Live Review: Red Hot Summer Tour 2025 Featuring Crowded House
Featuring Crowded House, Angus & Julia Stone, The Church, Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda, The Waif & Jae Laffer
29th November 2025 at Mornington Racecourse, Mornington Australia
Review by Jeana Thomas
Photography by Jeana Thomas Photography
Crowded House
What a joy it was to spend an evening outdoors at Mornington Racecourse with the amazing Crowded House. When they walked on stage as the main act of the Red Hot Summer Tour 2025, the crowd was filled with both nostalgia and fresh energy. This wasn’t just a night of playing their biggest hits; it felt like the band was still fully alive, still searching for magic in their music.
From the start, there was a natural happiness that’s not always found in bands with long histories. Neil Finn, with his sons Liam and Elroy, along with bassist Nick Seymour and keyboardist Mitchell Froom, didn’t act like old rock stars – they were just passionate storytellers. Their songs, with those recognisable melodies that have played in so many summer memories, fit perfectly in the soft, seaside air of Mornington.
The band seemed relaxed and confident, exploring without ever overstating things. Watching Neil play alongside his sons felt less like a handover and more like fresh shades blending into familiar tones.
There were a few moments in their set where everything seemed to take on a soft glow. When “Don’t Dream It’s Over” floated across the crowd, people joined in almost without thinking – not because they were chasing memories, but because the song still lands with that calm, reassuring weight it always has. Crowded House has a knack for pairing big, generous melodies with something far more intimate underneath. From the bright lift of “Something So Strong” to the restless sparkle of “I Got You,” the set moved between energy and tenderness in a way that felt completely natural.
The band were outstanding. One moment, the guitars would lift you with a wave of melody; the next, you’d be caught up in a quiet, thoughtful lyric, a pause, a shared breath. “Four Seasons in One Day” landed beautifully, full of clever words and rich sound. When “Weather With You” came, it felt like the sky itself was part of the song, with the clouds and breeze joining in.
Musically, they were in fine form. One moment the guitars stretched out and filled the space; the next, a single line lingered quietly, giving the crowd a chance to breathe it in. “Fall At Your Feet” felt especially powerful – its gentle invitation for reflection carried extra weight in the twilight. “Distant Sun” carried a steady, glowing strength and “Chocolate Cake” brought its usual mischief, earning plenty of smiles. And at one point, Neil casually shifted from guitar to keyboards, changing the feel of songs with the same ease someone might switch seats at the dinner table.
The setting was magical – a crowd of music lovers, gathered by the sea as dusk settled in. It felt like the band were both steady and adventurous. They honoured the past, but didn’t just rely on it. Instead, they treated their songs like they were still growing. The interaction between Neil and his sons showed something new: the old songs were still fresh and the new voices added a new kind of light – not a passing of the torch, but a continuing conversation.
What made the evening special wasn’t just the perfect performance of their hits, but the quiet moments in between: Neil’s light humour, the way the band paused, smiled and embraced the moment. They let silence and space be part of the show. In a world that feels too fast and confusing, this felt calm and real. You could really breathe in the music.
If there was one central idea for the night, for me, it was connection. Connection to the place (Mornington’s open-air setting was just right), connection to each other (band and audience, and the songs themselves), and connection to time (these songs are decades old, but still feel brand new). That’s why Crowded House keeps lasting – they don’t treat their past like something to be kept in a museum, but like a living garden.
By the time “Better Be Home Soon” came, it felt like the perfect ending – not just because it’s a favourite, but because it sums up the night perfectly: a slow wrap-up that leaves you warm, thoughtful and a bit sentimental. I left the night feeling happy that I was there, amazed by the show and quietly lifted by the way a band can still surprise you.
If you ever get the chance to see them – go. Bring someone you care about, let the music move you and let the words sink in. Because Crowded House at Mornington didn’t just play their songs – they opened their hearts to you.
ANGUS & JULIA STONE
What a wonderful surprise it was to see Angus & Julia Stone live – the sibling duo brought a warm and personal feel to a festival that could have easily felt big and distant. From the very first note, I felt like I had stepped into their own special world and I was happy to stay there all day.
They shaped their set like a wandering daydream, each song opening a different little doorway into their off-beat, pastel-hued world. “Streets of Your Own” drifted in first, airy and unhurried, as if the duo were sketching a map of imagined neighbourhoods. “Private Lawns” followed with its quirky, sun-bleached shuffle, Julia’s voice dancing around the melody like a cat weaving between ankles. The mood deepened with “Grizzly Bear,” its dusky groove padded with that unmistakable sibling harmony – soft but slightly wild around the edges. Their take on “Stay With Me” reshaped the Sam Smith ballad into something feather-light and shimmering, as though they’d filtered it through a dreamcatcher. One of my favourite parts was when they played “Big Jet Plane” – which is of course a classic – but in this live setting, it didn’t feel like a staple. Instead, it felt like a gentle take-off, like a spark of possibility in a quiet moment. They closed with “Chateau,” all moonlit charm and effortless sway, sending the audience off as if everyone had been handed a small pocket of magic to take home.
I loved how subtle the show was. There were no flashy lights or big stage effects – instead, Angus & Julia let the songs speak for themselves. The pauses between lines, the quiet moments of connection and the feeling that the performance was just as much for them as it was for us. It made what could have been a simple festival performance feel deeply personal.
THE CHURCH
The Church’s performance felt less like a festival set and more like a carefully plotted sonic pilgrimage. They opened with “Tantalised,” a track that still thrums with a restless, shimmering pulse. Its spiralling guitars and prowling bassline set the tone instantly, an invocation to step outside the ordinary and into their expansive, luminous universe.
