It's hard to write a review of a stadium show in Melbourne without addressing the elephant in the room – it's been a damn tough two years.
While everyone is tired of framing every experience through a COVID lens, it's impossible not to, particularly for Melburnians who spent 262 days in lockdown and watched their vibrant live music scene grind to a halt.However, tonight at Rod Laver Arena (4 March) – the same venue in which Ash Barty recently won the Australian Open – while there was some unavoidable, incidental talk of the virus, exchanging stories with seat neighbours who've also caught it and recovered, the atmosphere was not one of caution or anxiety but a pure, celebratory joy that's felt two years in the making.
And it came as no surprise that Gold Coast artist Amy Shark filled the stage and fulfilled the expectations of a few thousand people on hand for a very special live music comeback.
Launching into 'The Wolves', Shark powered through a set leaning heavily on her 2021 record 'Cry Forever', with standouts being the chorus ear-worm single 'Everybody Rise' and a song she said she wrote after midnight, intoxicated, in a motel in the US, 'All The Lies About Me'.
Image © Brayden Smith
After speaking of her anxiety with songs 'Worst Day Of My Life' and 'Lonely Still', Shark invited the Melbourne audience to break a few rules for a couple of minutes – something we've struggled with for the last few years.
And with everyone standing, she launched into an absolutely blistering version of the Killers' 'Mr Brightside'. The most cynical music fans could see it as an easy crowd win, but there was something about her commitment, passion and heart that made it special.
Just as special was the light-handed security that let fans run down the aisle to the front to take photos. Of course, COVID hasn't gone away, nor have floods and war and countless other issues, but for one night it was nice to be reminded of Melbourne having a great time with live music.
And we could not have picked a better host than Shark, who had people aged 7 to 70 dancing on their seats.
