Live Review: Yächtley Crëw in Perth Australia 2025
12 May 2025, at The Astor Theatre, Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Yächtley Crëw from Los Angeles has been dubbed the best Yacht Rock band in the world. The tide has risen, and the band has docked its first international tour in Perth, Western Australia
So what’s Yacht Rock?
Yacht rock, a genre that combines 70s and 80s soft rock with jazz influences, has been gaining popularity worldwide. In an interview with Sheldon Ang Media, Tommy Buoy – guitarist and vocalist- explained, “It’s the 70s and 80s soft rock, like Steely Dan, Toto, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, and all of these legends. It’s just kind of been redubbed a different name, yacht rock, by a YouTube series in the 2000s.”
The band’s three-year residency at PALMS in Las Vegas has been a significant milestone. “Honestly, I never thought or knew that I would be in a band that would have a residency in Las Vegas. It is really validating.”
Tonight, the fans recognised the Vegas-esque spectacle as the band delivered an energised performance.
As the lights went out, the voices of TV reporters echoed the name Yachtley Crew, reminiscent of the fanfare surrounding a band taking the world by storm. The first track got off with a flier with Christopher Cross’ number Ride Like The Wind, followed by Magic (Pilot) and Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder). The energy was continuous and fast paced, with each member playing their part in entertaining. The choreography throughout screams Vegas. The conversation was kept to a minimum with no breaks in between songs.
Time to catch our breaths.
Dressed in all white, the yacht theme was as dashing as the performances, and it seems they have a strong following in Perth. There was a canopy of sailor hats, like a party that transcended a typical concert. It was a revelry, and the shenanigans on the floor matched those on the stage.
Vocally, they are superb. Technically, they are brilliant. Yächtley Crëw’s performances are known for their fun and energetic vibe. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take the music very seriously. The show is fun, and we do choreography on stage. The music’s no joke. You have to be a seasoned musician to even play this stuff,” Tommy emphasised during the interview.
The band’s setlist includes iconic songs like “Africa” by Toto, “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, and “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” Tommy shared, “We kind of let the audience tell us what they want to hear. Our show is just like hit after hit after hit. People are really having fun, “There’s a certain chilliness to it. Yacht rock is when you get home from work and want to just put a nice record on and chill out on the porch and watch the wind blow the trees.” The Perth fans agreed.
And there were plenty of highlights, notably the sax, especially in Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty). The Sax solo is the chorus, as Pauly Shores performed a goosebump moment on stage, with the limelight shining on him and the raised saxophone. We were transported back to the 70s within the first few seconds of the track. And like a magician, the second riff of the sax was performed on the balcony, with a leg dangling at the edge. This writer was unsure how Shores got there within less than a minute, but it was one of the most spectacular moments at the Astor Theatre. The third riff was played on the floor. Again, another Copperfield move, before retiring, lying on the floor of the stage. The smooth yet powerful, with long sustained notes gave the sense of yearning. The most recognisable sax solos in music history became the music of the night.
“People come to our show not knowing what to expect, and they see a bunch of guys having a lot of fun and performing the songs like the record. The vibe we get from people is like, ‘Wow, I’ve just never seen anything like that,’” said Tommy Buoy during the interview. The Perth fans were definitely awed.
The setlist was made for the Australian audience, with the likes of Reminiscing by Little River Band and Even the Nights Are Better by Air Supply being performed. Looking around, there were many singing along to the latter song, and this writer found a place of belonging and is a personal highlight for many. Yachtley Crew gave a renewed rendition to the track – sung with grit and vocal determination, a revival of one of Australia’s forgotten classics. Another brilliant surprise was I’d Really Love To See You Tonight by Dan England and John Ford Coley…as the nostalgic rain fell from the roof of the Astor Theatre.
Music preference is subjective, but for this writer, he’d love for Yächtley Crëw to peform I Keep Forgettin’ (Everytime You’re Near) by the quintessential yacht rocker Michael McDonnell and What a Fool Believes . But how do you please everyone in under 25 songs?
To do what they do, they’d need to be one of the best in the industry, as evident in their appearance on the documentary Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary on HBO
Yächtley Crëw of Los Angeles has been dubbed the best Yacht Rock band in the world, but after seeing them tonight, they are also one of the most entertaining bands.
The 7-piece band continue their Australian Tour across major cities. Tickets and info from Total Touring
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank John Howarth, Total Touring and Yachtley Crew for the media accreditation
About the Photographer/Writer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 180 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), Backstreet Boys, KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK etc with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) and of course Tommy Buoy of Yachtley Crew plus over 70 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
