LIVE REVIEW: Holy Holy @ Rosemount Hotel
Stopping along the way at the Rosemount Hotel on their nationwide tour, Holy Holy was here to bring their ‘Faces’ tour to Perth — and many faces there were indeed, eager for some pre-weekend magic.
Even the most heavy-lidded of spectators perked up with the sweet vocals of Bri Clark and Sydney sisters, CLEWS. While Bri provided a gentler sound, CLEWS amped up the audience with moving harmonies and a tinge of folk rock. Nonetheless, both supporting acts were the perfect entrée to the main act.
With a little over an hour for their set, Holy Holy effortlessly charmed everyone with their heart-piercing lines and heavenly melodies, paired alongside hard-hitting instrumentals. Akin to spoken word, the band’s songcraft is wise, poetic and most importantly, reflective. With the memorable synths and drums of ‘That Message’ tiding in, there was no room for doubt; one simply had to dance.
The late night crowd was hyped and hungry, and ready for some heavy bass and guitar. After leading the audience to clap along to the chorus, the band finished off ‘Willow Tree’ in a sharp, dramatic end. Next, to stir things up a little, the boys revealed the track ‘We Think’ off their new upcoming album, which they had been recording in multiple different studios. The sneak peek excited all with a more layered soundscape, before Holy Holy proceeded to play ‘Sentimental and Monday’ and then ‘Darwinism’.
Next, the boys brought out CLEWS again, who chimed in for the godly intro of recently released single ‘Faces’. The brazen melodies reverberated throughout the venue as the perfect climax to amp everyone up. Just when we thought things couldn’t better, Holy Holy unleashed an unexpected cover of Beyonce’s ‘Hold Up’, completely making the modern love ballad their own (and dare I say it, even singing it better than Queen B herself).
Of course, ‘True Lovers’ was well overdue — the song of all songs to conjure feelings of heartbreak and reminiscence in the most moving way. Met with electrifying guitar and an unreal atmosphere, the anthem was followed by a warm encore featuring the slower-paced ‘History’. With ‘Elevator’ played shortly thereafter, we were all transported back to the liveliness of the night.
Above all, the soulful show was an excellent way to ring in the new month, with their festive alt-rock playing well into midnight.
