Glass animals strengthen their Australian bond during the surprise show

The last time Glass Animals was in Australia was for the infamous ‘Splendid in the Mud’ in 2022. If you were at the festival that year, you’ll know that the English indie pop band’s set was a ray of sunshine on an otherwise miserable day .

So when it was announced this week that Glass Animals would be doing a surprise pop-up show in Sydney on Thursday evening, I, like so many others, jumped at the chance to see the band in much better conditions.

Glass Animals’ show announcement may come unexpectedly, but it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise as they have a special relationship with Australia: this is the band who famously topped Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2020 with their massive hit “Heat Waves,” and who celebrated that win by getting Australian-themed tattoos on their butts. I simply don’t think a country and a band can strengthen their relationship better than this.

Performing at Liberty Hall, a particularly intimate venue compared to the larger venues the band could have easily sold out in Sydney, it felt even more special to be in the venue on Thursday evening.

As the lights dimmed, a ravenous scream rang through the room. Four white lights shone brightly, one by one, as Glass Animals bounced onto the stage with obvious excitement.

“How are you,” frontman Dave Bayley asked in his soft English accent. For someone the general public is used to seeing wearing his signature round glasses, Bayley was surprisingly glasses-free tonight.

The band jumped straight into the tight “Your Love (Déjà Vu)”, an excerpt from their 2022 album Dreamland, and Bayley immediately let loose with some sweet dance moves. His feet moved with the speed of a man holding something in his shoes, jumping from the speakers to the back of the stage, forward and back again.

‘Life Itself’ and ‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast’ followed, with the crowd completely captivated by Bayley: during the last song he stopped to raise his hand, and the crowd cheered; when he put down his hand they stopped cheering.

“Goddammit, it’s good to be back in Australia. Tonight is going to be special,” Bayley said before introducing “Creatures in Heaven,” the first single from their new album. I love you so damn much, which will be released on July 19. “This is only the third time we’ve played this song live,” he added, prompting an apology for forgetting a few lyrics. (Some quick-thinking fans helped him, though.)

@rhiannadews

🔥 HEAT WAVES 🔥 @Glass Animals surprise performance at Liberty Hall in Sydney (5/9/2024) ✌️ WHAT A SHOW?!?! 🤯🤯🤯❤️‍🔥 #GlassAnimals #GlassAnimalsSydney #GlassAnimalsAustralia #LibertyHallSydney #HeatWaves #GlassAnimalsHeatWaves #GlassAnimalsLive #GlassAnimals #HeatWavesLive #livemusic #newmusic #Sydney

♬ original sound – Rhianna Dews 🦋🎶

Later, Bayley decided to bravely run through the crowd and perform in the bar at the back of the venue for the buzzing crowd favorite “Gooey.” Everyone’s heads turned and soon a crowd formed and danced around him, like a prophet commanding his followers. The bar, however, was, in Bayley’s words, “damn slippery.”

Bayley wasn’t done praising our country yet. “Australia has given us so much. And we’ll be back, but this is our last one for a while… thank you all for being a part of this,” he said toward the end of the set, refreshingly sounding like he genuinely meant what he said.

An encore inevitably followed, including the previously unheard “A Tear in Space (Airlock)”, a synth-dripping funky track that is sure to stick in your ears. The band, of course, ended with “Heat Waves.” “We’ll see you soon,” Bayley exclaimed after finishing the encore, and we all believed him.

I Love You So F***ing Much by Glass Animals will be released on July 19 (pre-save/pre-order here).