It was a long time coming. After a lengthy tour postponement, loyal fans of the cult band 30 Seconds To Mars were rewarded with a spectacle on Friday night.
After the band graciously agreed to move from Rod Laver Arena (to allow for the Rolling Stones to perform at the venue for their ill-fated national tour), Hisense Arena was announced as the replacement.
London’s White Lies performed a support set that proved to be very enjoyable. While it seemed like most in attendance didn’t know their songs, the band put on a good show that was a pleasure to watch.
30 Seconds To Mars don’t just perform – they provide an experience. The band is full of energy and sure know how to put on a hell of a show. Despite the energy emitted by Shanon Leto on drums and Tomo Miličević on guitar, as well as the touring guitarist, there’s absolutely no doubt that the band is all about Jared Leto. While his Oscar win may mean that the frontman is attracting more fame than ever before, the fandom associated with the singer has been there for over a decade as far as his loyal followers as concerned.
The band kicked off their set with the opening song from their new album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams, ‘Birth’, before launching into a few numbers from their previous release, This Is War. ‘Search and Destroy’ was the first song to really get the crowd up and moving, mainly due to Leto’s insistence that even those in the seated areas get on their feet.
The artist didn’t fail to deliver, either. Dressed a long black singlet with white patches hanging off it and black leggings, the man famous for his flowing locks and insanely youthful looks at the age of 42 gave the crowd what they wanted while constantly thanking the fans for their support.
The singer ran through the floor area, side seats, and even invited a five year old with a mowhawk and his Dad up on stage.
Confetti cannons and even balloons in the colour scheme of their new album were thrown and launched into the adoring crowd. The lighting was also startlingly impressive.
The sound however, was a let down. To an extent it plagued the whole set, and was even more of a noticeable issue in the first half. Apart from the poor acoustics in the venue, it was due to one simple, easily fixable reason: the vocals were not loud enough. How on earth this can still happen at a show of this size is still unclear.
Due to these issues, the highlights came from the songs and parts of songs that featured less frantic drumming and softer guitar parts, allowing Leto’s voice to shine. ‘Kings And Queens’ and the epic fan favourite ‘Closer To The Edge’ were the highlights of the older material, while an acoustic bracket in the middle of the show involving just Leto also proved to be popular.
The emotive ‘City Of Angels’ was the highlight of the entire show; soaring vocals and fan singalongs emphasised exactly what 30 Seconds To Mars are all about. The band closed with ‘Up In The Air’ before bidding a thankful crowd goodnight.
Setlist
Birth
Night Of The Hunter
Search And Destroy
This Is War
Conquistador
Kings And Queens
Do Or Die
City Of Angels
End Of All Days
Acoustic
Hurricane
Attack
The Kill (Bury Me)
Closer To The Edge
Encore
Bright Lights
(Acapella Outro)
Up in the Air
