Freya Skye
Fortitude Music Hall 07.06.26
Freya Skye kickstarted the second half of her global Stars Align tour, playing to a sold-out house at the Fortitude Music Hall. The energy in the room was off the chart. Kids (as well as Mums, Dads and carers) were queuing as early as 6am to get pole position at the foot of the stage.
Opening proceedings was former Mackay boy, Jack Gray, who did a terrific job entertaining committed “Skyelights”.
Splitting his talents between electric and acoustic guitars, Gray augmented his sonics with samples and loops. At times, it sounded like a full band was on stage with him.
Raised arms swayed in unison – a first for Jack, and the appreciation wasn’t wasted on him. His debut album Swimming In Jeans is out in November.
Prior to the headliner, MK caused a stir by appearing on the balcony and waving a phone around with the light on. Good-hearted mayhem ensued.
The crowd were nuts the minute Freya took to the stage. She admitted to being nervous before hitting the boards – but you wouldn’t have guessed. Opening with ‘Can’t Fake It’, the artist is beyond assured in the spotlight. Backed by a three-piece band, the trio rocked harder than her records. And, the guitarist totally shredded. Who would’ve thunk it?
Freya oozes charisma. The stage setup would’ve done Busby Berkeley proud. There were lots of stars, an ascending staircase and a terrific light show – which rendered the stage everything from bright red to monochrome.
Highlights – and there were many – included ‘Why’d You Have To Call?’, ‘Bass Taste’ and an acoustic-heavy reading of ‘Who I Thought I Knew’.
A costume change channelled Freya’s inner Stevie Nicks and the band got heavier. ‘Someone to Love’ was edging towards glam rock for a minute.
Taking a minute to acknowledge the signs, some fans had driven from Adelaide to be here.
Freya was back on acoustic guitar for ‘Golden Boy’. To say she had the audience on side and in the palm of her hand would be understating it.
‘My Own Way’ from Zombies 4 was another highlight and MK got a big shout-out.
The set officially closed with the biggest sing-along of the evening and we won’t give away the encore.
A special night. You could feel that everybody in the venue knew they wouldn’t be seeing Freya in a room this small for a very long time.
Sean Sennett
Photos: Jess Gleeson