Review: Pacific Avenue @ Hindley Street Music Hall 07/03/26
From the first song to the last chorus, Pacific Avenue turned Hindley Street Music Hall into an unforgettable celebration of connection and joy.
Words and Image Satine Richmond
Image supplied
Pacific Avenue w/Daily J & Sunsick Daisy @ Hindley Street Music Hall 07/03/26
Hailing from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Pacific Avenue have spent the past few years building a devoted following with sun-soaked indie rock and heartfelt, sing-along choruses.
The band arrived in Adelaide riding the excitement around their brand new record, Lovesick Sentimental, which was released a week earlier than anticipated. On the very day the tour kicked off in Perth, the album hit number one on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart, cementing Pacific Avenue’s rise from local favourites to one of the country’s most talked about new acts.
Opening the night at Hindley Street Music Hall an hour after doors opened at 7pm were Adelaide’s Sunsick Daisy, who faced the challenge of a near-empty room. As early arrivals slowly trickled in, the band worked through their set with determination. Though the audience was sparse, Sunsick Daisy delivered their songs with focus and energy, warming up the Hall for the acts to come.
Things shifted dramatically when New Zealand indie group Daily J took the stage. From the first song, the room felt warmer and fuller as their set had an easy confidence to it. They had a slightly chaotic start, revealing that they hadn’t made it to the venue in time for soundcheck. The result meant a few technical hiccups throughout the opening songs as the band tried to capture the sound engineer’s attention mid-song, gesturing for small adjustments.
Rather than letting the situation derail the set, the band leaned into it with humour, frontman Jayden Paul keeping up a playful back-and-forth with the audience. By the middle of their set, the once-sparse floor had filled out, and people who had been lingering near the bar drifted toward the stage. The room moved along to Daily J’s breezy guitars and easy harmonies, cheering when Jesse Paul on the synths launched into a saxophone solo. The room had been primed perfectly as Daily J moved effortlessly between originals such as ‘Left Me Like Summer’ and ‘Sunny Days’, as well as their take on Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Don’t Smile.’
At 10pm on the dot, the lights dimmed until the room was almost dark. A green wash spread slowly across the stage, thickened by smoke curling upward. Lead vocalist Harry O’Brien took his position centre stage, barely visible except for the soft outline of his curls catching the light. Behind him, Dom Littrich settled at the drums, tapping sticks lightly on the snare, while bassist Jack Kay and lead guitarist Ben Fryer took the left and right sides of the stage.
From the haze, Pacific Avenue launched into ‘Things We Wanna Say,’ the familiar opening chords cutting instantly, switching the energy from anticipation to celebration. Hands shot up, and voices rose in unison as fans sang along to the well-known single. Next up was ‘Spin Me Like Your Records’ from their 2023 album Flowers, with the lights shifting to warm amber tones. “You guys feeling alright?” lead singer and guitarist Harry O’Brien asked once the song ended, prompting a loud ripple of cheers. Pacific Avenue treated the crowd to a selection of older songs that have become live-show favourites, including ‘Strawberry Daydream’ from their 2019 EP. The catchy chorus had fans singing along word for word and dancing in time.
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In the middle of the set, the band kicked into ‘Here We Go Again’ from Lovesick Sentimental. The opening chords were hit with a surge of energy, the crowd’s voices rising over the slower tempo. The band moved fluidly across the stage, spotting groups dancing wildly and pointing at them. Between songs, Jack pressed against his mic. “It means so much to us to be singing these songs,” he said. “Especially the new ones.” Even though the album had only been out for a week, the new tracks from Lovesick Sentimental were instantly recognised throughout the night. Dom leapt up from his kit, joining Jack at the front of the stage. “We’re gonna see which side of the room can sing louder,” they announced, leading the crowd in a joyful vocal competition. The band looked out at the noise with wide smiles, Jack and Dom, with their arms slung around each other, egging on their side of the room.
As a surprise, the band launched into a cover of Djo’s ‘End of Beginning,’ the crowd very eager to sing along to every word. “We were gonna play that last night, but the opener covered it, so we decided to play it for you tonight!’ Harry laughed. Throughout the night, it never felt like the band was simply performing at the audience. Instead, they were completely immersed in the moment, smiling at the people dancing, pointing at fans singing every word, and laughing when the crowd grew louder than the speakers. Throughout the set, Jack Kay refused to stay in one place for more than a few seconds. He brought constant energy, bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, climbing up onto the drum riser and perching on top of the kit itself before leaping down.
Eventually, Harry stepped up to the microphone once more, pausing for a moment as he pushed his curls back from his eyes and looked out across the packed floor. “We’ve only got two more songs to play tonight,” he said. The crowd responded with an immediate wave of groans and calls of disbelief. People glanced down at their phones, the glowing screens briefly lighting their faces as they checked the time, realising how the night had flown by. What had felt like the beginning of the show only moments ago had somehow stretched into an hour, the set unfolding so seamlessly that the passing time hadn’t registered.
Pacific Avenue tore into ‘Working Class Hero’ and ‘Leaving For London’ - two of their most beloved tracks. The crowd’s response was deafening, bodies bouncing and drinks sloshing over the edges of cups, friends climbing on top of shoulders. The band’s sound felt amplified by the energy in the room, leaving everyone breathless and exhilarated.
The band barely made it offstage before the chants of “one more song” began, starting with a few scattered voices, but within seconds it had spread across the room. A moment later, the stage lights lit green again, and Harry walked back out alone, guitar slung over his shoulder. The roar that greeted him rolled around the room and he smiled as he stepped into the wash of light behind the microphone for an encore of ‘Eat Me Alive’.
Then, just before the chorus, one by one, the rest of the band wandered back onto the stage, slipping into their places casually. To close the night, Pacific Avenue treated the crowd to ‘Something Good,’ sending the room into a final surge of singing, cheering and movement before the night was over. The warm amber lights caught the smoke drifting across the stage, as the band smiled at the audience’s unwavering enthusiasm.
It was the perfect finale, as a reminder of the band’s journey from their early days to now, and a celebration of the connection between Pacific Avenue and the fans who have followed them every step of the way.
