13 February 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi – pictures by Bec Harbour
AURORA (Aurora Aksnes) performed the first of two sold-out shows at the Fortitude Valley Music Hall. The atmosphere was electric as the lines of fans dressed in lace with flowers and sparkles snaked their way through the Valley. This amused AURORA as she “passed everyone” in her car as she told fans during the show. The Norwegian alternative-pop singer, songwriter and producer returned to Brisbane with her ‘What Happened to the Earth?’ Tour and she brought her support acts Hannah Brewer and Odd Luke along with her so that her fans could experience the transformative experience and healing of music.
The capacity crowd welcomed Hannah Brewer to the Fortitude Valley Music Hall stage. With all the equipment on stage she was really cramped into a small space but she delivered a great opening set that set up the evening for the songwriter aura.
Hannah Brewer – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
Hannah Brewer is a singer and songwriter from Sydney. She got the evening off to a rollicking start with her smooth indie pop-rock sounds with her gorgeous voice and encompassing presence. Her solo performance with keyboard and guitar delighted the crowd. She played a mix of newer songs like ‘Doll Shop Souvenir’, well-known songs ‘Chill Girl’ and ‘The Pirate Song’, and a fabulous song about fishing called ‘Bait’. There was banter with the crowd, as Hannah Brewer admitted she had never been fishing – “the song – it’s a metaphor” she stated firmly. But someone in the crowd promised that if she came back to Brisbane, they would take her fishing for real. Hannah Brewer ended her set with the great song ‘Rumspringa’ and the Brisbane crowd were appreciative of her performance.
After a short break, Glaswegian Odd Luke (aka musician, songwriter and producer Andy Black) took to theFortitude Valley Music Hall stage. Odd Luke and his band (Daz on bass and the amazing Toni on drums) shifted the gears and performed a higher BPM gig with tracks like ‘Alright’ and the boppingly groovy ‘Found Life’ with its glimmering electronics that was produced with AURORA’s collaborator Magnus Skylstad. There was a slow track in ‘Hail Mary’. And, then, the band got their groove back on and had people dancing along. Odd Luke ended their performance with the up-tempo and the hip-hop-influenced bounce of ‘Disconnect’. It was a short but instructive introduction to Odd Luke’s music and sound.
Odd Luke – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
There was a major stage re-arrange – and there was even sweeping of the floor. Instruments were put in place and the set lists were taped to the floor. The lights went down and the dry ice was working overtime and the goddess of dusk played gently in the background. There were doves hanging from the ceiling and a screen played a projection of AURORA glancing around the venue as if looking for someone or something, and there was a quiet “Hello?”
AURORA appeared out of the darkness, barefoot and elflike opening her set with the rhythmic drums of ‘Churchyard’ and it reverberate through the Fortitude Valley Music Hall. She then performed ‘All Is Soft Inside’.AURORA, in her first two songs, had set the tone for an evening that seamlessly transitioned from hauntingly beautiful ballads to energetic anthems. Each song delivered with her signature emotive intensity and eclectic personality.
She stopped to address the crowd “the beautiful people” about her lovely day in Brisbane where she went on a picnic, discovered Woolworths, feasted on tomatoes and large grapes “like penises” and enjoyed eating the food and planting her feet on the ground. AURORA is an engaging musician who apologised for her “hippy hippy” views and explained of her concerns for the future and the fate of children caught in war zones before she launched into an acoustic version of ‘Through the Eyes of a Child’.
Aurora – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
AURORA then performed the extraordinary song ‘The River’ and it was delivered acapella with AURORA taking centre stage, surrounded by the her backing singers and musicians. Stripping this powerful song back showed off its song craft as the five voices joined into a harmonising unit that delivered a mighty crescendo. AURORA’sbacking singers were just phenomenally skilled and had the most wonderful voices.
The next two songs were ‘Soulless Creatures’ and ‘A Soul With No King’. These songs brought the energy back with rhythmic Sámi tribal-folk beats and pulsing electric guitars. Then, ‘Queendom’ and AURORA’s declared “my only love song” ‘Exist for Love’ were performed with real passion with the “I love you, I love you” fading out with the song into silence before the roar of the crowd signalled their approval.
She stopped again to talk about her concerns about the people and the need to keep progressing and changing. She is highly concerned about the creep of the right. She told the crowd about the importance of lifting people up, and not putting people down. This discussion which meandered around took her into her darker songs such as ‘Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)’, ‘The Dark Dresses Lightly’, the astonishing dark-techno of ‘Starvation’, the fan favourite ‘Runaway’ where she pointed her microphone to the crowd and got them to sing and the superb ‘The Seed’ where AURORA stated: “This song is for the indigenous people of the world”.
Aurora – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
AURORA’s vocal talent is undeniable and she is a once-in-a-generation genie when it comes to performance. She discussed her song writing process and it was illuminating. She stated: “I don’t always know what my songs mean”. The words come from “the brain and the heart” but the “heart and head they don’t know each other so well” but that is “what makes singing my songs interesting because I find new meaning in them”. AURORA stated; “songs and singing are about healing” and she said we must nurture the “instinct to help people”. AURORA finished her set and she was like a whirling dervish as she performed ‘Running With The Wolves’ and ‘Giving In To the Love’
The noise of appreciation in the venue was huge as AURORA and her band left the stage. It continued until theAURORA’s band re-appeared on stage. Then, there was a three-song cycle encore in ‘Cure for Me’, ‘Some Type of Skin’ and a keyboard solo of ‘Invisible Wounds’.
Aurora – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
AURORA stripped off her top as she complained about the heat and sweat as she performed ‘Some Kind Of Skin’. Her guitarist Fredrik performed an amazing guitar solo as AURORA danced around both gracefully and erratically, like a ballerina at a pagan ritual. Then, she stopped and her keyboard was moved into place and she said: ‘Well, just before we all fuck off home for the night, I’ll play this” and she gently played ‘Invisible Wounds’. Her voice echoed softly around the venue and it was a lovely lullaby to send everyone off home and into the night.
AURORA delivered an unforgettable performance at Fortitude Valley Music Hall. She captivated the crowd by drawing them into her musical realm where dancing barefoot and dressing in whimsical ensembles is permitted. By the end of the performance, everyone cheerfully departed, fully inspired by such a memorable and moving concert.
