Gang of Youths
Qudos Bank Arena Sydney
I didn’t realise that I had a vacancy in the "best concert’s I’ve ever seen” list. But it turns out that I did.
Have you ever wanted to attend a “local show” from a band? I’m thinking U2 in Dublin, or Springsteen in New Jersey. Well, this was very much like that. But it was maybe a little better than you can imagine. Not just seeing a Sydney band in Sydney, but seeing a band in Western Sydney just miles from where they first formed. While I don’t live in Western Sydney I certainly get the local references they make during the night. And you kind of know the inside jokes. When he mentioned the West Connex you nodded in understanding. This was a hometown show. And you felt at home with them.
You can tell that playing the biggest indoor arena in Australia, just 15 minutes from where lead singer Dave Le’aupepe grew up, is a big moment for him and the band. He mentioned being in the room at various points of the night and you could tell it was part of his consciousness for a long time. This wasn’t just another gig. You could tell this meant something. DL has been quite open about being part of a mega church (Hillsong?) when growing up, which was a traumatic experience for him. In fact, he seems to be still recovering from the whole church experience. He mentioned that he got paid to stack chairs after attending that church in this very building… so to be playing the same arena must surely be a mind blowing experience for him.
There was something about seeing a band in their prime that is truly special. And there’s something about seeing a band taking a step up to being an arena band that feels satisfying. Not everyone can do it. It’s a different kind of space than a small venue. You need to reach all the way to the back of the room and make everyone feel included. But if anyone has the personality to pull that off, it is DL. Not to take anything away from the rest of the band - they were far from being an anonymous backing band - but the real star of the show was the lead singer. He made the jump to playing arenas look effortless. His banter, his stage moves, and his charisma made the large room feel intimate.
Just by comparison, when we saw U2 Iz said that it was kind of like seeing your grandpa singing. Ouch. But also, and I don’t really want to admit this, it’s a bit true. There’s no chance of this happening here.
The performance is filled with songs from their
great new album, Angel in Real Time, and you can tell they feel
confident playing them. But more than that, they also they have enough
older, well loved, songs in their arsenal that the audience
can sing along to. Frankly, I’m struggling to think of a louder crowd that I’ve been part of. I think they were singing along to every word. And yes, it felt a lot like a communal experience.
