INTO THE MOSH 117: ALEKSIAH | CRY ABOUT IT | GIG REVIEW
Words by Charlie Poynton.
Kicking off the night as the doors opened, was stunning local talent, Stelle. With her charming set of coming-of-age anthems and a cover of Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, that signaled the first venue-wide singalong of the night, Stelle casually exercised the fact that she is a force within the local scene to keep on your radar.
Up next was Chloe Parché, who was selected to open for Aleksiah for every night of this tour and it’s not hard to tell why! Her energetic stage presence and top-tier pop performance captured hearts across the venue, as she cycled through a discography packed with addictive tunes.
The loudest cheer I’ve ever heard echoed through Black Bear Lodge as Australia’s modern-day pop princess took the stage. A packed crowd echoed Aleksiah’s every word, from cherished hits including Batsh*t and Fern, and freshly memorised lyrics of new tracks off the Cry About It EP.
An Aleksiah concert is truly a therapeutic experience for all attendees, with catharsis embedded in the fury of Pretty Picture, delicacy of Who Are You When You’re Not Performing? and ultimate anxiety-laden anthem of 24.
There was not a dry eye in the house as Aleksiah dove into the unreleased Think About It, her confessional lyricism as poignant as ever as she masterfully encapsulates the darkest moments of life into a breathtaking sonic experience. Reclaiming the energy after a block of emotionally vulnerable songs was the unreleased Punch Drunk Love, dripping in Peach PRC energy and guaranteed to soundtrack many late nights upon its release.
As if the crowd wasn’t already truly electrifying, the cheeky cover of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, brought out everyone’s inner tween for a singalong moment, before Aleksiah took it up a level with The Hit. Winking that this was her last song, she dashed off stage before returning to a crowd begging for more. Wearing a hand bedazzled jacket by a truly talented fan Ezzy, Aleksiah launched into her breakout hit of the summer, Clothes Off.
Words alone will never be able to give justice to the true magic of an Aleksiah show, from the raw power of her lyrical honesty to the experience of being supported by a room of fans who understand what you’re feeling when you hear each song. An Aleksiah live show is never to be missed, and her tendency to sell out of tickets confirms that she’ll be booking out massive venues in the coming months. The future of Australian pop music could not be in better hands!
