REVIEW: Imagine Dragons - Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne

There are two ways I could start this review. 

I could tell you that I've been on the Imagine Dragons bandwagon since 2009, the year that the Nevada boys came together to form the band and I've been a diehard fan ever since. Or I could tell you the truth - sure, I'd heard their songs on ads and the radio and had sung along without ever really knowing whose songs they were, that it wasn't until my sister (an actual fan) begged me to get us tickets to their Evolve tour, that I realised I had heard them before.

Do you hate me? Are you wondering why I, someone who has clearly made herself quite at home under a rock, am the one writing this review? No doubt there are far more knowledgeable, dedicated and deserving Imagine Dragons fans out there, but if it's any constellation, I would just like inform you that although it may have taken a good nine years of them existing for me to discover them, I am now well and truly on the band’s bass-heavy wagon. 

It was hard not to thoroughly get into these guys and their super catchy hits from the show’s start – if their enthralling performance and energy wasn’t enough to keep you interested, ripped lead-singer, Dan Reynolds shirtless entrance onto the stage surely did the trick – for my delighted 22 year old sister at the very least.

The Vegas based band brought all of their biggest numbers to the arena, with confetti cannons firing early on, creating a magical atmosphere in a sold-out Margaret Court. After an energetic opener, silence fell over the crowd as one of the guitarists stepped forward, bathed in a single spotlight as he gifted the arena with a hauntingly beautiful flamenco guitar solo, before the band launched into Believer. 

In between their own hits, Dan and the boys gave their own take on other classics, including Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds and Alphaville’s Forever Young. 

Not only are Imagine Dragons incredible performers, Dan Reynolds proved to be quite the preacher, sharing heartfelt words with the crowd surrounding his own struggles with anxiety and depression and extending a hand to help other sufferers feel not so alone. His sermon was the perfect way to launch into Demons and I’m not ashamed to say his empathetic words saw me shed a tear - I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

Halfway through the show, the band trekked through the crowd to the back of the arena, where a mini- surprise stage had been set up. Here they played up-close-and-personal to those furthest away from the main stage, somehow taking the show from arena to intimate and showing just how much they truly care about their fans. 

Naturally, the band saved some of their biggest showstoppers till last, belting out the bass heavy Radioactive that saw all four-band members take to their own drums. Cue more confetti canons, exploding like my new found love for Imagine Dragons. Corny? Yes. Converted? Also yes. Easily one of the best live shows I’ve seen all year. 

Written by: Hannah Pronesti