It must be a bit of a ‘we’ve made it moment’ when there is an event dedicated to your band that has backing by both Vevo and Ford, and there are suited waiters carrying around trays of appetizers all night.
It’s no surprise then, when Tonight Alive bound onstage to begin the Vevo Lift Launch with huge grins spread across their faces that look too genuine to be just for the cameras.
The Sydney quintet have already made a huge impression across the globe touring extensively with two EP’s and debut album What Are You So Scared Of?, and now after a little time off the band look well rested and ready to do it all again.
Playing a short 30-minute set, tonight is more of a taster, and if ever a live band was going to convince an audience of listening to their music offstage it’s Tonight Alive.
Fittingly choosing new LP’s opening track “The Ocean” kicks the night off with a forceful start and though the album is barely a week old the fans in the audience already know every word.
Frontwoman Jenna McDougall expresses how ‘refreshing’ it is to play the new material and to make tonight that extra bit special, new single “Come Home” gets it’s live debut. Along with “The Fire” and “Lonely Girl” the band pack in as many new songs as they can into the set, showcasing their growth as musicians, particularly lead guitarist Taahi’s opportunity for true spotlight moments.
Naturally, a few old songs make an appearance and suddenly the intimate nature of the gig is realised, as McDougall is able to point to almost every fan who is hurling the words right back to her. It is also during these songs, when the band looks most comfortable, that Tonight Alive can be truly appreciated.
It’d be too expected to drop in a name like Paramore as a prediction of the band’s future when in actuality Tonight Alive have too much charm to not be considered as their own entity.
Combining their onstage chemistry, solid material and ever-growing fan base, this band will be paving their own pop-punk path. Luckily for the fans here tonight an event like this has been perfectly timed, pitched specifically as an intimate live show because at the rate Tonight Alive are climbing, their shows are about to become far from intimate.
