Live Review: Ziggy Albert – The Homecoming Tour 2025
23 November 2025, Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia
Review by Jeana Thomas
Photography by Jeana Thomas Photography
At Margaret Court Arena, stepping inside felt less like entering a large venue and more like finding a cosy spot that already understood the kind of night it was meant to be. Even before Ziggy Alberts came on stage, there was this calm, collective excitement in the air – nothing theatrical, nothing exaggerated – just that subtle connection you feel when a crowd is waiting for an artist whose music has threaded itself into their lives over time. His fans aren’t the loud, glitter-sprinkled type; they radiate a kind of grounded warmth, the sort that hints at long road trips, quiet evenings and personal turning points where his lyrics may have been the soundtrack. His songs don’t just sit on playlists; they sit in people’s pockets.
When he walked out – barefoot, with that unforced smile and a guitar that looked like it had travelled just as much as he had – the room seemed to shift. Instead of erupting, the audience leaned toward him, as though they didn’t want to break the moment with noise. He opened with a run of songs that felt like postcards: sun-kissed, slightly frayed, filled with scenes of coastlines and human moments. Ziggy has this almost disarming way of making each track feel like a note scribbled for one person at a time – straightforward, but carrying a weight you don’t fully register until the final chord fades.
Hearing him live added a layer that recordings can’t quite capture. His voice had more texture, a lived-in quality that carried his themes – belonging, searching, choosing to grow at your own pace – without ever dipping into sentimentality. There’s a steadiness there, the kind that comes from someone who knows exactly what he wants his songs to offer. For instance “Love Me Now,” already striking in its simplicity, expanded across the arena with a softness that left the entire room breathing in unison. The harmonies that floated up from the audience weren’t bold or showy, they were closer to a collective sigh.
One of the evening’s most disarming moments arrived when Ziggy stepped away from the lights and walked directly into the sea of people, guitar slung casually at his side. He admitted these wanderings into the crowd were among his favourite parts of any show – the chance for someone, somewhere in the room, to suddenly find themselves in a front-row moment they never expected. Calling it a special night, he tossed aside his own set-plan and offered a single stripped-back piece from New Love, the gentle hymn “Blessings.” First, he drifted toward the back of the arena, singing to those who rarely get the spotlight’s warmth; then he threaded through the floor to stand right at the centre of the space, encircled by thousands yet performing as if the room had shrunk to one quiet heartbeat. He spoke softly about wanting to take the crowd “as far back as he could” and the result was a rare, intimate hush – a stadium distilled into a campfire glow.
One of the things that makes Ziggy compelling on stage is his willingness to wander off script. Between songs, he slips into short reflections – nothing dramatic, nothing curated – more like unguarded thoughts you’d share with someone on a long drive. He talked about places that shaped him, people who drifted in and out of his travels, and the small moments that turn into lyrics when he’s paying attention. There’s a certain patience to the way he speaks; he allows pauses without rushing to fill them and the room follows his tempo. When he dips into deeper territory – mental clarity, the environment, the fragile process of becoming someone you can live with – people listen without the usual concert murmur in the background. He holds space without trying to.
Visually, the show avoided excess. The lighting stayed understated – soft washes of amber and muted tones that framed him rather than swallowing him. It gave the sense that the arena was being gently downsized, shaped into something more intimate. You could close your eyes and imagine the same performance taking place in a smaller, coastal venue, maybe even outdoors, without anything feeling out of place.
Toward the end of the night, there was this sense of quiet cohesion. It wasn’t emotional overload or dramatic climax, just an honest, steady connection between artist and audience. Concerts often aim to leave you electrified or overwhelmed, but Ziggy offered something different: clarity. You walk out feeling a little more anchored, a little more aware of the small things that matter, carrying a kind of calm you didn’t arrive with.
What makes Ziggy truly captivating on stage is how he shares little stories in between songs. Not the polished, rehearsed tales some artists rely on, but spontaneous thoughts that flow as if they’re being shared over coffee: musings about the people he’s encountered, the journeys he’s taken, the reasons behind his song-writing and the significance of words. He takes his time with everything.
SUPPORT ACTS: Jeremy Loops & The Beautiful Girls
Before Ziggy Alberts even appeared, the night at Margaret Court Arena already felt unusually complete. The support line-up – The Beautiful Girls and Jeremy Loops – didn’t feel like the typical warm-up acts you half-listen to while finding your seat. Each one added a different texture, shaping the evening long before the headliner walked on.
The Beautiful Girls opened the night with an easy, sun-kissed charm that immediately softened the room. Their blend of coastal grooves, mellow reggae undertones and warm roots sensibilities created a gentle glide into the evening, perfectly setting the stage for Ziggy Alberts’ introspective headline set.
Mat McHugh, the group’s creative centre, guided each song with his relaxed vocal timbre and fluid guitar work, giving the performance a grounded sincerity. Beside him, bassist Paulie Bromley anchored the music with rounded, unhurried lines that added warmth without crowding the space. Drummer Paul Derricott stitched everything together, offering crisp, understated rhythms that let the melodies breathe.
Their chemistry felt effortless – a band comfortable in its own skin, carrying years of craft without a hint of heaviness. The set moved with an unforced flow, radiating a laid-back spirit that contrasted beautifully with the size of the arena. By the final track, the audience was fully settled into the breezy, soulful atmosphere they had created.
In just a short set, The Beautiful Girls shaped the emotional palette of the night, offering a graceful, luminous introduction that made the arena feel smaller, warmer and wonderfully human.
Jeremy Loops stepped onstage with the kind of ease that comes from finally returning to a city that never stopped cheering for him. Melbourne was the first place to embrace his music years ago and you could feel that history humming in the room. He spoke about how that early connection set plans in motion for a 2021 tour that never materialised—derailed, like so many things, by the pandemic. This night, he said, felt like the start of finding his way back to Australia, back to the crowd that had once sold out a show before he even understood he had a home here.
There was a warmth to his presence – half gratitude, half disbelief – as he joked about swapping his own summer for ours before letting the set drift into stories about South Africa, sunlight and the places that shape a musician. One of the most moving moments came when he spoke about Ladysmith Black Mambazo, describing them not as collaborators, but as living symbols of the country he grew up in. You could hear the reverence in his voice as he shared how their music filled the homes of his parents’ generation – people who lived through the struggle and blasted those harmonies as a kind of courage.
He told the audience that writing with them left him utterly stunned, so much so that even working with global giants like Ed Sheeran couldn’t compare. That honesty landed beautifully in the arena: intimate, almost fragile, for a space that size.
Then came “Coming Home,” the song they created together. Before playing it, he tried – earnestly and with plenty of self-mockery – to teach the crowd a few Zulu lines. He admitted he didn’t expect anyone to nail it on the spot, but teased that Melbourne had several months before he returned for his full tour, so they might as well get practising.
The performance itself was luminous: a meditation on returning to the people who anchor you, the places that steady you and the version of yourself you keep trying to rediscover. As the Zulu refrain floated over the arena, the audience leaned in, not because they understood every word, but because they understood the feeling behind them.
What struck me was how seamlessly the two acts complemented each other. The Beautiful Girls grounded it and Jeremy lifted it. By the time Ziggy Alberts arrived, the atmosphere was already warm, open and quietly electric – not because the crowd was hyped up, but because the entire evening had been thoughtfully shaped by artists who knew exactly how to prepare the room for what was coming.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Beehive-PR and Ziggy Albert for the accreditation
About the Writer: 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.
