole room on their feet. The encore was a real crowd-pleaser, consisting of The Mother We Share and Never Say Die. The band knew what the crowd would react best to, and they gave us what we wanted.

After nearly 8 years of performing and touring around the world, CHVRCHES have reached a point where they can successfully recover from a shaky start to a performance. In the end, Monday night was a triumphant conclusion to their Australian tour, and they cemented their spot as electro-pop stars.

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AMNPLIFY – DB