The Neighbourhood at Margaret Court Arena: A Journey Through 13 Years of Music
Photographs by Katie Dannock
It was pouring down in Melbourne on the night of Saturday 11th July, a cold winter night; some would say it was Sweater Weather. But that didn’t stop the masses of people flowing into Margaret Court Arena, all dressed up in layers of leather jackets, silver chains, lace and denim. The Neighbourhood were set to play their second sold-out show in Melbourne.
Noise Dept. warmed up the crowd with an electronic DJ set, playing smooth, echoing beats layered over deep bass. His gorgeous vocals flowed over the top, enhancing the sound; you couldn’t help but move along.
Fans at the barricade held handmade signs, faces painted with silver, eyes of long-time fans eagerly looking up to the stage. Fog looms over the stage; the lights go down. An AI-esque voice called ‘Iris’ welcomes the crowd, portrayed as an orange warped light along the edge of the main screen at the back of the stage; its words pop up as it speaks. One by one, each band member walks out, taking their place evenly spread along the stage, followed by lead-man Jesse Rutherford, dressed in full denim. They kick it off with ‘Hula Girl’, Jesse playing the tambourine while he sings through a very extensive setlist, the crowd screaming with elation at the first notes of every song.
Jesse strutted back and forth across the stage, making sure to address all parts of the audience. Eventually removing his jacket and shirt, he shows off his fully tatted torso and arms, as if it tells a story of his life journey. ‘Afraid’ brings out his sassy attitude, as he flips off to the lyrics, followed by ‘You Get Me So High’.
‘Devil’s Advocate’ concluded ‘Act I’, and was definitely a highlight. The bass guitar booming through the arena, it sounded unbelievable live. The cameraman joined the band on stage, filming with live feedback to the main screen; the members’ images repeated like a hall of mirrors.
As announced by Iris, the next act was the ballad section, reeling back with more emotional songs like ‘Baby Came Home 2’, ‘Cherry Flavoured’, and the iconic ‘Daddy Issues’. The black and white palm tree graphics on the screens transported me back to the 2015 Tumblr era. This segment was a great testament to the range of storytelling from The Neighbourhood; they certainly have some bangers but aren’t afraid to get raw and explore topics of relationships, addiction and loss.
Into the third and final act, the vibes were amped up with ‘Stargazing’, a compelling tune of space-y synths, dominant drum beats and Jesse’s beautiful falsetto during the chorus; everyone was out of their seats dancing along - myself included. ‘Sweater Weather’ followed, probably their most well-known song; the whole crowd basically sang the whole song for Jesse. The finale was ‘Softcore’, a song from their 2018 album ‘Hard To Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing’, which had a resurgence in popularity in 2022, establishing itself as a fan favourite.
It was a powerful conclusion to an engaging show, a journey spanning 5 albums over 13 years. Australian audiences finally got to hear some of the songs that defined their coming-of-age experience in a live setting.