A Good, Good Life: Concert Review

The best things in life are worth waiting for. This definitely rings true for those of us who may have been devastated by last year’s delay to Illy’s The Good Life Tour following a longer than expected production time. His decision to hold off until the album had been released allowed audiences to develop a relationship with the new body of work, which meant by the time the new dates of the tour rolled around crowds were ready and eager to sing every word back to the man on stage. The extra time prepping the fanbase for the album and the artists for the show definitely paid off, leading to a thrilling night that I’m already wanting to relive.

This is what happened at Illy’s The Good Life show at The Gov on April 20th, 2025.

KUREN

Our opening act for the night was Hillston producer Kuren, who kicked the crowd off with a half-hour set on the decks. Kuren’s been producing music for a while and his mixes are great for festivals and concerts alike. The upbeat tracks are easy to dance to, allowing audiences to quickly break the ice on the floor. Groups crowded the stage, jumping enthusiastically to the beat of the music, mirroring the same energy Kuren had from the decks. His joy in being able to create and curate a set for everyone was infectious and a great way to start the night off!

CHISEKO

It seems like Illy has a knack for attracting artists with the same positive energy and mindset on stage that he has. Chiseko was the perfect complimentary rapper to perform as a support artist. His songs are smooth as silk and as sweet as honey, with incredible lyrical flow. Chiseko channels a retro-appeal, reinventing ‘groove’ in the hip hop genre. On stage, he seems confident, playful, and genuine in his interactions with the audience. Crowdwork comes easily to Chiseko – especially when he jumps off-stage to come perform from the pit! Even for new listeners, it’s easy to feel connected with Chiseko’s performance like a long-time fan would; most of his songs allow for a call-and-response interaction with the audience and Chiseko easily guides and encourages his audience along. From the first song, Chiseko definitely struck me as an artist I would like to see again, so definitely check his music out for yourself!

Fave song: Juice

ILLY

I’ve been listening to Illy’s music since 2011 and he still strikes me as one of the hardest working musicians in the Australian hip hop scene, as well as the kindest! Seeing the progression of his music over more than a decade has been incredible and it seems like while the music is for him, the concerts are all about pleasing the fans as much as possible. For this reason, I have to shout out Liam (on drums) and Patty (on pretty much everything else) as the perfect musicians to back Illy up for his set. Illy’s appreciation for them didn’t go unnoticed, especially during Liam’s drum solo! Their zeal and incredible talent brought the music to life from the stage in such a raw and powerful way!

With an epic opening, Illy began with full force with You Don’t Like Me. The rock-rap was such a hardcore start to the set and had the crowd locked in quickly. Illy curated a great set list to showcase other songs from Good Life, with Stubborn and Good Night Good Luck serving as early highlights of the show. Peppered in amongst these were some of his biggest hits from the previous albums: Catch-22, Tightrope and Then What included.

Illy is also an excellent collaborative artist and took the chance to work the crowd’s energy up with his version of Exit Sign, originally produced with Ecca Vandal and legends of Australian hip hop, Adelaide icons Hilltop Hoods. Paying tribute to the trio, he playfully acknowledged they were a bit too busy headlining Bluesfest’s final run to make it for The Gov that night! Swear Jar lit up the room with its memorable chorus surely raising eyebrows from the venue’s restaurant outside.

Some surprise entries in the set list were the crowd-favourites Illy chose to cover. There’s nothing like a room united in singing along to Take Me Home, Country Roads and Mr Brightside. I was caught so off-guard as the musicians all exited the stage, way too soon for an encore, I thought. Illy’s grip on the crowd was so strong I didn’t notice that over an hour had passed and it really didn’t feel like long enough with so much incredible music and energy buzzing around the room to soak up!

Returning quickly for the encore, we were treated to Closer and another incredible team-up with Illy’s version of Peking Duk’s High (a crossover event to rival Infinity War). Obviously, we had to end out on Good Life, because it really is a good, good life when you can fill your weekends in an environment as enriching for the soul as The Gov when Illy’s on stage. It was a concert I wanted to go back to even before I stepped over the threshold of the venue and back to reality.

For a prolific gig-goer like me, it seems a pity that after 15 years of listening I’ve only seen this legend perform twice. But the long-standing admiration, the desire to follow along as his music continues to transform and evolve, means this journey as a fan as been intriguing, exciting and meaningful. These feel like reflections of the same sentiments that Illy brings to his shows and his craft. One thing is for sure: he continues to be as dedicated to his fanbase as ever – I don’t think I’ve met an artist before that seems as genuinely kind and appreciative as he is.

Fave song: Tightrope

MERCH

After the show, Illy stopped by the merch desk for a rare opportunity to greet his fans – COST = Priceless! I also got the Good Life CD, which Illy was kind enough to sign for me!

SOUNDS GOOD?

Ya’ll if you missed this one, the FOMO is going to hit hard. But these three artists are also getting ready to tour and release new work, so now is the time to brush up on the verses so you can sing along with them!

360 – 360 is about to embark on his first tour in a LONG while. He was the first Australian hip hop artist I heard when Child came out and I’m still in awe of a few of his classics today.

Hilltop Hoods – It goes without saying that if you like Illy, you’re going to like Hilltop Hoods. They’re a staple of the Australian hip hop scene with fun, witty lyrics and great music to dance to.

A.B. Original – This Indigenous duo made up of Briggs and Trials have an incredible, confident style of hip hop that draws a lot of attention to their brutally honest and cuttingly clever lyricism. The band has hinted at a new album on Facebook, and I’m hoping that means some live shows as well!