Live Review: Split Enz @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Split Enz

There's always something of a strange atmosphere present when one goes to witness a landmark gig from a revered band. 

There's the communal excitement felt by all and sundry as they eagerly await what's to come, there's the anticipation of what to expect as the night unfolds, and there's also a bit of nervous apprehension as one wonders whether it will meet lofty expectations.

When it comes to a band like Split Enz, such an atmosphere was entirely expected, and on the evening of May 13th, these feelings of excitement, anticipation, and nervousness were palpable.

For any resident of Australia and New Zealand, the history of Split Enz and their music are both required reading and listening, respectively. 

Forming in Auckland back in 1972, it took a couple of years for the group to hit upon their now-renowned art rock style, which, along with their theatrical live shows and acclaimed compositions, turned heads from all corners of the globe.

Initially comprising Tim Finn and Phil Judd, the group's line-up would fluctuate in those formative years, with the likes of Mike Chunn, Eddie Rayner, and Noel Crombie helping to cement their personnel before releasing their debut album in 1975.

It was across the course of more than a decade of consistent hard work that Split Enz curated a legacy that was truly admirable. Albums such as True Colours (1980), Waiata/Corroboree (1981), and Time And Tide (1982) had topped the charts in both New Zealand and Australia, and their untimely break-up in 1984 left a major hole in the Australasian music scene.

It wasn't all bad, however. Neil Finn went on to form Crowded House with the group's final drummer, Paul Hester, and myriad reunions would still take place in the ensuing years. In 2005, Split Enz were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame (Crowded House would follow 12 years later), and in 2009, Melbourne's Sound Relief concert hosted what looked to be the final Split Enz live show.

Taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Black Saturday bushfires and the ensuing fundraising efforts brought the Kiwi icons to the stage once more, and until last year, it appeared that was where the story would end.

In September, it was announced that the band would be reuniting for New Zealand’s Electric Avenue festival earlier this year, with more dates to follow. An Australian return was planned by way of this year's ill-fated edition of Bluesfest, but after a batch of New Zealand dates, the iconic Split Enz brought their Forever Enz tour to our shores – their first Australian dates in over 17 years.

Fittingly, those in attendance to witness this historic moment in Australian and New Zealand music found themselves in the shadow of the nearby MCG, where many of the evening’s had last said See Ya ‘Round to the group almost two decades earlier.

With countless fans decked out in classic tour shirts to underline their lengthy pedigree of fanaticism, it was clear who everyone was there to see, but before the main event, the growing masses were treated to a barnstorming performance by the legendary Vika & Linda Bull.

Decked out in striking white suits, the sisters, who have themselves been staples of Australian stages for decades now, made sure to make full use of their all-too short slot. After all, they admitted Split Enz were their favourite band as teenagers (and remain so to this day), so a good impression was at the top of their list.

They would have to try incredibly hard to deliver a bad performance, however, because as cheers rose against the funky guitar-driven intro of the Paul Kelly-penned Be Careful What You Pray For, it was evident that the sisters were in their element.

Backed by a three-piece band, their powerful, crystalline voices worked in gorgeous harmony to deliver a slick set full of old favourites and new anthems. 

While the likes of When Will You Fall For Me (penned by Mark Seymour, who was himself present in the crowd) and The Black Sorrows' Never Let Me Go drew mass applause, so too did cuts from their forthcoming album, Where Do You Come From?, including its title track, and the ABBA-influenced Bliss, which received its live debut.

As upbeat numbers of pop and rock influence paired effortlessly with more reflective song choices, fans were quickly reminded that it's never a bad time when Vika & Linda take to the stage, and it became a solid reminder of why they are about to deservedly join Split Enz in the ARIA Hall Of Fame next month.

As the crowd swelled and the main event approached, the flames of anticipation were stoked thanks to the presence of – in lieu of a real one – a digital red curtain on the rear screens, with early footage of Split Enz projected upon it.

With The Choral Sea broadcasting via the PA, a mysterious veiled figure appeared on the stage before swiftly taking its leave. It was followed by another lumbering figure in similar fashion, this time with 12 legs visible underneath. 

As it struggled its way to the front of the stage, the satin veil was lifted to reveal the 2026 iteration of Split Enz. With the Finn brothers, Crombie, and Rayner decked out in ever-so sharp coloured suits, they were joined by the equally-snappy dressers Matt Eccles on drums (formerly of the Liam Finn-fronted Betchadupa), and James Milne on bass.

No time was wasted before jumping into a slick run of iconic hits from their golden era, including the frenzied Shark Attack, the reverberant History Never Repeats, and Poor Boy.

It's these opening moments of a reunion that are usually fraught with the aforementioned anticipation, effectively serving as the make-or-break for both the anticipations of the evening, and the performance at large. 

However, any worries that Split Enz may be a shadow of its former self were clearly unfounded.

Even five decades down the line, one could have assumed no time had passed at all, with Tim Finn's charismatic presence as engaging as ever, brother Neil's performance packing a punch, and both Rayner and Crombie (the latter sans his iconic hairstyles, of course) offering their own respective brands of onstage anarchy.

As cuts like Nobody Takes Me Seriously, Give It A Whirl, and Time For A Change rang out, Tim Finn expressed his fondness for Melbourne, positioning it as the most fitting location for the group's Australian return (in spite of an ill-fated Shepparton gig in 1981 that attracted no audience).

More emotive favourites like Message To My Girl and Stuff And Nonsense (the latter largely featuring Tim Finn in solo mode on piano) were paired with the crashing instrumental of Double Happy, which served as an opportunity for the rear screens to offer a visual showcase of Crombie's suit designs.

Crombie himself needs to be singled out as the wildcard that he is, with his somewhat silent-but-deadly approach to performing leaving him the evening's MVP. Between his multi-instrumental talents (of which the specifics are too great to name), his moments in the spotlight were a stellar representation of his legacy.

Most notably, the bouncy My Mistake rounded itself out with Crombie offering a guitar solo that ended as he wrangled the instrument to the floor, attacking it with his feet as his bandmates looked on in mock horror. Fittingly, the presence of A Hard Act To Follow as the next song underlined Crombie's ever-impressive role in the band.

With the home stretch in full view, the three-song run of Six Months In A Leaky Boat, I Got You, and I See Red felt like a lesson in classic New Zealand rock, offering a communal singalong that will easily resonate in the crowd's collective memories for a long time to come.

Ducking out for the standard encore break, the sextet's return was followed by the presence of the Judd-penned Spellbound and the enduring I Hope I Never, before closing the night with 1983 single Strait Old Line – again putting Crombie in the spotlight as he jauntily offered a solo on the spoons as only he could.

Though they may be older and wiser, Split Enz remain as energetic as ever, almost appearing as if we could be witnessing gigs like these for decades to come still. 

Sure, any show like this carries with it a sense of nostalgia, but the tricky part is executing it so that nostalgia is not the prevalent emotion throughout the night. Indeed, it was an affair which felt as fresh and vital as ever, with no points offering the uncomfortable feeling that a reunion such as this didn't need to happen, or that it was a monotonous trudge through the celebrated back catalogue.

At its core, the evening was one that felt like an organic continuation of what we could be seeing had Split Enz continued at their peak into the present day. The group may have once contended that History Never Repeats, but as thousands of diehard music-lovers at Rod Laver Arena would agree, thankfully it has.

This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body