Live Review: Hanson, The Hunting Birds

The summer of 1997 saw the Hanson explode onto the mainstream music scene with their Middle Of Nowhere album, stealing hearts of teenage girls all over the world. Now in their 30s, they are still getting hearts racing.

Perth kicks off the first night of Hanson’s 25th-anniversary tour in Australia, with locals The Hunting Birds warming the already-eager crowd with their evocative folk-country melodies. Kendra Fewster’s sassy but angelic vocals in State Of Mind draw us in effortlessly, and the crowd is further mesmerised by the acoustic guitar skills of Connor Minervini, whose vocals harmonise beautifully with Fewster’s in From The Ashes.

The strong female crowd grows, and it's clear they're here for one reason only: to MMMBop. In a blanket of darkness, Hanson walk out onto stage with squeals and screams filling the air. The three brothers launch straight into Already Home and Waiting For This, as Taylor Hanson on piano trying to fire up the crowd with a sing-along before Isaac Hanson takes over with his blaring guitar solo while Zac chills out at the drums. The boys then smash through Where’s The Love, Look At You, Tragic Symphony and Thinking ‘Bout Somethin'.

Taylor dominates the show. His energetic presence is infectious; as if he were a live Energiser bunny, he jumps around from piano, to drums, to the microphone to get closer to the crowd. Hiding behind his drums, Zac finally gets his spotlight with Go, sending the crowd crazy — even crazier when he fixes his hair before the trio perform an acoustic version of Madeline huddled together at the front of the stage.

The brothers cover all of their six albums, from their 1997 debut Middle Of Nowhere to Anthem (2013), while adding a few new songs such as Get The Girl Back and I Was Born. With You In Your Dreams is a crowd-pleaser, with all the ladies singing along, but MMMBop turns the party up, with the whole of Metro's audience singing at the top of their lungs. Lets be honest: it’s the only song everyone came to hear.

Screams for an encore are answered, with Hanson gracing the stage to perform a cover of Bobby Day’s Rockin’ Robin before the brothers explode into Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry, sending the crowd back in time. Hanson finish off their two-hour killer set with Lost Without Each Other after literally smashing out 27 hits, with no sign of stopping after 25 years in the business.