Review: Imagine Dragons bring lightning and thunder to Auckland show

Wayne Sermon, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynolds and Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons perform on stage at Spark Arena on May 21, 2018 in Auckland. Photo / Getty

From the minute Imagine Dragons appeared on stage at last night's NZ debut of their Evolve World Tour, they flipped the stadium barometer to high pressure.

This Las Vegas rock band are not short on energy and enthusiasm, with front man Dan Reynolds bounding around the stage from the get-go, right through to their final explosion of sound with the crowd favourite, Radioactive.

Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons performs at Spark Arena on May 21, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo / Getty

Support act The Temper Trap tried their best to warm up an audience that really only came to see the main act. When the lights dimmed again and Imagine Dragons arrived, the atmosphere palpably shifted. Dramatic lighting effects combined with the band's intro songs to set the tone: loud.

Stadium staff had offered ear plugs to children earlier, which should've prepared us for what to expect, but didn't. Imagine Dragons rates as one of the loudest concerts I can remember - and that includes the Foo Fighters in 2011 at Western Springs, when seismic activity was recorded.

Reynolds paused briefly to invite fans to leave "everything" at the door and just have fun. It was clear from his heavy breathing that this type of performance was no easy task. But Reynolds has it well rehearsed.

His movements were natural, non-choreographed and not too showy. He weaved his way into the crowd several times, reaching out to audience members in the packed stadium. At one stage, he climbed nearly to fans at the top. It's hard to believe this guy could ever struggle with motivation, as revealed part-way through the concert.

Various props - giant balloons that fell from the ceiling during an upbeat On Top of The World, and showers of confetti - enhanced the overall effect of seeing a polished band whose rapid rise has been well earned.

Fans watch Imagine Dragons perform at Spark Arena on May 21, 2018 in Auckland. Photo / Getty

They played a perfect rendition of big hit Believer, which became the US Billboard's second longest No. 1 single in history, and transformed the stadium into a magical sea of lights with Forever Young.

A highlight of the show came when the band relocated to perform up close and personal to fans at the back of the stadium. They launched into a breathtakingly beautiful acoustic version of their hit song Next to me, featuring an electric cello and other string instruments, with pitch-perfect vocals.

Their closing track Radioactive then left the audience with plenty to smile about before heading into the night.

Who: Imagine Dragons
Where: Spark Arena, Auckland
When: Monday, May 21