"We have a lot to get through tonight," The Tea Party frontman, Jeff Martin, says to the electrified audience at Adelaide's Hindley Street Music Hall.
After kicking off their final show of the band's Elements tour (15 February) with the powerful track 'Writings On The Wall', the opener showcases the power of Martin's vocals and how tightly The Tea Party is musically locked in.
The evening began with a set from Australian blues and rock musician, Nathan Cavaleri, who approached the show with enthusiasm, energy and raw talent.
He spoke highly of his time touring with The Tea Party, despite a tight turn around to prep for the tour having only been given four days' notice before it kicked off.
Despite reaching his final song 15 minutes ahead of schedule, Cavaleri used this time to show the crowd his impressive guitar skills in an extended solo, something which Martin commented on during The Tea Party's set.
The Adelaide performance was the final of three 'fire' themed shows featuring the trio of Jeff Martin on vocals and guitar, Stuart Chatwood on bass and keyboards, and Jeff Burrows on drums.
Recent 'wind' shows in Melbourne and Sydney featured Orchestra Victoria and The Metropolitan Orchestra respectively backing the trio.
The tour celebrates 35 years of The Tea Party, and the band's approach to this tour is another reflection on how the group have continuously evolved and experimented since their inception.
Martin encourages the audience to "let us be your travel agents," before launching into 'The Bazaar', which showcases band's vast influences and talent.
The set included tracks that span their entire 35 years and, luckily for the new and long-time fans alike, contained some deep cuts that haven't been played in Australia for several years.
One standout moment occurred during 'Heaven Coming Down', when the band transitioned seamlessly into INXS' 'Never Tear Us Apart' drawing a heartfelt sing-along from the audience.
Surprise covers popped up occasionally throughout the set, including David Bowie's 'Heroes' and Rolling Stones' 'Paint It Black'.
Throughout the performance, whether it was a well-chosen cover or an original, there was no doubting Martin's magnetism and command of stage and audience. Whether Martin encouraged the audience to sit, stand or sing with him, Adelaide was there with The Tea Party every step of the way.
Opportunities to shred on the guitar arose several times for Martin throughout the show, showing the Adelaide crowd his phenomenal talent, including the use of a violin bow on the guitar.
The audience sang back the chorus of 'Temptation' during the first song of the encore, and by the end of the night, for a medley of 'Sister Awake / Paint It Black / Sister Awake', the crowd were on their feet.
The Tea Party have been performing together since 1990 and on Sunday night Martin told the crowd that new music from the band is coming soon.
Thirty-five years may have passed, but the Elements Tour has shown fans, both new and old alike, that The Tea Party show no signs of slowing down and will continue to make-perform genre-defying music for years to come.
