Angus and Julia Stone, Vika and Linda Bull, Mark and Nick Seymour, Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn, and Elroy and Liam Finn made for a very family affair at Berry’s biggest Red Hot Summer ever.
The sibling connections were strong across this line-up, cutting through several acts in one way or another. Mark Seymour of Hunters & Collectors’ brother Nick is a member of Crowded House, while Vika and Linda performed with Mark, Elroy, and Liam, along with Nick and their dad Neil, plus producer Mitchell Froom on keyboards, in Crowded House. Angus and Julia Stone rounded out the family theme, with each act putting together the perfect setlist for a festival crowd.
Early in the day, The Waifs kicked things off with classics from their early years, dating back to 2002’s London Still, with Lighthouse and Bridal Train reminding the Berry audience of their heritage.
Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda Bull is a must-see from start to finish. The Seymour/Bull collaborations go back 31 years, when Mark wrote When Will You Fall For Me for their debut album. Mark has also been working on the Bull sisters’ next album, due in May 2026. Berry was treated to a sneak preview of the new song Where Do You Come From.
While this setlist mixed Hunters & Collectors songs, Mark’s solo work, and Vika & Linda material both old and new, the standout was the final number, the Hunters’ Say Goodbye, sung by Vika Bull. If you thought Mark’s version was powerful, wait until you hear Vika sing this classic like it’s never been sung before. It was my highlight of the day.
The Church are sounding the best I’ve ever heard them. Their set was all power and poise, packed with Australian rock classics and hosted by the ever-sarcastic Steve Kilbey, who was hilarious in his honesty. “We haven’t had many hits, so you’ll just have to put up with this next one,” he quipped at one point. Before launching into Under the Milky Way, the Aussie song with the most sync deals, Steve attempted to explain what a sync deal is. Steve told the Berry crowd, “It’s when you go to Bunnings to buy a sink and this is the song playing on the loudspeaker.”
The extremely multi-talented Angus & Julia Stone opened with the Australian classic The Streets of Your Town. Watching Julia with a trumpet in one hand and a guitar in the other showcased the musicianship of these two siblings. They included a Sam Smith cover and, of course, their big one Big Jet Plane, for a crowd singalong moment.
Headliners Crowded House were in the finest form I’ve seen in ages. The chemistry between Neil Finn, his sons Elroy and Liam, co-founder Nick Seymour, and original producer Mitch Froom on keyboards just clicks.
Red Hot Summer is a good-time festival, and Neil was there to party. Crowded House won the crowd from the opening seconds of Mean to Me, and it was a journey from there.
The show included three Split Enz songs, I Got You, Message to My Girl, and an audience-requested I See Red, which they played despite it being written by Neil’s brother Tim Finn.
The Deee-Lite dance hit Groove Is in the Heart sparked another big singalong, and a few playful Stairway to Heaven snippets got plenty of smiles.
When you cut a Crowded House set to 90 minutes and fill it with hits like Mean to Me, World Where You Live, Fall at Your Feet, Four Seasons in One Day, Something So Strong, Distant Sun, Don’t Dream It’s Over, Chocolate Cake, Weather With You, and Better Be Home Soon, plus some album tracks and Enz songs, you’ve got one powerful show.
Setlists from Berry – 26 October 2025
Crowded House
Mean to Me
World Where You Live
Teenage Summer
Fall at Your Feet
To the Island
When You Come
Private Universe
Four Seasons in One Day
The Howl
Something So Strong
Distant Sun
Don’t Dream It’s Over
I Got You (Split Enz cover)
Chocolate Cake
Message to My Girl (Split Enz cover)
Last Summer
Weather With You
Groove Is in the Heart (Deee-Lite cover)
I See Red (Split Enz cover)
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin cover – snippets)
Better Be Home Soon
Angus and Julia Stone
Streets of Your Town (The Go-Betweens cover)
Nothing Else
Private Lawns
Grizzly Bear
Stay With Me (Sam Smith cover)
For You
Big Jet Plane
Chateau
The Church
Tantalized
Metropolis
Almost With You
The Hypnogogue
The Unguarded Moment
An Interlude
Under the Milky Way
(New song)
Reptile
Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda
The Boxer
Still Hanging ‘Round
When Will You Fall for Me
Do You See What I See?
Waiting on the Kid
Where Do You Come From
Holy Grail
Westgate
Throw Your Arms Around Me
Say Goodbye
The Waifs
Highway One
How Many Miles
London Still
Ironbark
Done and Dusted
Bridal Train
Fisherman’s Daughter
Lighthouse
Sold-Out Crowded House Red Hot Summer 2025 Shows
Queens Park, Toowoomba – November 15
Broadwater Parklands, Southport – November 16
Seppeltsfield Wines, Barossa – November 23
Mornington Racecourse – November 29
Mornington Racecourse – November 30
Fremantle Prison (Crowded House Only) – December 3
Fremantle Prison (Crowded House Only) – December 5
Sandalford Wines – December 6
Tickets Still Available For:
Ballarat, Victoria Park – November 1
Yarra Valley, Rochford Wines – November 2
2025 Red Hot Summer Tour Lineup
Crowded House, Angus & Julia Stone, The Church, Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda, The Waifs, and Jae Laffer.
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