Live Review: Empire Of The Sun @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Tasmanian alt-electro duo Sumner bring their melodic dance-pop to the stage to ignite the show. Together they pour their hearts out for us. Chloe Wilson commands the stage with her euphoric melodies loaded with raw and honest lyrics accompanied by Jack McLaine’s multi-instrumental wonder of keys, synth and bass guitar.

They perform an emotionally charged cover of INXS’ Need You Tonight with sophisticated electronic production. They also share their latest single, released a couple of weeks ago – Half Myself Without You, featuring a Japanese spoken word piece that wraps perfectly around the track. Their hit single, Stranded, ensures everyone is up on their feet dancing to the pulsating beat.

Crooked Colours, now a solo act (Phil Slabber), is joined by a touring drummer (Mikaela Swan), who, he notes, learned the whole set in two days. Together, they create an energetic, heavy club-style set with moody electronic beats to ignite a dance party.

Stormy visuals of lightning strikes flash up on the screen to signal a grand entrance for Empire Of The Sun. The stage is set with a large stone human head resembling a fallen statue in an ancient world.

The production elements draw us into a mystical land as two otherworldly figures in red outfits with a large crown of an evil eye and a crescent moon atop their heads evoke a sense of spiritual magic and wonder as they walk to the middle of the stage and place a bonsai on a platform. Frontman Luke Steele enters the centre stage in red emperor clothing and raises his arms up to welcome us into his and bandmate Nick Littlemore’s cosmic world.

Beginning with the lead single, Changes, from their latest record, Ask That God, they transport us to the Empire’s dimension with a kaleidoscopic display that ushers in their new chapter symbolic of a triumphant rebirth. We become deeply immersed in their ethereal soundscapes on new tracks, The Feeling You Get and Cherry Blossom, bursting with electro-pop full of shining hooks and disco grooves.

“Before the pandemic, I said no more Empire – I’m tired and exhausted,” Steele recounts. “And then I fell to my knees, and I said, ‘God, if you want this to end, I’ll end it now,’ and you guys started going ‘No’, and he said, ‘Yes, Empire is the way so, let’s go!” he exclaims.

The crowd cheers with excitement that the band is back together with a brand-new fourth album and a tour that’s been eight years since the last. He pumps us up with dreams and ambitions to follow our vision and to achieve greatness in anything we set our minds to.

Steele makes a costume change for We Are The People – emerging in a wide-ruffled black dress that swishes around as he interacts with the crowd singing along in unison to the nostalgic anthem. We continue to explore their new era on an intergalactic adventure packed with epic sci-fi cinematic visuals and new-age vistas that delve deeper into their fantastical, ever-expanding story.

The elaborate live show features ever-changing costumed dancers, from geisha-like characters to futuristic swordfish to mirrored dancing disco ball pieces. A jellyfish creature even joins in for a dance for Music On The Radio.

The show builds to a climactic moment for Ask That God as Steele transforms into a white emperor and stands on a podium, reaching to touch visuals of an outstretched hand of divinity. The pseudo-spiritual anthem is packed with feel-good power and positivity, signalling the last part of the performative journey.

Walking On A Dream strikes up, and the audience cheers with excitement for the fan-favourite. Steele makes his way down into the front section of the mosh pit and holds out the microphone to hear joyous voices sing the chorus back to him.

Before the final song, Steele kneels his head to the ground as mystical God-like figures bless him with new life before he rises for Alive. With orange-beaded ceremonial necklaces, he throws his arms out wide for the synth-powered track, igniting with anthemic choruses to bring the captivating show like no other to a close with an explosive finish.