It’s weird to think that this will be the last time I see You Me At Six. After many years seeing them live and interviewing the guys numerous times, this is their last Sydney show as they prepare after twenty years as a band to say goodbye. I know that tonight will be something special so I for one can’t wait.
Hevenshe open the show tonight and it’s so amazing to see Jenna back up on stage. Her voice is just as good as ever and you can actually see the joy in her face being back and performing these new songs. It’s fitting that she’s here tonight as I’ve seen Tonight Alive with YMAS before so it’s great to see her get this slot as part of their farewell. This is just so good, these songs are great, and it’s amazing to see so many people here early to catch her set. The big ballad ‘Dear Life’ hits hard and with the line “I really thought my past would be my future” now that’s a lyric. Into the newest single ‘Wish I Had a Friend’ that I’ve been playing all week since its release and now getting to hear it live is spectacular. The power behind the words and the way she delivered this tonight was exactly as I was hoping it would be. Closing with ‘Essential’ and what a groove. I can’t wait to see what Hevenshe does next because there will be a next and I can tell you a whole lot more people should and will be listening soon. That was worthy of a headline spot as in just 30 minutes Hevenshe showed us how it’s done.
Holding Absence are up next and opening with ‘Like a Shadow’ I love this song and what a way to hit the stage running. The drums ring in the next one as the crowd clap along into ‘Gravity’ and man this is energy. These songs are insanely good, and it just continues with ‘False Dawn’ and that was just as wld as the first two. It’s crazy, I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen these guys before but I know so many of these songs, like ‘Birdcage’ what a track and hearing it live is huge. Vocally man, he is smashing it. Then ‘Aching Longing’ gets heavy and crazy at the same time. That was wild. ‘A Crooked Melody’ is preceded by a story taking us back to 2010 and how they used to play a YMAS song and here they are tonight opening for them on their last tour. That kind of thing makes me happy. ‘Afterlife’ is probably my favourite track from Holding Absence so it’s great to hear it tonight. Then followed by ‘Wilt’ which slows things down a little to close their set. That is a great band with great songs and this bill tonight is absolutely perfect.
Ok so it’s time to watch You Me At Six for one last time. That’s really sad to type. I’m expecting a set tonight that will be a fitting farewell and just be banger after banger. So here we go…
Ok so as Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’ kicks in this is already great seeing everyone get into this is classic and it’s just the intro music ha ha. The music fades in oooh it’s going to be ‘Room to Breathe’ to open what an amazing choice for the opener. As the band take the stage the cheer when Josh hit the stage was something else. “Welcome to the final night of Six” and with that the song kicks into full gear. That was a fitting beginning for the end. ‘Loverboy’ is next and as everyone yells the intro back to the stage the song rocks out as it has every time they’ve play it. The band sound great tonight that’s for sure and they’ve brought their A game to make sure these final shows deliver. ‘Stay With Me’ was met with squeals and Josh hitting those big notes. Then ‘Save it for The Bedroom’ takes things way back and don’t they love that here tonight, wow. Speaking of deep cuts, ‘Deep Cuts’ is next and the hooks these guys write are so good and just keep coming. ‘Give’ rings in and hearing the crowd song it back is so loud you can hear it well over the music. That’s special. Now to the funkier version of YMAS as we head into ‘Night People’ then a ‘Fresh Start Fever’ as that piano intro tells us and this set is perfect so far. This song has always been a big one in the bands set and tonight it’s doing its job nicely. ‘Straight To My Head’ is another fave of mine of the catalogue and this is just a perfect goodbye set, this is brilliant. Josh has a chat to us and gets a bit sentimental and rightfully so.
Oh man this one is earlier than I expected. ‘Lived a Lie’ and with crowd surfers everywhere and a song that is just top tier they absolutely smashed it out of the park. Ok it’s time for my all time favourite YMAS song. I’ll be back. Ok they just played ‘Crash’ and I’m happy. I got to hear it one last time and I was hoping that would make it into the set. What a song that is. We go from power ballad to ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ and something completely different. Let’s watch the place bounce. Damn that was awesome even getting the floor to get down and jump back up was wild. Another crazy one with ‘MAKEMEFEELALIVE’ the last two have been nuts.
‘No Future? Yeah Right’ keeps the tempo up and this is another song perfect for the stage and they continue to deliver. That might be one of the best songs of the night actually. Up next, the one with the longest song name ‘Mixed Emotions (I Didn’t Know How to Tell You What I Was Going Through)’ is dedicated to the band and the last twenty years of travelling around the world. Yet another hook laden banger. ‘No One Does It Better’ damn… that’s such a good song. There has not been a bad track all night, it’s perfect. ‘Liquid Confidence’ gets the acoustic treatment as Josh and Max stay on stage to play this, as Josh tells the story of Six. Their 12th time visiting Australia and a “maybe the last…” hmm will we see them again? Never say never right? This version was really special tonight. YMAS have always written those big anthem songs and this one is one of those standouts ‘Take on the World’ builds and just blows everything away. The place is lit up by phones at the moment and it looks amazing. Josh is getting emotional and rightfully so too. ‘Beautiful Way’ rounds out the main set as the band leave the stage.
Returning for an encore they start it with ‘Bite My Tongue’ and you just know these last three will be big. This one has that big chorus and fitting to start the encore. Straight into ‘Reckless’ and the floor is bouncing again. And yes they are “the best you ever had” in terms of YMAS shows this is the best by far. Closing the set with of course ‘Underdog’ and there’s no way it wasn’t going to be this one. They played that with so much heart and gave us a perfect goodbye. The band take their final bow and Josh lets us know that “We are and will always be you me at six.” You’re damn right you will be.
To Josh, Max, Matt, Chris, and Daniel. Thank you. We are and will always be your fans.
Essential Information
Venue: The Enmore Theatre – Sydney
Date: January 26, 2025
Presented by: ThePhoenix.au
Website: www.youmeatsix.com
Set list:
Room to Breathe
Loverboy
Stay With Me
Save It for the Bedroom
Deep Cuts
Give
Night People
Fresh Start Fever
Straight to My Head
Lived a Lie
Crash
SUCKAPUNCH
MAKEMEFEELALIVE
No Future? Yeah Right
Mixed Emotions (I Didn’t Know How to Tell You What I Was Going Through)
No One Does It Better
Liquid Confidence (Acoustic)
Take on the World
Beautiful Way
Bite My Tongue
Reckless
Underdog
