Florence offers group hugs over “toxic masculinity”

Live review: Florence and the Machine turned the Music Bowl into a hippy commune in the best way possible in a concert that was part healing event, part communal rock triumph

Florence and the Machine at Sidney Myer Music Bowl Jan 18 2019, pic Ian Laidlaw

“THERE’S no toxic masculinity at a Florence and the Machine concert,” Florence Welch stated at one point during her sold out Sidney Myer Music Bowl show on Friday night.

“If you’re here,” she pinpoints the men in the audience, “you must really love women.”

It may sound cheesy on the outside, but on the inside Welch provides the healing feeling missing from most modern music. Her intimate themes have gone communal and she’ll play to over 40,000 people in Melbourne this weekend alone on the back of last year’s stunning High as Hope album.

During one talk break, Welch offers a heartfelt commentary on the current rotten state of the world, noting that “hope is an action” and promoting people power. Her verbal group hug doesn’t just stop there, she insists her audience hold hands with the person next to them and embrace the person next to them, however awkward it might be.

Florence and the Machine at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Pic: Ian Laidlaw

A self-confessed hippy, in the wrong hands you’d feel like you’re at a massage retreat in Nimbin (FYI, the Machine’s violinist does burn incense at her feet), but Welch is genuinely a people person.

Several times through the show she not only runs through the crowd, but literally throws herself at the front row. Right at them, singing at them, jumping into one female fan’s arms and resting on her head while singing, leaning on others, not so much stage diving, but stage hugging. Tellingly, she never breaks contact with the fans. Her security guard was the hardest working man in the venue trying to keep up with her. The Machine may also rival only Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the best dressed band in music.

The night’s boldest statement may have come when Welch asked fans to put their phones away at one point and live in the moment.

Florence and the Machine’s debut Lungs turns 10 this year. Pic: Ian Laidlaw

Unlike her last appearance at the Bowl, Welch’s trademark Kate Bush meets Stevie Nicks ballet dancer theatrical dance moves did not result in her stacking it on the ground.

The High as Hope album was cherry picked for the most epic moments - Hunger (opening line “at 17 I started to starve myself”), Big God, Grace, Sky Full of Song and the amazing South London Forever.

A new album sadly sees older tunes out to pasture but Queen of Peace, arguably her finest moment, has survived the cull as well as its album mates Delilah, Ship to Wreck and What Kind of Man.

Welch dips surprisingly deeply into the Machine’s debut Lungs, which turns 10 this year. She notes for the newbies (some of whom who have made the front row, and are rewarded with those turbo hugs) that the record was pretty much like the new material, just more raucous and drunk. There’s three from that record, obviously Dog Days are Over (the one with the phone ban), Between Two Lungs and Cosmic Love, which had the opposite of a phone ban, with Welch asking for the audience to light up the night. She has the kind of fans who literally bring their own fairy lights for the occasion, with several groups of fans whipping them out seconds after the song begins.

Australia has been treated to a brand new song, Moderation, already upgraded to encore and casually dropped with no introduction or fanfare. It’s very good indeed.

It ends with Shake It Out, which is hard to go past as a way to end a show that’s part pop concert, part therapy session and for some of her fans. And with her new meet-a-stranger hand-holding policy, she’s bringing people together, whether they like it or not. Let’s face it, they’ve already got at least one thing in common.

Florence and the Machine play A Day on the Green Mt Duneed Estate Geelong today, Brisbane Riverstage Jan 22 and 23 and The Domain Sydney Jan 26, all shows sold out.

Florence and the Machine - bringing people together, whether they like it or not. Pic: Ian Laidlaw

Originally published as Florence offers group hugs over “toxic masculinity”