The Wombats – 24/09/2025 at Festival Hall, Melbourne
Fresh off the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Oh! The Ocean’, UK indie pop rock band The Wombats took the stage at Festival Hall in Melbourne last night. The trio is no stranger to Australia, having toured the country and played festivals consistently for well over a decade now, and having numerous singles hit high numbers in our annual Hottest 100 radio countdowns. The Wombats love Australia, and Australia loves The Wombats… And from their performance last night, it’s pretty easy to see why.
The doors opened at Festival Hall in West Melbourne around 7.00 pm, and the large group that had gathered early were ushered out of the rain and into the venue. It was great to see a diverse mix of ages attend this gig, and the vibe of the crowd was that everyone just wanted to have fun. Considering some not-as-pleasant shows I’ve attended at this venue, the friendly atmosphere felt welcoming and settled everyone into a great night of live music.
The first of two opening acts was an indie-rock outfit out of Fremantle called Ra Ra Viper. The group performed a fairly common ordeal for a local opener, setting the tone of the evening with easily digestible rock tracks filled with some fun writing. This set was tight as the band blazed through a collection of tracks off their new debut album. The performances were tight with the entire band locked in to get everyone in the venue ready for the night to come. The group had good stage presence too, commenting early into their set that the venue was a lot larger than they expected.
That was a running theme with the two openers, as the second act of the night also told the audience that this was the largest show they’ve ever played. This was Bea and her Business, a UK singer-songwriter embarking on her first Aussie tour. Going into the set, I was unfamiliar with Bea’s music, but quickly became a fan during her time on stage. The tracks were catchy, witty, and relatable. Her energy was infectious as she commanded the various tone changes throughout the set, swapping from fun and silly to introspective to melancholy. Bea has the makings of a popstar, give her a year or two and she’ll be back in the country to headline Festival Hall.
Then, it was time for The Wombats. They burst on stage with the opening track off their latest album, the ironically titled I’m Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come. Strangely enough, their set started right on time.
This powerhouse 90min set was an absolute joy to watch. The energy the trio have on stage is impressively high for this stage of their career. They’re already hitmakers and beloved by Australians all over the country. They don’t need to prove themselves, yet they performed like they still did. This was refreshing to see, and it’s easy to see why punters flock to their shows every time they cross the pond.
Lead singer Matthew Murphy’s vocals were flawless and honestly sounded better live than they do on the band’s records. Dan Haggis was centre stage on the drums and shared banter duties with Murphy throughout the evening. The banter was a highlight, offering hilarious insights into some of the songs, and getting meta near the end of the set when they spoiled the songs they’d play in the pre-planned encore. On the bass was Tord Øverland Knudsen, who offered up the most energetic bass playing I’ve seen in a long time, with him jumping all over the stage and hyping up the crowd every chance he got.
The playlist of the evening featured quite a few of the band’s newer songs. Highlights included Blood On The Hospital Floor and Can’t Say No, both cuts from their most recent album. If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You, a fan favourite track from their 2022 record, got the crowd’s energy up, while some slower moments during the mid-show featured Murphy alone on stage with just his guitar.
We also got a special guest in the form of a trombone-playing wombat for Ready For The High, an unforgettable moment from the show that made me think of The Wiggles as this mascot danced across the stage, harassing the trio for the duration of the song.
The venue erupted into dance for Techno Fan, into a sing-along for Lemon To A Knife Fight, and the balcony started to shake for their massive closing number, Let’s Dance To Joy Division.
Strangely, the band’s most recent release was absent from the setlist. Holy Sugar was only released last week and is off of an upcoming extended version of Oh! The Ocean. Prehaps the song is so new that they hadn’t rehearsed it enough to play it live, or the setlist was so jam-packed full of iconic tracks that it just didn’t fit. I certainly missed it, though, and would’ve loved to hear it live.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual enjoyer, or you just remember hearing a song or two on the radio a few years ago, The Wombats are an absolute must-see live act for any fans of indie pop. They still have a few dates left on the tour as they hit up Brisbane, Sydney, Fremantle, and Birtinya across the next week.
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