Margaret Court Arena was abuzz last Friday night, but not with its usual sound of cheering tennis fans. Instead, an electric atmosphere and energy that did not falter for American trio LANY.
The cheers began the moment Jake Goss strode to his drum set, followed closely by Les Priest at his keyboard, but the arena absolutely erupted the moment lead singer (and all-round flawless human) Paul Klein bounced onto the stage exuding the charismatic energy he is so well known for.
LANY are currently at the pointy end of an 88-date world tour, taking their emotional synth-pop global, following the release of their second album Malibu Nights. Paul Klein’s heartbreak has been transformed into captivating melodies with LANY’s aesthetically pleasing sound; you can undoubtedly see that their fans connect with each and every lyric.
They opened with their hit single ‘Thick and Thin’ as roses hit the stage floor and screams echoed throughout the iconic arena, the crowd sang the bridge back at a blissful Klein ‘said you’d be there for me through everything, said that you’d have my back with anything’.
The trio’s chilled aesthetic was paired with a digital backdrop that changed in accordance with each song, most notably was the transition to a blue screen displaying the lyrics karaoke-style for ‘Taking Me Back’ with Klein playing up on that likeness by encouraging the audience to sing along to the words shown on the screen.
The setlist pleased fans old and new, with a mix of tracks from Malibu Nights, their debut self-titled album and their 2016 EP Kinda – switching ever so smoothly from slow, heart-wrenching songs like ’13’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’ to their catchy dance anthems such as ‘Good Girls’ and ‘pink skies’.
Klein’s relentless love for engaging his fans was evident throughout the whole night. He would spend entire songs standing on the fence of the stage, holding hands with fans, and at one point dove straight into the crowd and ran around letting anyone near him grab hold of the mic and sing the lyrics to ‘If You See Her’.
The night ended on one of their most iconic songs, ‘ILYSB’, and was met with the loudest singing of the night as well as few tears of complete and utter euphoria from a fandom that are so invested in the sensation that is LANY.
Klein has always said that home is a LANY show and the band’s energy and aura exude this mantra, it is so apparent to see that they all perform with such raw and unfiltered emotion that it made everyone in that arena feel more like a family than a fandom.
Where: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
When: July 19
Reviewed by Molly Slater
Photographed by Jontee Langton
