Review: Amy Shark @ AAMI Park, Melbourne, February 11th, 2022
Amy Shark’s Cry Forever tour came to an unexpected halt last year when a little known about pandemic ran amok.
But Shark is making good on her promise to finish the tour, returning for the final shows in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in the coming months.
The tour is celebrating the release of her 2021 album of the same name. Cry Forever was a natural follow up to 2018’s Love Monster. The tracks explore what it has been like to become the Amy Shark who had a slow and rough introduction into the music industry but has now become loved and admired all across the world.
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Cry Forever pulls back on pop’s overbearing nature and instead chooses to focus on Amy Shark. The award-winning singer goes deep into the album’s development in her mini docuseries Forever, Amy Shark. She highlights that it doesn’t rely on “big production or big beats,” instead just focusing on “strong song writing”
But before the tour recomences, us lucky Melbournians scored an extra intimate show last night at AAMI Park in celebration of AAMI’s renewed partnership with the venue for another five years.
For many, last night’s gig was the first time they’ve been at a big show post lockdown and that they’ve been able to see the singer perform her new career defining tracks.
And unsurprisingly, Shark did not disappoint.
Check out ‘All Loved Up’
The special event last night was for a lucky 1000 who bought tickets through AAMI’s Lucky Club customer program and through limited competition tickets.
There was no doubt that every fan in the venue understood how special of a night it was. The immediate warmness felt from the simple red lighting and minimal stage design set up the intimate and honest evening.
This closeness is felt by Shark as well. As soon as she hits the stage alone with just her acoustic guitar, she mentions the fear that comes with such a stripped back performance, but also the joy in sharing an experience with a smaller audience.
Naturally, Shark had to address the elephant in the room. “Amy Shark in AAMI Park after dark.” We were all thinking it. She jokes that she hopes to meet this creative genius and that they have received a significant pay rise.
The evening truly felt like a celebration of music. Shark stood alone at the microphone on an otherwise empty stage, proud that she didn’t need to create a spectacle to engage her audience.
Check out ‘Adore’
Each piece was separated by personal stories, witty anecdotes and friendly conversation with the audience.
Shark opens up to her audience, telling us about her quick instinct to tell radio hosts what they want to hear. Especially when asked “What is your favourite song?”. Understandably, she generally talks up the single she is promoting at the time.
However, the truth comes out this time round, revealing ‘You’ll Never Meet Anyone Like Me Again’ from Cry Forever is her true all time favourite.
Check out ‘You’ll Never Meet Anyone Like Me Again’
What makes Cry Forever such an exciting album for Shark (and for us!) were the phenomenal collaborations.
‘C’mon’ featured Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker and ‘Love Songs Ain’t For Us’ was co-written by Ed Sheeran and features Keith Urban.
Shark reminisces on her time with Sheeran, feeling embarrassed that he saw her in her rented “piece of shit car” while also reassuring fans she isn’t materialistic.
The dialogue with the audience continually reminds the crowd that at her core, she is just a passionate music fan. A fan that is also bound to get starstruck when coming face to face with other incredible musical talent.
Her admiration of Sheeran is apparent in Forever, Amy Shark, saying “He’s one of the best songwriters in the world. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna work with Ed Sheeran?”
Check out ‘Love Songs Ain’t For Us’
Shark reflects upon her time performing from venue to venue and feeling as if she was taking up space rather than being the focus of it.
A large part of those early pub crawling years was playing hours worth of cover songs. Something that Shark detested, in preference of developing and performing her own material.
However, Shark is willing to admit every now and then that a song comes along that she wants to have a go at.
This led to an unexpected cover of Adele’s latest mega hit ‘Easy On Me’ from 30.
The choice to do this piece leans into my earlier mention of a celebration of music. There is no ego here, no grander intention. Just a deep urge to perform good music and a mesmerised crowd eager to listen.
Check out ‘I Said Hi’
Shark rounds out the evening with another of her AARIA winning numbers ‘I Said Hi’ from 2018’s Love Monster.
Though you could feel the excitement in the space increase tenfold as the fan favourite commenced, the looming end of the show hung over the spectators.
The show came to a close much like a smaller gig at a pub. No theatrical climax, no encore. Shark had finished her set, and now it was time to leave the stage. That’s not to say there wasn’t a palpable energy across the crowd, there was. But the personal atmosphere that Shark and her team created through every part of the production left the audience satisfied and elated.
Cry Forever’s focus on “strong song writing” is so clear at an event like this. With nothing to hide behind, Shark is simultaneously at her most vulnerable and most powerful. Completely accountable for the evening’s success or failure.
With this in mind, the evening was not your conventional performance for a big name star. The performance was for fans of Amy Shark. And for those that that wasn’t enough for, they might not have enjoyed the evening as much.
This marks a staggering return for Shark to Australian stages and acted as a soft and gratifying precursor to her remaining Cry Forever tour gigs.
Amy Shark’s Cry Forever tour resumes in Adelaide on Thursday, February 24th at Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre before returning to Melbourne on Friday, March 4th at Rod Laver Arena and wrapping up in May in Perth.
Check out ‘Everybody Rise’
Amy Park @ AAMI Park, Melbourne 12/2/22 Setlist
‘All Loved Up’
‘Everybody Rise’
‘Mess Her Up’
‘C’mon’
‘You’ll Never Meet Anyone Like Me Again’
‘Easy On Me’ – Adele
‘Weekends’
‘The Worst Day Of My Life’
‘Adore’
‘Love Songs Ain’t For Us’
‘I Said Hi’
Cry Forever Tour
Remaining Dates
Thursday, February 24th
Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Hindmarsh, SA
Tickets: Ticketek
Friday, March 4th
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets: Ticketek
Friday, May 13th
RAC Arena, Perth, WA
Tickets: Ticketek