“Metropolis” followed, its urbane sway and velvety melancholia delivered with a deftness that comes only from decades of inhabiting a song rather than merely performing it. The crowd loving it and were drawn in by Steve Kilbey’s serene yet knowing vocals. “Almost With You,” as ever, landed like a cool breeze carrying a trace of memory. Its chiming Rickenbacker textures and gentle, ascending melody felt timeless, a reminder of how gracefully the band threads yearning into beauty without slipping into sentimentality.
“Under the Milky Way,” that timeless, mysterious song that still feels like it could be anywhere and everywhere at once. Hearing it live again, under a real southern sky, was oddly emotional. Kilbey performed it not as a memory, but as if he were discovering it with us, unbothered by the years that have passed since it first played on radios and late-night drives.
Their newer songs from the The Hypnogogue era fit naturally into the set – darker, more dreamy and proof that The Church are still growing and not just revisiting the past. The guitars rang like stained glass; the rhythm section was steady and deep, like the ocean. Kilbey, always the poetic priest of Australian alternative rock, looked both amused and otherworldly, part of the song and part of some bigger, cosmic thought.
Also, part of the newest chapter in their catalogue, “Sacred Echoes,” stood out not as a novelty, but as an evolution. The song moves with a slow-burning gravity – mysterious, spacious and edged with a quiet mysticism. It hints at cosmic questions without demanding answers, proof that The Church continues to expand their orbit rather than circle old terrain.
They closed with “Reptile,” its prowling riff and sly, hypnotic cadence sparking a final surge of exhilaration. The performance was taut yet effortless, a perfect curtain call that left the audience suspended between exhilaration and reverie.
The whole performance felt like time bending — 1988 and 2025 crashing together in the best way.
MARK SEYMOUR WITH VIKA & LINDA
Mark Seymour has that special kind of stage presence that doesn’t demand attention — it wins it. He performed with Vika & Linda, who are truly amazing. His set had a mix of tough and graceful moments. His voice – still strong and full of feeling – cut right through the air.
Seymour’s songs have always had a kind of poetry that comes from real life, that honest way of speaking that makes you nod even if you haven’t lived the same experiences.
Vika and Linda brought their usual strong, warm sound, their voices blending with Seymour’s raw style in a way that made even familiar songs feel fresh. The three of them together had a real connection – you could tell they respected each other, felt comfortable and were genuinely having fun with the music.
The set unfolded with the warmth of an old friend pulling up a chair. He eased in with “Boxer,” its steady stride carrying a hint of quiet resilience, before shifting into the loose, lived-in sway of “Hangin’ Round.” “See? Kid” arrived with that familiar Seymour tenderness – sharp-eyed but never unkind – followed by “Where Do You Come From,” which felt almost confessional, as if he were letting us glimpse the map of his own remembering. “Arms” wrapped the crowd in a gentle hush, its intimacy settling over the lawn like dusk. By the time he reached the finale, “Goodbye,” the moment felt personal, almost private, as though he were placing the last word directly into our hands. It was a set that didn’t just entertain, it quietly stayed with you.
As the guitars played their quiet closing notes, it felt more like a group of people coming together than a performance. Mark Seymour and Vika & Linda shared everything that still matters: heart, history and a real, deep kind of soul.
THE WAIFS
There’s a special kind of warmth The Waifs bring that no lights on a stage can copy – something that comes from their voices blending together, their stories and that real, honest feeling of having been on the road. They wandered onto the stage with that easy, unhurried confidence of people who’ve done this a thousand times, but still mean every note. The guitars caught the sunlight and before a single chorus had finished, the whole scene had shifted – it no longer felt like a gig at all, but more like you’d stumbled into a circle of friends passing songs around a campfire, laughter rising between the chords.
For over thirty years, The Waifs have been really good at making normal things feel special. Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn’s voices still sound like they came from the same breeze and Josh Cunningham’s guitar lines move around them with a calm, quiet understanding.
Between songs, there was a lot of laughter – the kind that comes from being on the road for a long time, sharing vans, stages and late-night meals. They talked about life on the road, joked about getting older and somehow made everyone in the crowd feel like part of their big family.
By the end, it was clear that The Waifs had made real connections. Their music still feels like the open road: honest, familiar, a little worn and full of life.
JAE LAFFER
Jae Laffer opened the Mornington Red Hot Summer Tour with a set that felt more like an invitation than an introduction. Best known as the frontman of The Panics, he brought that same poetic steadiness he’s long been admired for – stories wrapped in warm guitar lines, delivered with a voice that feels grounded and quietly assured. His solo material carried a gentle glow in the afternoon light, each song unfolding with a relaxed confidence that immediately settled the crowd.
What stood out was his ability to hold attention without ever raising his voice or rushing the mood. There’s an honesty to the way Laffer performs; he lets the lyrics do the heavy lifting, shaping scenes and emotions with the kind of ease that comes from years of thoughtful song-writing. Between songs he shared small reflections—nothing forced, just enough to make the audience feel connected to the person behind the music.
By the time he finished, the crowd were genuinely engaged. It was an understated but beautifully pitched start to the festival and Laffer set the tone with calm charm, strong storytelling and a sense of presence.
About the Writer and Photographer: Originally hailing from Western Australia, Jeana Thomas now thrives in the vibrant city of Melbourne. Amidst the hustle of her role in a prominent teaching hospital, she also navigates the dynamic world of entrepreneurship as the owner of a medical transcription company. Beyond her professional endeavours, Jeana finds solace and joy in the rhythm of music, the allure of travel and the artistry of photography, with a particular passion for wildlife photography.
About SAM: Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to over 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth Melbourne), Backstreet Boys, KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Suzi Quatro, Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, Leo Sayer and Tina Arena on social media. The founder 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 over 70 other artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
