Crowded House @ Fremantle, Australia 2025-12-05

 

LIMITED TIME / LAST TIME

https://pixeldrain.com/u/JcXhXj3K

Thanks to eckythumP who recorded Crowded House at least 4 times this year!

Crowded House
Fremantle Prison
Fremantle, Australia
Friday 5 December 2025

Recorded by eckythump, mastered by kiwichrisha (Chris Hartstonge)

Source: Nokia Lumia 930 (called Lumia Icon in North America) w/built-in HAAC mics > Audio Recorder Pro app > 16bit/44.1 KHz PCM/WAV
Encoding: MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab > FLAC (Level 8)

Track List:

Set 1 - Acoustic - 'Model Prisoners'
01 - Introduction
02 - Sister Madly (w/ Highway To Hell)
03 - Don't Stop Now
04 - In My Own Shell*
05 - Groove Is In The Heart*
06 - It Was A Small Detail*
07 - Message To My Girl
08 - Think About Nothing*
09 - At The Station*
10 - Four Seasons In One Day

Set 2 - Electric
11 - Introduction
12 - Distant Sun
13 - World Where You Live
14 - Teenage Summer
15 - Fall At Your Feet
16 - Pineapple Head
17 - Recurring Dream
18 - To The Island*
19 - Weather With You*
20 - Last Summer*
21 - Nails In My Feet
22 - When You Come
23 - Private Universe
24 - Into Temptation
25 - The Howl
26 - Improv - You Can Stand Up If You Want To
27 - Something So Strong
28 - I Got You
29 - Don't Dream It's Over
30 - Chocolate Cake
31 - Throw Your Arms Around Me* (w/ Mark Seymour)
32 - Better Be Home Soon* (w/ Mark Seymour)

Neil Finn - Vocals, guitar
Nick Seymour - Bass, vocals
Liam Finn - Guitar, vocals
Elroy Finn - Drums, vocals
Mitchell Froom - Keyboards
Paul Taylor - Percussion
*Vika and Linda Bull - Vocals

Notes: When Crowded House announced a show at the UNESCO world heritage listed Fremantle Prison, my immediate thought was I'm in need of a holiday, and Perth has been on my bucket list of cities to visit for a while now, so like New Zealand in 2024, why not combine it with a Crowded House show in a prison! So tickets were purchased (and also to a second show that happened 2 days prior to this one), flights and accommodation booked. What a stunning venue for a concert, Fremantle Prison is now a major tourist attraction after closing down in 1991 and is used for gigs during the summer months (I did a tour earlier in the day, it gave me Alcatraz without being on an island vibes, and from all accounts far easier to escape from), the stage is set up in what was the prison courtyard, with high sandstone walls looking up to where prison guards would have once stood making sure prisoners were behaving themselves on one side, and small windows where the cells were on the other, with the prison chapel in the middle. It was a really unique setting, and the first show I've seen in a prison. 

Onto the show itself, these 2 shows followed the same format as the other 'pop up' shows that occurred on the east coast, with an acoustic set where they billed themselves as the support act, and an electric set with all the hits. I really enjoyed this format, and it gave the band an opportunity to showcase a lot of new songs that according to Liam and Neil will be recorded in a studio in January. While I saw all but one of these new songs performed at the Melbourne shows (Think About Nothing was a Crowded House debut, though played at the Infinity Sessions by Neil back in August), maybe because I'd listened to them for the past month and gained some familiarity with them, I enjoyed them a lot more, and they also felt more polished. It Was A Small Detail is my current favourite, but I like them all. Very much looking forward to the studio versions. 

While I thought the first show that occurred 2 days earlier (though it was the second show on sale) was a bit strange (but still good) for various reasons (including the passing around of a joint on stage in honour of someone who was incarcerated in the same prison 50 years earlier), this show the band seemed a lot more 'on', and breaking the mould and opening with Sister Madly instead of Too Good For This World was a very welcome change in the setlist, especially for someone who this was their fourth 'pop up' show! The crowd had a lot more energy than 2 nights earlier as well, perhaps being a Friday night, and the first show that went on sale, people seemed more up for a singalong, and by Something So Strong the majority of the crowd were on their feet, and singing very loudly, which you could tell the band appreciated. And then the icing on the cake, Mark Seymour coming out to sing his classic 'Throw Your Arms Around Me', with Vika and Linda, it was a truly wonderful moment, particularly when Nick and Mark embraced, and Nick put his head on Mark's shoulders in a brotherly love way. It was a magical moment to be part of. And Mark wasn't done, he contributed a verse of Better Be Home soon as well, before it was all over - 2 1/2 hours of incredible music in a unique environment surrounded by prison walls built in the 1850's (by the prisoners no less!). It was the best of the 4 shows I saw this year, and one of my most enjoyable Crowded House/Finn gigs I've seen of all time. A truly special night.

Recording notes: I was in row C on the right hand side in front of the speaker stack, and the recording came out brilliantly. It was a windy chilly night that apparently Fremantle is well known for (the prison is also on top of a hill), so wind noise can be heard on occasion, but it's not too distracting. Also after Something So Strong the crowd from further back came up and filled in the gaps between the sections when Neil encouraged everyone to stand, so you'll hear a little more audience chatter from there, but most people were there to enjoy the show and weren't too chatty. A few photos I took are also included so you can see where I was located. Nicely remastered by Chris, this is a special one I know you'll enjoy!