Live Review: Boney M featuring Maizie Williams in Australia 2026
21st April 2026 at the Perth Astor Theatre in Western Australia.
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Did you know the name Boney M was inspired by the Australian detective TV series Boney, originally aired in 1971–72? No wonder they love Australia. The “M” was added purely for rhythm and style.
And rhythm, style…plus boogie, euro disco, funk, soul, swagger and oomph drenched the fans last night at Boney M featuring Maizie Williams – Final Curtain Tour.
It was a retro dream 50 years in the making, as nostalgic rain poured from the roof of the Perth Astor Theatre, filling the room with kaleidoscopic 1970s glory. We were in a time machine.
The night opened with a local Perth’s own boomer’s banger, The Glam Funk Band. With three lead vocalists driven by an action packed band, they cast more groove than most headliner, serving club classics such Le Freak, Disco Inferno, Don’t Leave Me This Way and Gimme Gimme.
The Astor Theatre turned into Studio 54. The crowd were in it; hands waving like 2m weeds in a Perth wind, while bodies were jumping to the hooks. The rhythm became the dancer. Rarely do we see a support act at a theatre gig cultivate that kind of euphoria…it was like the sweaty foreplay of a memorable first date.
Perth will see The Glam Funk Band again on 11th October at this iconic venue.
So the question: could a 50-year-old band sustain the energy?
At 8:30 sharp, the Astor Theatre slipped into the twilight zone. The lights dropped, the screen flickered to life, and a quick photo gallery of Boney M rolled. Then the drummer appeared, lifting his sticks into streaks of light, head tilted upward, pure retro-album-cover energy. One by one the band walked on, and when Maizie Williams stepped out, the roar hit its peak.
They kicked off with Sunny, as we rode on the groove train to the 70s. The room snapped into a disco inferno with lights flaring, bass thumping, bodies moving, and the theatre was buzzing like we’d unlocked a door back into the retro world.
Unlike the original Boney M lineup, Maizie Williams is one of four lead vocalists in this edition. It was her space to shine, not just as a dancer and backup vocalist. She shared the stage with Doreen Patel, Kelly Rahman and Jackie Walker.
Sunny was co-led by Maizie Williams and the male vocalist, Kelly Rahman, standing side by side with Patel and Walker flanking them. The four were backed by a full set of musicians that sounded brilliant all night. Rahman is the spring chicken of the group, moving like a 70s disco king – all vitality, all night – with big showmanship without overshadowing the ladies. Producer and singer (in Boney M’s studio recordings) Frank Farian and the late Bobby Farell (live singer and official member) would be proud.
Daddy Cool was next, turning the Astor Theater into a karaoke joint, a sing-along cum dance-along as the theatre bounced on the beat. The tic tic tic got addictive fast, euro-disco stamped itself into the room.
As if we didn’t need a break, Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday landed next, and yep, we were in stress free mode. The real world stayed away from the capacity crowd, with 900 tickets sold out many times over that on consecutive nights. In fact that was the case for most venues across Australia. The track glowed with Caribbean colour, nature and romance, carnival and carefree energy, all bright colours.
What a hatrick of a start. The first three songs were classics – no need to place them towards the end as the crowd knew more would arrive.
It wasn’t all blaze of glory on stage. We also heard Malaika – reggae, romance, a storyline about falling for a “poor” gentleman as Maizie explained. We were also smittened by Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry, led by Jackie. She gave it an emotional twist, which was one of the highlights of the night under the dimmed lights.
The first half of the setlist moved quickly, about 30 minutes, and it had people thinking Boney M would be done in an hour or so…
The second half hit harder. There was a costume change too. Maizie stepped out in a disco glamour fused with regal, ceremonial detail on a bodysuit, and it screamed disco royalty: glamorous, commanding, unmistakably Boney M. At 75, the ex-model oozes sass, turning around with deliberate flair, showcasing the curves. The rest of the ladies wore similar body accentuated outfits.
“Are you having fun (the crowd screamed ‘Yeah’), are you enjoying the show (‘Yeah’), are you being entertained (‘Yeah’), is that why you are here (‘Yeah’)… because you see, Boney M time is anytime and any time is Boney M….” (Caribbean accent. Full charm).
Then the drums came in tight and driving, galloping like wild horses, as the basslines bounced and locked us into fast dance-floor mode for Rasputin. The guitar hit that Slavic folk-strum, and Kelly Rahman went full hummingbird – arms flapping, feeding off the noise while the crowd clapped in sync like the room had one set of hands. The electric guitar arrived and the whole set ignited, like a door swinging open to the biggest party in town hosted by Slavic nomads.
The ra ra ra never sounded so good. The cassette tapes and vinyl were in full imagery mode in our memory banks.
And of course, the end was near when we were hit into a biblical giant, By the Rivers of Babylon. Jackie took the lead, with Maizie Williams taking the role as co-singer. The disco ball shone at full moon mode, casting a spinning globe over the theatre as the gospel-like harmonies lifted the room straight back to 1977. And the lyrics, as ever, are as old as the Bible…
After 90 minutes, the show had to come to an end.
It was our first time seeing Boney M live – after 50 years since they first hit the airwaves. It’s obvious why they’re still the biggest disco band in the world – the songs hit, the room moves, the infectious crowd participation and the magic that still works.
Long live the disco queens and king.
Boney M are touring across Australia.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank John Howarth, Metropolis Touring and Boney M – Featuring Maizie Williams for the Press Accreditation
Setlist Perth 2026.
Sunny (Bobby Hebb cover) — Originally 1966 (Bobby Hebb); Boney M. version released 1976, from album Take the Heat Off Me.
Daddy Cool — 1976, from Take the Heat Off Me.
Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday (Harry C. Browne cover) — 1979, released as a standalone single (not on a studio album).
Belfast (Gilla cover) — 1977, released as a single; later included on some editions of Love for Sale.
Ma Baker — 1977, from Love for Sale.
Malaika — 1981, released as a single (B-side to “Consuela Biaz”).
No Woman, No Cry (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover) — Boney M. version released 1976, B‑side to “Daddy Cool” single.
Baby Do You Wanna Bump — 1975, released as Boney M.’s debut single.
Brown Girl in the Ring (Lord Invader cover) — 1978, B‑side to “Rivers of Babylon”; later included on Nightflight to Venus.
Bahama Mama — 1979, from Oceans of Fantasy.
Rasputin — 1978, from Nightflight to Venus.
Rivers of Babylon (The Melodians cover) — 1978, from Nightflight to Venus.
ENCORE
Gotta Go Home — 1979, released as a single and included on Oceans of Fantasy.
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), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro (pictured) with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist
