Live Review: Neil Finn

Western Australia's newest music festival, Port Beach Weekender, kicked off in stunning style with a visit from rock royalty.

A perfect summer's evening greeted the thousands of punters brave enough to venture out on a school night in Fremantle. It was T-shirt and shorts weather, with plenty taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, food trucks galore and easy access to the bar — a credit to the organisers. Set up on Port Beach North Fremantle, metres from the ocean and with grass rolled out for the occasion, it was hard to think of a better place to be.

Neil Finn nonchalantly walked out on the stage and proceeded to do what he does best: just play. Two songs in and it was feeling good all around, with audience members spruiking their love for the ex-Split Enz and Crowded House frontman. It may have been a festival stage set-up (complete with temporary grandstand seating) but it felt like an intimate club gig. The genius of Neil Finn is his uncanny ability to draw you in and make you forget there's many thousands around you. Humble and cheeky as ever Finn returned the love both in song and audience interaction.

The flawless set was punctuated by humorous observational quips as only Finn can do. Hanging on every word, every note, every gesture, he kept the crowd captivated through his huge back catalogue, mixing solo releases with a swag of Crowded House and Split Enz favourites, the latter drawing some of the biggest cheers of the night. But big cheers and applause weren't restricted to just the songs.

When introduced, Nick Seymour received one of the biggest reactions of the night. Seymour made his presence felt, bringing the groove, and playing almost as one with Elroy Finn on drums. There were singalongs aplenty, with the faithful in full voice. Moving effortlessly between the upbeat Split Enz classics I Got You and History Never Repeats to the sublime Crowded House hits Private Universe and Better Be Home Soon, (which Finn dedicated to immigrants and refugees looking for a home), it was a humble and heartfelt set of old favourites and a few surprises.

With Finn headlining two more nights for the Sundowner Sessions you'd be hard pressed not to head back and experience the magic a couple of times more.