Live Review: The Fray – 20th Anniversary How To Save A Life
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
The Fray at Metro City in Perth on 3rd December 2025
The Fray emerged from Denver in the early 2000s, crafting a sound that was both intimate and expansive. Their music is anchored by piano-driven melodies and lyrics that explore vulnerability, regret, and hope. Their debut album, How to Save a Life, quickly became a cultural touchstone, defining an era and connecting with audiences worldwide.
Over time, their catalogue has become synonymous with mid-2000s nostalgia. Yet, The Fray’s songs continue to reach new audiences, transcending generations and demographics, as evidenced by the new generation present. The themes they explore, loss, longing, and redemption, are timeless, and even as the band evolves, their legacy remains rooted in the power of vulnerability. They transform private struggles into shared experiences, leaving a lasting impact long after the final note fades.
It’s no surprise that the band’s return to Australia has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm, with every show sold out since April 2025. This tour, presented by TEG MJR, celebrates the twentieth anniversary of How to Save a Life, the album that introduced the world to The Fray’s signature piano-driven rock. The album soared to number 1 on the ARIA charts, reached number 4 in the UK, and climbed to 14 on the Billboard 200, spending an impressive 70 weeks in the Top 100.
For fans in the southern hemisphere, the journey began in Perth.
The night opened with “She Is”, with Joe King leading the charge on mic following Isaac Slade’s departure. The band’s heartfelt lyrics and piano-driven sound created an intimate atmosphere in the club-sized Metro City venue, which holds 2,000 people. Tonight, like for the rest of the tour, is sold out. The set continued with “All At Once,” infusing a country vibe, and then shifted to “Look After You”, a song written by former member Isaac Slade about his then-girlfriend (and future wife), Anna, during her time living in Australia.
After the third song, the stage came to life with brighter, orange sweeping lights and Joe King removing his jacket, revealing his well built physique. More piano ballads followed, including “Little House,” whose haunting introduction and mood of isolation reflected the song’s sentiment.
“Perth, is so good to be back. It has been twenty years…twenty.,” while holding up two fingers.
The fans remained focused, drowned in the band’s presence under a moody hue, with the occasional flash of bright lighting.
After several ballads about heartbreak, the set concluded with “Over My Head (Cable Car)”. Released in 2005, it was The Fray’s first major single and helped propel their debut album How to Save a Life into mainstream success. It reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the band to a global audience.
“This was where it all started,” says King. “Never give up on your dreams.”
Next came “How to Save a Life”, the quintessential song of sorrow, yet delivered with a comforting touch. The song, about saving someone from self-destruction, conveyed yearning and frustration, earning a nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The crowd sang along passionately, as if it were a summer anthem, and the extended track felt like a preface to the entire album.
Interestingly, the audience was predominantly women in their 20s, celebrating an album released around the time they were born. The stage setup was unique, with the drummer elevated at the top right and the entire stage adorned with flowers.
Later in the night, the theme shifted to spirituality and searching for meaning. “Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me” captured the lowest point in Isaac Slade’s life, resonating with the crowd. King’s performance conveyed personal tragedy, disappointment, and a sense of abandonment, questioning why help didn’t arrive when needed most. The audience felt his loss of faith, frustration, and the search for meaning in life’s most difficult moments.
As the concert drew to a close, “Never Say Never” provided a climactic ending. The gentle piano intro captivated listeners, and Joe King’s expressive vocals brought vulnerability and longing to the forefront. The plea “Don’t let me go” and his falsetto in the final chorus added raw emotion. The crowd sang along, and the live rendition remained true to the recorded version, with lighting sweeping across the arena.
Despite the concert’s overarching themes of heartbreak and struggle, the night ended with a sense of hope and perseverance. The Fray can transform deeply personal stories into universal anthems, songs that resonate in quiet moments of reflection as much as they do in packed arenas. We walked out feeling energised.
Setlist:
The Fray continue their tour across Australia.
She Is – How to Save a Life (2005)
All at Once – How to Save a Life (2005)
Look After You – How to Save a Life (2005)
Fall Away – How to Save a Life (2005)
Little House – How to Save a Life (2005)
Dead Wrong – How to Save a Life (2005)
Trust Me – How to Save a Life (2005)
Heaven Forbid – How to Save a Life (2005)
Vienna – How to Save a Life (2005)
Over My Head (Cable Car) – How to Save a Life (2005)
How to Save a Life – How to Save a Life (2005)
My Heart’s a Crowded Room – Scars & Stories (2012)
Hurricane – Scars & Stories (2012)
Heartbeat – Scars & Stories (2012)
Dreams – No Need to Argue (1994) – The Cranberries cover
You Found Me – The Fray
Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – Scars & Stories (2012)
Never Say Never – How to Save a Life (2005)
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Menard PR, TEG MJR and The Fray for the media accreditation
About the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), Metallica, Backstreet Boys, KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, Leo Sayer 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) plus over 70 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
