Live Review: Billie Eilish, FINNEAS

Fresh from performing at Coachella, 17-year-old Los Angeles artist Billie Eilish took to the Hordern Pavilion stage. Punters were warned about ticket scalpers leading up to the sold-out show - still, young fans were in tears outside the venue, their dodgy tickets denying them entry.

Eilish first gained success at just 14 with her debut single Ocean Eyes, a song written by her frequent collaborator, brother and the night's opening act, FINNEAS aka Finneas O'Connell. “This is the third time we’ve played in Sydney, but the first time we’ve played an all-ages show. How many of you are under 18?” he asked the crowd. The answer was at least three-quarters of the room, the rest made up mostly of chaperoning parents. He switched between keys and guitar throughout his short set, his own songs much lighter and slower than those released under his sister's name.

A loud “Billie” chant was answered by the driving, melodic bass line of Bad Guy, as eerie yet cute animations of dark creatures flashed across the venue's screen. Billie Eilish, who was welcomed to the stage by deafening screams, bounced around erratically in baggy, oversized clothes, exuding boundless energy that the crowd tried hard to match.

Her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - which made her the first artist born in the ‘00s to hit #1 in the States - was released just over month ago, but the crowd already knew every provocative lyric to every edgy, avant-pop song. They drowned out her own vocals, singing along to tracks like My Strange Addiction and ballad Lovely, the Khalid collab performed flawlessly through a smoky blue haze.

The young artist was all confidence, adopting the commanding presence of intimidating track You Should See Me In A Crown, demanding the crowd open up the pit and “jump on this bitch”. Her multi-instrumentalist brother made up half of her band, while a drummer dubbed each track's electronic beats with live acoustic drums, providing a new, driving energy to All The Good Girls Go To Hell and Bellyache.

Samples taken from various forms of pop culture and songs like Wish You Were Gay brought the album's lighter and quirkier production to the live show, while Ocean Eyes, &burn and Listen Before I Go provided moments of calm, and a rare chance to actually hear Eilish’s soft vocals, full of emotion, over the loud crowd.

During When The Party’s Over, Eilish requested her audience live in the moment and lower their phones. “Whether this is the best night of your life or the worst, live in it with me,” she asked, and for the most part, her fans obliged.

Even the darkest, saddest songs seemed to spark pure joy and elation, with the mostly teenage crowd revelling in the angst of the set's closer, Bury A Friend. The show ended punctually and quite abruptly with no encore at 10pm - it was a school night after all. It’s hard not to be completely impressed by Eilish, who’s undoubtedly a captivating, hugely talented, dark-pop prodigy.