Review: Harry Styles at HBF Park
Harry Styles at HBF Park
w/ Wet Leg
Monday, February 20, 2023
Upon arrival to HBF Park it became clear that Harry Styles’ visit to Perth would be an event. Perhaps more than any other pop star today, Styles channels the energy of a modern day Beatles. It was a mostly young crowd decked out in a myriad of candy cane colours, the sea of pink and green likely a nod to the watermelon sugar from one of Styles’ more notable songs. As the crowd settled in however, the house music opted for pop music from ages past, playing a selection of classic pop tracks from the likes of Prince, George Michael and Sade. It was indicative of what was to follow – a night of joyful and infectious pop, but still classy, slick, and avoided the trap of being sickly sweet.
A moving Welcome to Country opened proceedings before supporting act Wet Leg took the stage. A huge act in their own right and fresh off a Grammy win for best indie album, these British pop rockers have taken the world by storm over the last few years. Theirs is a no-frills, tongue-in-cheek form of indie rock that channels the headrush of all good pop, and their set was a great cross-section of their appeal. With only one (Grammy award winning) album under their belt thus far, the band was able to play most of their hits. Opener Being in Love burst out the gate with big wailing guitars.
The set’s only shortcoming was the sound balance; the bass and drums were a bit overpowering. Guitarist and backing vocalist Hester Chambers was drowned out on the more hushed tracks, and the sudden transition of Too Late Now into raucous noise was a tad too loud. The crowd loved it though, and for the remainder of the set the band wrangled this energy with skill. The surf-rock inspired Wet Dream was infectious and propulsive live, and Angelica retained its catchiness while being dosed with a heavy ounce of guitar lead live. Lead vocalist Rhian Teasdale showcased great energy throughout but also some impressive range, slowing things down for a smokey performance on the non-album track Obvious. The best was saved for last with the definitive Chaise Longue, performed loud as hell to some great audience participation.
The crowd participation would prove to be a theme for the remainder of the night. House music in between acts (for the most part) tends to go by unnoticed at shows, but the selection of One Direction’s Best Song Ever garnered such a crowd response that one would’ve thought Styles was on already. The sound of what appeared to be every teenage girl in Perth singing along was nothing short of bellowing. Some interesting further detours (Sex on Fire followed by S Club 7) kept them all entertained before the grandeur of Bohemian Rhapsody gave way to the grandeur of Harry Styles himself as he took the stage.
Music for a Sushi Restaurant, with its breezy tempo and big build, was the perfect opener and set an energy level for the show that didn’t let up. It helped that the band and stage looked great. The band member’s jumpsuits, the elevated stage and Harry’s pastel colours, and the bejewelled milkshake on his T-shirt all evoked a classic nostalgic vibe. Following track Golden made great use of the stage visuals and projections, which bathed Harry and the band in warm light and made it seem like the crowd was watching actual footage from the past. Adore You followed, a heavier rendition live in which the crowd served as a second voice, singing every word. Harry was full of energy throughout the night, running across the stage end to end. The stage featured a perimeter that framed the VIP section which also served as a runway, giving Harry freedom to run out amongst the crowd and engage, especially on a heartfelt rendition of Matilda later in the night which had half the crowd’s phones up in the air. Other early highlights included Daylight, which was balanced perfectly and featured beautiful projected cartoon artwork, and the funky Cinema which featured an unexpected, interlocking guitar/synth groove that got the crowd clapping along for the coda.
Styles’ showmanship also extended to his stage banter, which was consistently entertaining. It was a hot day and he opened with an acknowledgement of this (“did you bring your hydration tablets?”). Time was taken to highlight and engage with some in the crowd, the most notable of which was a fan with a broken femur who nevertheless travelled from Sydney to see this show (“You do realise we’re playing Sydney too right?”). The theme of keeping cool took a turn for the gross when another punter (also from Sydney for some reason) was asked to do a shoey. This was put on hold and seemed like an off-hand joke, but true to his word Styles returned to it near the close of the night. The punter did the shoey to applause, and Harry followed suit in an act that he’ll have to see his therapist about, in his own words.
None of this would have worked without the songs though, and the show continued to deliver with hit after hit which showcased the strength of Styles’ catalogue. The churning guitars of Woman were massive and the song featured an exploratory psychedelic guitar solo that would’ve done Pink Floyd proud. Satellite was pop bliss and its hardcore-inspired breakdown sounded excellent live. The ‘disco medley’ of Living in a Daydream (a personal favourite), Treat People with Kindness and the One Direction throwback What Makes You Beautiful kicked things up a notch and the show never let up. Late Night Talking featured some awesome slap bass and a handclap-driven coda, and it segued into Watermelon Sugar which had a skittering drum and bass rendition and big guitars; the stage suddenly awash in pink and green lights.
The encore had the crowd waiting for longer than expected, but it delivered above expectations. Sign of the Times was given the treatment it was due as one of Styles’ most epic tracks, with him projected powerfully in monochrome black and white. A very strong rendition of Darryl Braithwaite’s Horses followed (just before the aforementioned shoey, appropriately) before the final one-two punch of As It Was and Kiwi. The former needs no introduction, a final multi-coloured synth extravaganza that saw Harry running circles around the stage. The latter was a surprising final turn but one that showcased Styles’ hard rock leanings one final time. After all the glitz and banter, Styles made sure to pay thanks to the crowd and country. It belied a humbleness that felt genuine even on such a big stage. It came across in the performance, a best-of that won’t soon be forgotten and that cements Styles as pop royalty.
MATIJA ZIVKOVIC
Photo by Lloyd Wakefield