Florence Welch is a force to be reckoned with. Having captivated audiences globally for 15 years, her reputation as a born performer, with nymph-like movements coupled with dynamic power and a stunning vocal range that meanders over lyrics of melancholy, despair, sadness and passion, has seen Florence & the Machine enjoy worldwide success – it was an honour to see her play live in Melbourne for her Dance Fever tour.

Opening for the tour in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena was American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist King Princess (aka Mikaela Straus). Their debut album, Cheap Queen, was released in 2019 through Mark Ronson’s imprint of Columbia Records, Zelig Records. Playing in a tiered tartan skirt, military boots and tank top, King Princess rocked out tracks to an adoring crowd, who the singer said had been, “so f*cking supportive of me, especially the Queer community in Australia.” Songs like Pussy Is God and 1950 were raucously received.

The moment of Florence’s appearance was met with a thunder of applause, as the singer stepped onto the stage in an ethereal sheer gown embellished with crystals and metallic threading, fiery red hair adorned with a tiara of golden leaves nestled in her locks. Opening with Heaven Is Here, followed by King and Ship to Wreck, the energy levels were high as Florence theatrically danced across the stage on tiptoe, twirling in rays of light and controlling her band with fingertips like a Faerie Goddess. Florence was all smiles as she performed Free, jumping up and down as the crowd mirrored her. Much to the crowd’s delight, Dog Days Are Over came on and everyone jumped to their feet. Chatting to the audience, she welcomed everyone, including anyone who may not have seen her perform before, assuring them that it was “not a cult”. She asked everyone to put away their phones and hug the person next to them and appreciate the moment that we were all experiencing together. Asking everyone to jump as high as they could, the energy and exaltation of all present was palpable as we truly enjoyed this moment, together and engaged.

Performing a couple tracks including Big God from the barricades, it was an intimate glimpse into Florence’s relationship with her adoring fans and just how much passion is poured into her reverberating vocals. What Kind of Man was met with synchronised clapping , as Florence spoke again about the difficulties of Covid lockdowns across the globe, and that she wrote Morning Elvis knowing that if we were all together again and she could perform this song, then we would know we had all gone through something, and she would never complain about being tired on tour again (although King Princes cheekily commented from side of stage that they still both complain). June and Hunger followed, before smash hit You’ve Got The Love had the audience dancing with fervour. Noticing a walk way had been made in the GA by security, I knew Florence was going to perform amongst the crowd – lo and behold she dashed out and performed Choreomania in the middle of the throng, captivating us all with every note. Kiss With A Fist brought my back quarter life angst as it was well and truly an anthem for that period of my life and showcased Florence’s more rock n’ roll sound as her debut song from album Lungs (2009).

Enchanting Cosmic Love kept the audience moving and chanting the lyrics in unison, before an encore of the beguiling and haunting Never Let Me Go was performed with a precursor from Florence, describing the song as “very f*cking hard to sing” and that the band had not performed it on tour for over a decade. It was a truly magical performance, finished with the soul-stirring Shake It Out and Rabbit Heart to round out a breathtaking concert from an ardent artist whose heart and soul resonates with all those lucky enough to see her perform.