Three years working on Truth Is A Beautiful Thing has definitely paid off, because lyrically speaking this is front woman Hannah Reid in her most emotionally vulnerable state. Reid, alongside Dominic ‘Dot’ Major and Dan Rothman, took to the stage at Margaret Court Arena last month for a night of emotionally charged tracks, with that signature London Grammar sound we all know and love. Here were our highlights of the sold out show.
The trio endlessly thanked Australia for its support
Throughout the set, the musicians communicated what Australia means to the band, giving the crowd some serious warm and fuzzies: “You’re kind of the reason why we have any career at all, really,” Reid announced, referring to when triple j picked up ‘Hey Now’ before it was officially released and put it on high rotation back in 2013. Guitarist Dan Rothman then explained how Melbourne feels like home given its similarities with London. This wasn’t before he told us all about his hair cut in Fitzroy that day and was thrilled by how lovely everyone was to him as he wandered around Melbourne.
Truth really is a beautiful thing
Early in the set, Reid confessed that she’d been having vocal problems, restricting her ability to hit the incredibly high notes she is known for. However, given her transparency, the crowd was forgiving, and it was doubtful anyone would walk away with a bitter taste in their mouth because of it. Given these vocal issues, she invited the crowd to sing along with her, with audience participation reaching its peak during the lyrically flawless ‘Hey Now’ and ‘Strong’.
The Visuals
The backing visuals of any set can really make or break the experience. For London Grammar, a LED screen spanned the entire length of the back of the stage and gave a mesmerising widescreen effect, especially having only three individual figures on stage. Each song had an accompanying visual theme, ultimately transporting the audience through what appears to be a solar eclipse type display in black and white, to bushfire visuals, to an extraordinary green forest. Magical.
The Music (of course!)
This one’s a given, but London Grammar had the ability to silence the entirety of Margaret Court Arena. Reid’s powerful vocals combined with the sound produced from the guys, the crowd held onto every last note. These songs are truly built around Reid’s voice. Highlights included opening track ‘Rooting for You’, ‘Hey Now’, ‘Wasting My Young Years,’ which included some new upbeat segments, ‘Big Picture’, closing track ‘Metal & Dust’ and my personal favourite which truly struck a chord with the crowd, ‘Strong’.
Major breaks a drumstick for the first time ever and Reid sports leisure wear (some serious trackies) for the entire set. Because why the hell not?
Their Message
Before their encore, the trio continued the tradition of musicians expressing their support for marriage equality when performing at Margaret Court by projecting a rainbow flag on the screen. They weren’t overpowering or forceful about their views, they simply flashed an image and carried on with ‘Oh Woman Oh Man’. The applause of the crowd was simply reassuring of their dignified and tasteful communicated message, which only furthered the feeling of love and respect amongst the adoring crowd.
Where: Margaret Court Arena
When: September 19, 2017
Reviewed by: Talia Rinaldo
Image by Eliot Lee Hazel
