The Veronicas. Sanctified Tour.
Brisbane City Hall. Sat 21st Feb, 2015.
Tonight the Veronicas rocked Brisbane City Hall on the final show of their Australian Sanctified tour.
Seven years between albums is a long time for any act in today’s music climate. So just in case some have forgotten, the Brisbane duo opened their set tonight with a video montage of hits both past and present.
However, judging by the rapturous response from this evening’s crowd, the Origliasso twins have fans with long memories.
Opening with the swampy slow rock of Sanctified, the girls and their tight four piece band are bathed in white light and their body language suggests they are taking no prisoners tonight.
Did You Miss Me is up next and after a quick hello the duo launch into Take Me On The Floor. The twins then deliver some really soulful vocals on Line Of Fire. Big hit Hook Me UP is next and gets the crowd jumping up and down in unison. The arrangements tonight have a harder edge than the album versions, definitely more rock than pop.
Six songs into tonight’s performance the over riding feeling I get is that Jess and Lisa really cut it live vocally. There is no lip syncing going on here tonight. They are excellent vocalists, their voices are powerful and blend together sublimely, their harmonies are spot on. They also have a strong rapport with the audience.
After a brief interlude the duo come back onstage looking amazing in alluring evening dresses. The classy costume change is for the softer ballad reading of Everything I’m Not which highlights the song’s heartfelt lyrics and has me wondering why it wasn’t released this way initially. Recent hit You Ruin Me proves to be an outstanding moment in the set and seems to strike a chord with the crowd, prompting an extended ovation.
Another costume change and Jess and Lisa are back in their rock n roll latex and play the fast tempo Untouched. Pure pop makes its first appearance in the show with the irresistibly catchy Cruel.
This is How It Feels and 4 Eva finish of the set and get the crowd stamping on the Brisbane City Halls beautiful old polished timber floors, demanding an encore.
Waving Sea Shepherd flags, If You Love Someone has the big, catchy, pump your fists in the air type chorus that is perfect for the last song of the night.
But as if to demonstrate how much they appreciate their audience’s patience, rather than leave the stage as per normal, the Veronicas step down from the stage and pose for selfies with a few crowd members, before climbing back onstage and biding the rest of us goodnight.
Words: Craig L Thomson.
