21 August 2024 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Kai Giovanni – pictures by Bec Harbour
Two albums, seven awards, and five years later, Greta Van Fleet have finally returned to Australia!
If you’re a stickler for classic stadium rock and all its embellishments – blues rock riffs, showoffey stage play, bedazzled bodysuits – you’ll undoubtedly have come past Greta Van Fleet (GVF) in your rock journey. Since 2017, the Michigan four-piece have crafted a discography which has firmly cemented the band as one of the modern century’s most honest and fresh continuations of the rock spirit. Now, with the more loose and mature sound offered by fourth studio LP Starcatcher, the band have set off on their second world tour with one purpose: to prove that Greta Van Fleet are THE current rock band.
Last night, they kicked off the Australian leg of the Starcatcher World Tour at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall. This was the first show of two, after the first night sold out in a matter of days – keeping with GVF’s two-year track-record of selling out every one of their headline shows.
Alumni from GVF’s 2022 regional tour, The Velveteers opened the night. After doing a bit of research into the band before their performance – chronicling their incredible library of live videos, signage with Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), and opening slot for Guns N’ Roses in 2021 – it’s an understatement to say that I was very eager to see what kind of performance the young three-piece would deliver. Within the first three songs of the set, the crowd was warm and jumping, the stage was on fire, and rock was alive. The band uses a unique arrangement of frontperson Demi Demitro on baritone guitar, and Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig on a dual drum-kit situation. This worked perfectly to the group’s strengths, allowing Demitro to tour the stage whilst shredding, Pottersmith and Fig to drum in hypnotic unison, and Pottersmith to frequently interact with the crowd. This group have been on non-stop tours since 2021 and their performance proved exactly why: in 30 minutes, this band can change from strangers to everyone’s new favourite band.
The Velveteers – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
Next was Greta Van Fleet.
Before they graced the stage, the audience’s already-high excitement was brought to a peak when a ten-minute overture provided orchestral renditions of their greatest hits. Then, in all his endearing charisma, the first of the Kiszka brothers – Josh (vocals) – strutted his way onto stage, clad in a white-sequinned variant of his trademarked jumpsuits. With a flash of light and the strike of ‘The Falling Sky’s first chord, the rest of Greta Van Fleet were there, in all their glory. For the next two hours, the stage became a non-stop rock show, garnished with skin, sequins, shredding, and the best lighting program I’ve ever seen at the Fortitude Music Hall.
Greta Van Fleet – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
For the five long years since GVF’s last visit, the setlist mostly comprised of Starcatcher and The Battle of Garden’s Gate tracks, which the more-than-eager Australian audience never failed to scream, sing along, and rock out to. The setlist’s order was also a nice surprise; whilst you’d expect billboard hits like ‘Highway Tune’ or ‘Heat Above’ to be placed near the end of the night, or slower tracks like ‘Meeting The Master’ or ‘The Archer’ towards the middle-point, the setlist was composed in a way that left the crowd constantly on their toes and allowed for frontperson Josh Kiszka to change outfits not once, not twice, but five times. However, this wasn’t all that the band had to offer from their toolkit of rock show ‘wow’ moments.
Greta Van Fleet – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
Throughout this two-hour road trip through GVF’s modern discography, you’d find bass and keys solos from Sam Kiszka, a ten-minute drum jam from Danny Wagner, and behind-the-back SG shredding from Jake Kiszka. Between these, Josh would share roses, heart-hands, and air-kisses with the love-stricken audience. It would also be a disservice not to acknowledge the unmatched voice of Josh Kiszka: every song, whistle note, and trill was executed to perfection, all whilst looking effortless.
GVF have their last Brisbane show tonight, as well as shows across Melbourne and Sydney, and it is more than tempting to buy tickets to every one of these upcoming shows. Stadium, glam, and classic rock have brought so much to live music during every era of their influence, and Greta Van Fleet are a perfect example of a contemporary band who’ve adopted, cherished, and moved the genres forward in a way you can only understand by seeing them live.
