Live Review: Florence & The Machine, Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders

Marlon Williams and his band The Yarra Benders captivate us with their gorgeous collection of folk songs. Williams’ old soul vocals must be heard live to be believed. His smooth and powerful voice is timeless and the audience swoons over his hauntingly beautiful lyrics and charming melodies.

“The show was ending and I had started to crack,” sings Florence Welch, as she begins with June. It’s an unexpected choice to open with, yet instantly elevates us with her angelic vocals and whimsical stage presence. She dances and twirls in her flowing gown between us and her eight-piece band, The Machine, which includes a magnificent harp to one side. Welch addresses us in a softly spoken voice, “We are Florence & The Machine, would you like to dance with us?” She invites anyone who is still sitting down to stand up. “This is a very active show, so you better get moving,” she adds. The sound of the harp trickles in as Only If For A Night begins.

It’s been almost four years since they last graced the stage at Sidney Myer Music Bowl but tonight they are back with their biggest tour yet. Welch notes that Australia was one of the first places to give them headline spots and recounts fragments of performing at Laneway Festival years before. Many fans have stuck with them ever since and they can still draw a massive crowd whenever they return. Welch casts a spell over the audience and hypnotises listeners with her powerful voice every time.

“You wouldn’t think I was a shy person, but I find it really hard to speak to lots of people, although I try my best,” Welch reveals. The set continues with a song (South London Forever) about the place she was born, grew up and all the messiness in between. She shares her words of wisdom to help us get through the world in rough times, “Please do not give up hope, because hope is an action that starts with you!” This is the core theme of her latest album High As Hope. With this, we become a collective consciousness in the moment as we hold hands together and giant material sails descend from the ceiling to sway above the stage and create a sense of floating.

Patricia is one of the highlights of the evening. The song is performed in a deconstructed version that showcases Welch's breathtaking choral vocals. She tells us the song is about Patti Smith and toxic masculinity, but mostly about love. We’re then asked to do something that feels weird and vulnerable before diving into Dog Days Are Over – we put our phones away and lose control in a moment that’s completely ours. Just like Welch, we feel like completely free spirits. As soon as phones are back in people’s hands, the bowl lights up for the mesmerising Cosmic Love.

Welch runs up and down the stalls area and into the audience during Delilah, before hanging out in the mosh pit for a while as she connects with her fans. They hold her up while she sings to them for a few songs. For something extra special, Welch adds a brand-new, unreleased song called Moderation into the setlist and it’s an exciting moment for fans hearing it for the first time. Confetti falls from the sky to ring in the final few songs of the evening. “I have one last request. Will you be our choir for this evening?” Welch asks. We find our note and octave, ready to sing Shake It Out all together at the top of our lungs.