Live Review: Hayden James, NAATIONS

Electronic-dance duo NAATIONS start off at a slower pace with a powerhouse ballad from vocalist Nat Dunn. It’s the perfect way to get the crowd warmed up as she delivers some huge soulful vocals that echo throughout the theatre. “Let’s have a fucking rave ‘cause it’s Friday night,” she says before pumping things up to the next level with help from her partner Nicky Night Time, who unleashes some seriously thumping beats on the decks. Their set brings huge vibes with plenty of club bangers to fill the dancefloor, including their feelgood hit Real Life with Duke Dumont and Gorgon City. They tease a bit of Nowhere To Go and leave us wanting more, but hold off playing it in full until they return later in the set with the main act.

“Holy shit Melbourne, I feel the energy and I’ve got a lot of new music for you tonight,” says Hayden James, standing under an archway of fluorescent lights. He's just released his long-awaited debut album Between Us and he’s brought a bunch of talented artists featured on the record on tour with him to bring it to life. Running Touch joins him for the strong dancefloor smash Better Together which gets the crowd bouncing along to the infectious production, while Lost To You calls on Romeo’s smooth vocals. 

“I started playing in front of 200 people in Melbourne and now I’m playing in front of 2,000,” James announces in disbelief, at the sold-out second show at this venue. He played to a crowd of the same size the night before and will play a final show on Saturday night. His performance is a cohesive blend of electro, house and funk with hints of R&B, showcasing his ability to captivate the audience with strong melodic hooks and sophisticated arrangements. The theme of his album is all about human connection, love and loss, and the emotional energy of his music moves bodies on the dancefloor tonight.

Dunn returns to the stage for Favours and James’ favourite track with NAATIONS (Nowhere To Go). The catchy summer-soaked anthem is full of disco grooves and contagious pop hooks with funky synth layers. It’s clear that both performers have a strong connection to each other, giving this intimate story a special energy. Before sharing his title track Between Us, he announces that he and his partner just had a baby boy and admits it’s really hard being on tour, but he’s also really excited to be with us here tonight. The Panama-featuring track is light, airy and emotionally uplifting. 

For the final part of the set, James takes us back to the beginning with a few of his earlier tracks including Permission To Love and his popular remix of ODESZA’s Say My Name. For something extra special GRAACE lends her sultry vocals to the effortless banger Numb to get everyone dancing around with their hands in the air as pyrotechnics light up the stage.