Being able to open with a singalong is a luxury few artists have, but Crowded House have an enviable back catalogue to choose from. The audience, packed in like a very, um, full apartment, and who remained seated for the first half of the gig, were in fine voice.
Neil Finn looks the part. A mixture of rock star and your coolest auntie. The one that let you borrow their records. Nick Seymour, the other original band member, looked like a Scottish groom in suit and kilt. The rest of the band - the great American journeyman Mitchell Froom on keys, as well as Neil's sons Liam on lead guitar and Elroy on drums - were magic.
It felt like a family get-together, only without any fights and with a whole lot of classic songs that any songwriter in the world would be proud of.
Hit after hit followed - "Mean to Me", "World Where you Live", "Fall at Your Feet" all met the desired singalong requirements. The lesser known songs, and the newer ones, were not remotely out of place. Each one had an aural landscape that the audience sat in awe of.
The famous Crowdies' banter was on show, Nick and Neil masters of that game, getting good laughs from the crowd, all together like a ... packed bungalow. And, of course, a dedication to Team NZ was always going to get a cheer from this crowd.
The highlight was a rousing version of the "Together Alone" album highpoint, "Private Universe". The mood of the audience changed and the percussion was spellbinding.
The answer to the question "when will the blimmin' crowd stand up?" was answered in the middle of the show. Weirdly, the song the crowd got up to dance to was "Four Seasons in One Day" - maybe the most solemn of all of their songs.
Neil Finn in particular was tickled by the fact this was the banger that got them to their feet, and it clearly pleased everyone who had felt packed in like a ... congested flat.
The musicianship was amazing; a real treat to see in NZ and so rare at the moment. Standing out was the soaring guitar work from proper rock star Liam, who in one very Who moment thrilled everyone with a show-stopping, death-defying guitar throw-and-catch.
Acclaimed Kiwi artist Reb Fountain and her band opened the show with a wonderful mood-setting set. They came back on stage to sing backing vocals on a couple of the Crowdies' newer tunes, including the song the tour was named after, "To the Island", and there was a sense of pure joy from them being able to share the stage with the legends.
When Liam asked the crowd if they had a request, it was time for the most beloved of all Kiwi songs. Every person in the building sang every note like they were on stage. Some audience members assumed the dream was over and left. Meaning for the first time my row wasn't packed like sardines. A serious question to Spark Arena: have you made the chairs smaller? And can you not?
"Something So Strong" and "Distant Sun" closed the set and the crowd was happy. They wanted more, we knew there was more. The band delivered. And then some.
The encore was wonderful. The most divisive of all their songs, "Chocolate Cake", was a riot live, a touching tribute to those on the frontline of Covid-19 followed with a beautiful cover of Bowie's "Heroes".
The night ended on perhaps Neil's songwriting pinnacle, "Better Be Home Soon". He kept it going as long as he could, telling the crowd he was "delaying the inevitable". Every person in the building sang every note like they were on stage.
And then, just like that, it was over. Two hours had flown by. One of the best concerts I have ever seen at Spark Arena, both in feel, sound and even just the vibe, was over.
We wanted more, they have more in them and it was magical. The band loved the fans, the fans loved them. Neil Finn and the boys had thrilled everyone in what was, yes I'll say it, a very happy, crowded house.
• Crowded House play at Auckland's Spark Arena again on Sunday.
