Half Alive returns to Melbourne with a new ‘Persona’
Photographs by Jean Ngooi
Almost two years since their last visit to Australia, Californian indie-rock outfit Half Alive lit up Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre last night on their Persona World Tour.
Before the band took to the stage, the album’s mascots Sonny and Cher performed a delicate choreography telling the tale of them finding a connection with each other and eventually embracing. Their performance effectively carried the message: Welcome to the world of Persona.
After Sonny and Cher departed from the stage hand-in-hand, Half Alive came on and opened with Sophie’s House. Despite the first part of the song being held back by technical difficulties with Josh’s in-line earpiece, he encouraged the audience to sing in place for him which they were more than happy to as evidenced by the loudness of the crowd.
During Automatic, a punchy song about the qualms of routine modernity, Josh went to the barricade and laid down on the waiting hands of the crowd. Screaming out “I’m sick of losing” he crowd-surfed deeper into the audience as the song culminated at its peak. The raw captivating energy of the moment quickly became an early imprint of the night. Additionally, dancers Casey Murray and Emma Sutherland joined the band on stage during this performance, further elevating the sheer intensity and vigour.
Returning to the stage, the band played songs including People and arrow and incorporated a refreshing dynamic use of the performance space and choreography. Particularly, it was clear throughout that Josh was having an absolute blast dancing and he emanated an infectious energy that was absorbed by the crowd.
Midway through the show, the band left the stage to the dancers for an intermission dance performance which captivated the audience. What started off as an in-sync rhythmic dance between Murray and Sutherland up on the platform evolved into a mini-dance battle between the two as the crowd cheered them on.
Soon after, the night transitioned into the acoustic set as the band returned to the stage. This time, both J Tyler and Brett joined Josh up front and they all sat down with their instruments to perform a medley of a John Denver Leaving on a Jet Plane cover, Beige, Hot Tea and Creature. Teary eyes filled up in the front row as phone lights waved around.
Before playing Songs, Josh took the time to share a beautiful sentiment about the temporary exchange made between the stage and the audience as he discussed the meaning of the song Songs and how it was about just that. Teaching the crowd how to sing a section of it, Northcote Theatre transformed into a small choir singing along.
Finishing off the night with the dancy R.I.P, and fan favourites still feel and RUNAWAY, the band wrapped the night with a bang as fans screamed out the words and jumped up and down till the very end. Persona marks a new era for the band and last night demonstrated how they were able to successfully translate this era into a night of incredible live music, enriched by passionate choreography, intimate moments and sheer enthusiasm. Come back soon Half Alive!