The RIONS Live In Melbourne: A Review
Photos by Katie Dannock
The Forum has always been one of my favourite spots to see live music, it’s big enough for an energetic crowd but also makes shows feel more intimate - the perfect recipe for a Rions show. As I looked through the crowd, I could see lots of excitement and a scattering of stars incorporated into peoples outfits - a reference to the band’s album cover design.
The wonderfully emotive Daezy opened up the night, followed by the angsty and powerful Ixaras - two acts who showcase the new and upcoming talent of the Australian music scene, and two acts to keep an eye on for future releases.
The lights dimmed at 9:40pm, spotlights illuminating a big white star at the back of the stage. Atmospheric instrumentals set the scene, the band made their way onto stage with their figures backlit. As they get straight into performing, there’s a familiarity and comfort that comes with their addictive guitar riffs and beautiful voice of frontman Noah. The crowd is already dancing and singing along.
The Rion’s effortlessly play through a mixture of previous singles and instant classics off their new debut album ‘Everything Every Single Day’ - the vocals and instrumentals sounded beyond incredible live (no surprise here), it felt as if these guys have been playing to big crowds for years. An important song of the night was their performance of ‘Cry’, a song that speaks to toxic masculinity and encourages audiences to keep their mates in check. The song was encompassed by a short speech from the bandmates about the seriousness of this topic. They communicate with such honesty and authenticity - a genuine group of guys who use their platform for good.
They also performed ‘Oh How Hard It Is To Be 20’, an eerily relatable song of the messy and confusing journey of being a young adult. Hitting hard for audiences, you could hear a pin drop. The perfect continuation from this was their cover of ‘Ain’t It Fun’ by Paramore, which gave the audience a big hug as they sang along.
It was hit after hit, from ‘Night Light’ to ‘Physical Medicine’, the crowd felt free and you couldn't help but move to the catchy sound of the guitars and drum beats. The audience chanted along to their favourite songs as if they were known anthems for decades - and I’m sure they will be for decades to come. The boys’ silly personalities came out as they bopped along together to ‘Scary Movies’, they clearly love performing live.
‘Minivan’ captured the audience for the encore, everyone singing their hearts out to the chorus: ‘Don’t care if our parents are worried/we’re on our own/’cause when they wake up in the morning/they won’t notice we’re gone’. The Rion’s are truly heartwarming, as they brought their sound technician onto stage to play guitar with them as he’s always wanted to play a show at The Forum.
A beautiful night closed with ‘Tonight’s Entertainment’, the crowd with arms wrapped around each other, others jumping along, Harley hitting the keys that sounded like stars twinkling. A spectacular night that left everyone buzzing, The Rion’s made The Forum theirs and took the audience on an emotional journey reminiscent of a coming of age movie - I cannot wait to see what’s next for them.