Birds of Tokyo is one of Australia’s most loved bands, performing in some of the biggest arenas around the country over the last 20 years. As one of the headliners for the Night at the Barracks series, the stage at the Manly Barracks might just be one of the most picturesque that they have ever played at. Surrounded by lush green from every angle and under a gorgeous sunset, the venue showcases everything there is to love about Sydney.

When Birds of Tokyo took to the stage, the moon was starting to shine through and the weather was at its finest. The band began almost immediately with arguably their biggest hit “Plans”, which got the audience going from the outset. 

The set was very short, spanning just over an hour, much to the disappointment of the fans. There also seemed to be moments where the band was simply improvising, which upset the flow of the performance. 

The first half of the set was relatively strong, with the audience responding well to a take on their symphonic version of “Wild at Heart.” However, as the night progressed the band seemed increasingly disengaged, with the set starting to fall off the rails around “Heartbreakers Bar” where the musicality of the band started to fall apart. 

For such a dynamic frontman, Ian Kenny was not at his best, spending most of the show joking with his band and not performing with the intensity that we are used to from him. When he sung well, it was positively received by the audience however, there was just a feeling of going through the motions which permeated the set. 

Towards the end of the set, some of the energy came back into the set with the crowd all singing along to “This Fire” before Kenny announced, to a chorus of “Wait, what?” from the crowd, that the set was soon to come to an end. “Lanterns” was the final number of the original set before the band returned to play “Brace” as a short encore. It was the most energy that the band showed all night, with a strong and convincing rendition. 

Earlier in the night, we heard from Clea, an ethereal singer-songwriter, who was the perfect fit for the Night at the Barracks stage. Her tone and performing skills were impressive and she did a great job of getting the crowd ready for the headline act. 

Ultimately, this was a solid performance, although the set was too short and it was generally lacking in energy. The crowd reaction was commensurately lukewarm, as they were expecting more from such an exciting band. While the hits were sung and they were done well, there was a feeling lingering in the air of this beautiful venue that perhaps a little more could have been done.

Rating: ★★★1/2

Birds of Tokyo – 20th September, 2024 – Night at the Barracks

Photo credit: Kane Hibberd