Metro Theatre, Sydney
Saturday November 17, 2018 :
Holy Holy. Holy Moly. Holy Sh*t. I very much doubt that the conception of the band’s name had anything to do with the number of expletives that can follow it to try and express how much I enjoyed their show, but it suits regardless. I love live music; it gives me a sense of euphoria that few other things in life do, so saying on particular band is my favourite live act is a big statement. Even with that riding on it, I still say that Holy Holy is my favourite band to see live.
Fittingly, I first came across the band when they were supporting Boy and Bear. With only five released songs under their belt at this stage, The Pacific EP still managed to turn heads in the Opera House as everyone scrambled to catch up on how they had missed this great act. Soon after that, the release of their first studio album saw them in the headline slots of tours, and it has only been looking up since.
Both San Mei and CLEWS delivered stellar performances that set high standards for the rest of the night. However, when Holy Holy took to the stage with their hit single ‘You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog’, all expectations were smashed out of the park. Throughout the set, vocals provided by Timothy Carroll were effortlessly polished as he transitioned between rocking out on a guitar and jumping around the stage with an infectious energy. This was combined with the soaring guitar solos of Oscar Dawson which had the crowd in raptures.
Beside the performances of some of their best known tracks, Holy Holy also played a few of the songs off their upcoming album. The release of their new single, ‘Faces’ had some of their oldest fans wondering whether the band had lost their original sound. However, any scepticism was dashed as their other new songs showcased their creativity in developing a fresh style that shows their growth as a band. One new song, titled ‘Teach Me About Dying,’ brought instant awe to the crowd as its meaning was felt in hundreds of different ways across the room.
Emotion continued to be evoked during the night, and eyes filled with tears when the band played their ballad ‘Sentimental and Monday’. This was all replaced with screams of excitement when they dove into their cover of Beyoncé’s ‘Hold Up’. The band transformed it into their own in the cover, and it rivals the original during their live performance.
Visible disappointment coloured the crowd when Carroll announced that they only had one song left, but this was forgotten when the intro to their smash single ‘True Lovers’ started. The entire floor was shaking as everyone jumped in unison to the song that reached number 40 in Triple J’s 2017 Hottest 100. The vibrations continued when the band wandered offstage as the chants for an encore started. Calls for ‘one more song’ turned into ‘two… three… four more songs’ by the time Dawson and Carroll returned.
Banter was exchanged between the crowd and the band as they teased us with opening chords to what would have undoubtedly lead to great covers. In the end the crowd was satisfied with a semi-stripped version of their iconic single ‘History’. This rendition saw CLEWS back onstage for supporting vocals for the third time during the set. ‘Elevator’ was their final song and it ended with the crowd belting out the lyrics alongside Dawson’s powerful riffs.
I’m not sure why this performance in particular was so powerful that it stands out from all the other acts I’ve seen. Apart from seemingly flawless performances and songs that hold meaning for so many people, Holy Holy seemed to have an energy which made the crowd completely invested in their set. This inexplicable feeling throughout the show made it unique to be a part of.
Photographer : Sean O’Reilly
Reviewer : Vivienne Wells
