Coming to the end of her tour as part of the 2019 iteration of Groovin’ The Moo, Danish act MØ swept through Sydney’s Metro Theatre, thoroughly dominated her set and treating her fans to a couple of surprises and more than a few sing-a-long moments.
Opening up the night was L.A rapper Duckwrth. Also finding himself in the country as part of Groovin’, the Cali musician was on point and did himself more than a couple favours by playing his support set the way he did. Opening up a gig can sometimes be a little daunting for musicians, as most of the crowd generally aren’t there to see them. With that in mind, playing an all-ages show definitely helps, as the young crowd rolled in en masse and filled most of the Metro before Duckwrth entered the stage. Playing all his biggest tracks, including “Start a Riot”, “Michuul”, and new track “Love is Like a Moshpit”, his west coast rap definitely hit that sweet spot of being both aggressive and demanding.
It has been a bit of a slow burn for MØ as an artist. Known originally in Australia for her spots on Diplo tracks, MØ has come into her own in the past couple of years; especially on the back of her 2018 album, Forever Neverland. Managing to sell out The Metro is no mean feat, and doing so on a Wednesday makes it all that more impressive. Having become a semi-frequent visitor to the country, MØ has built a loyal following; all keen to hear her Nordic brand of alt-pop.
Starting the set off with the downbeat “Purple Like the Summer Rain”, she moved into “I Want You”, which proved to really get things moving, as her three-piece band all subtley added to the track. Following it up with the first big track of the night, MØ reminded everyone in the venue why she’s as good as she is, as “Kamikaze” brought out the strobe and mood lighting, as well as some of the best dance moves you’re likely to see on a chilly mid-week night. As the first big track of the night, you got the feeling that things were just about to really hit their straps.
Moving into “Pilgrim” and “Red Wine”, MØ treated the crowd to a mid set wander, as she ventured out into the Metro crowd and proceeded to give those in the middle of the venue a front row seat. For someone who purposely avoids the mosh, being literally half a metre from MØ reminded me what it was like being an eager seventeen year old trying to get to the front row.
As the set entered its second half, it became evident that MØ was ready to drop all her hits. Noting that Australia, and specifically Sydney, has always felt like home to her, she dedicated “Nights With You” to Sydney for the love they’ve always shown her. Throwing in the killer “Sun In Our Eyes” from Forever Neverland, you noticed how strong her vocals were, as once again the light show went next level.
Pausing to thank Triple J for their years of support, she dropped her cover of Dominic Fike’s “3 Nights”, before the sub continental sounds on “Way Down” lead the show into its closing stages. With the sounds between the two tracks being quite similar, it was a masterstroke running “Way Down” into “Lean On”, as the main set ended in the chance for a cheeky little dance for those standing in the back half of the venue.
Returning for an encore that started with the Snakehips track “Don’t Leave”, the night ended on the aptly titled “Final Song”; only after MØ begged everyone to lose their shit one last time. Leaving the stage seemingly genuinely thankful for those who came out for a mid week set, you could tell MØ knew that she (and the crowd) had had a great 75 minutes. For an artist that took a little bit to build up steam, MØ is now moving at light speed. Let’s hope everyone can keep up.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
MØ and Duckwrth’s Australian tour concluded last night in Fremantle, WA. Hopefully it won’t be too long before either are back visiting our shores.
Header Image by Danny Hanssen
