REVIEW: THE NATIONAL - SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE
Beginning the night was Australia's indie folk band, Little May. They played songs such as Boardwalks, Bones, Seven Hours and their 2014 hit - Dust. We haven't had any new music from these ladies since 2015, but hopefully this tour is the beginning of a big 2018 for Little May.
The National opened their performance with their frontman, Matt Berninger welcoming the crowd ever so elegantly in his trademark black blazer and black skinny jeans.
They began their show with some new material off their latest LP, 'Sleep Well Beast'. They opened up with Nobody Else Will Be There, The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness, the synth-heavy Walk It Back and the catchy Guilty Party.
The National continued their set with some older material in Don't Swallow The Cap and their emotional anthem which references their hometown, Bloodbuzz Ohio. With the show being the last of their tour, and Matt Berninger's voice sounding a little croaky at times the crowd had no problem helping him out in this song, screaming the chorus "I still owe money to the money, to the money I owe".
They threw it back even further with their next bunch of songs, performing Squalor Victoria, I Need My Girl, Conversation 16, and right back to 2004 with Wasp Nest.
The National delivered an energetic performance of Turtleneck, taken from 'Sleep Well Beast' which saw Berninger take to the crowd. He went right up to the barrier which separates the seating area and the lawn area, back through the middle of the crowd to the stage which essentially saw him sing the whole song in the crowd.
Next up we heard an old favourite, Graceless, Carin At The Liquor Store, Day I Die, Fake Empire.
They finished the night of with the old favourites of old favourites, Mr November and the crowd launched into a sing along for "I'm Mr November, I won't fuck us over" as Berninger repeated the line over and over.
The National closed their set with an emotional rendition of Terrible Love and a full crowd singalong for their closing song, Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. Once again, the crowd helping Matt Berninger here as he sand the song without a microphone and left the crowd to sing it. It was one of the most magical things I have witnessed in my twenty nine years of existence.
Thank you, The National.
WRITTEN BY: JACK KENNEDY
