Crowded House are not just any veteran music act – they are a music institution for both Australia and New Zealand. Of course, that goes without saying. For nearly two and a half decades the songs of Crowded House have been loved Australia wide and the announcement of a reunion a couple of years back – which would include the band’s first performances in ten years – came as a remarkably well received surprise. Now, following comeback sets at Coachella and Live Aid, as well as a massive sold out arena tour late last year, Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod set out on a much more intimate trek. With only two shows at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre hardly meeting the ticket demand of fans, those with that little sheet of card with a boldly titled “Crowded House” in hand could count themselves extremely lucky to catch these amazing artists and their exhilarating live show.
Getting things started was fellow kiwi, Anika Moa – who did a wonderful job of warming the stage with her mixture of story telling and folk tunes that sometimes drifted to various different styles. Moa had every right to be overwhelmed with her opening slot, but despite her awkward facial expressions and self-deprecation, she pulled through incredibly well. The crowd was more than happy to let her know this, providing the kind of applause you don’t usually hear for a support slot – especially during one number when Moa opted for reggae and broke into her own Rastafarian freestyle.
Seven banners were draped across the background of the Forum Theatre stage, amongst them a visual of each member of Crowded House. This acted as a friendly reminder of the faces behind the tunes everyone anticipated, though it wasn’t long before the real thing was on stage belting out When You Come as though they were in the prime of their career. The classic opener received roars of approval and Crowded House stood firmly on stage to ensure that every note was as perfect as ever – a professionalism that has shone as one of their best traits from the beginning and obviously has not waned. The opener actually stood as one of the standouts for the whole night, setting the perfect introduction for a bevy of hits that the crowd could simply not get enough of.
You know at some gigs how you get stuck in front of the band’s “biggest fan” who insists on singing every word at the top of their lungs and all you want to do is hear whoever’s behind the mic? At a Crowded House gig, you’re more likely to be scolding those not singing along – as Finn relentlessly encouraged the crowd to take over choruses and provide accompaniment. World Where You Live, Fall At Your Feet, Four Seasons In One Day and Don’t Dream It’s Over all featured the loud harmonies of a theatre of voices, sometimes even with a flood of spotlights shining outward so that the band themselves could have a show. Even 2007s Don’t Stop Now received a decent sing along. Such admiration must make Crowded House feel pretty damn special – though of course they’ve come to deserve that.
The band took advantage of playing in the more intimate surroundings by featuring a couple of new tracks – Either Side of the World and Streets of Amsterdam – that proved their songwriting is still well up to scratch. The other advantage of the venue size was that the band could interact with the crowd, which meant they took every opportunity they had to respond to the loud calls of excited fans wanting to marry Finn or tell him he had a nice behind. When introducing the newer material, Finn had to correct his observation of the Forum as a “small venue”. Of course, in comparison to the size of venues Crowded House could be performing in, the Forum is miniscule and such an observation would have only made punters feel luckier. Seeing Crowded House at the Forum sure beats seeing them in any lifeless arena – it’s a treat enough just being able to see the faces of those performing for you. Speaking of treats, the main set’s concluding double of Distant Sun and the ever-so-rock Locked Out again saw the band performing these classics as though they were as fresh as the new material.
An encore was obviously to follow and it included the biggest hits of all – Something So Strong; live staple and crowd pleaser Italian Plastic; and of course a signature trio of tunes for the band (though who’s to say any of their songs aren’t their signature) – Mean To Me, Weather With You and Better Be Home Soon. A lengthy session of call and response “ooh-ooh-oohs” resounded between Finn and the crowd at the end of Something So Strong (that makes sense if you know the song, surely?) and a mass of stomping fans and the sound of a toy piano brought pleasure to Finn’s ears during Weather With You. The spectacular encore of tracks left an even greater grin of satisfaction than was even expected – proving the magic of Crowded House still lives on as strong as ever.
to listen to their music now on 
