Live Review: Amy Shark, Slowly Slowly, Erthlings

There’s definitely something about Amy.

After winning another armful of awards, this time at the Gold Coast Music Awards for her mighty album Love Monster, Amy Shark has embarked on a national tour that has sold out in three cities.

For her first stop at Fremantle Arts Centre, she brought along young band Erthlings and Melbourne group Slowly Slowly for the ride, performing to a crowd of thousands including tween and teenage girls flanked by equally eager parents. It's official; Shark’s appeal has evidently reached further than the festival crowd.

Amy Shark. Photos by Brendan Cecich.

There is now gravitas in Shark’s show. If not from the omnipresent ten-metre backdrop of her face peering out, then from the towering “AMY SHARK” lettering that graces the stage and in the thunderous chorus of Do You Hear The People Sing? from Les Miserables that heralded her entrance, Shark looking like an urban angel in white before the familiar beat of Blood Brothers kicked in.

“My name is Amy Shark and I will be your entertainment tonight!” She took control early, confidently guiding the crowd through the plucky I Got You before taking to her guitar for the Mark Hoppus collaboration Psycho. Don’t Turn Around and Weekends were served well, with her band giving them a fuller, bass-heavy dance sound that sounded fantastic.

During Drive You Mad she became a silhouette as she was backlit with enough wattage to power the South Mole Lighthouse, but the crowd never lost sight of her as she danced freely, appearing just as intoxicated by her own words and music as her fans were.

It was impressive to see Shark build on her arrangement, the lighting and her endearing banter – “You’re beautiful, I love you!" – to create a show that was so much bigger than what you’d expect.

An old song for the “OG fans”, Spits On Girls, still had legs, You Think I Think You Sound Like God, showed lyrically how far she has come. Everyone loved Shark’s cover of Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag, before the last third of the show was kicked up a gear thanks in part to Maroon 5’s Girls Like You and its playful rhythm. 

Closing out the night with favourites All Loved Up, Adore and the massive singalong I Said Hi, Shark looked out in wonder.