Oh Holly Night: Holly Hebe Set Review

I’m in line at The Triffid, waiting to see British singer Holly Humberstone on her Australia 2025 tour, bringing the calm before the storm as the end of the year music run draws ever nearer. Tonight, we have a double act with Naarm/Melbourne singer Holly Hebe joining Humberstone to open the show. I’m hoping Hebe will share more than a name with Holly, like similar poetic lyrics and a reflective musical style, and am in anticipation for her set tonight!

This is what happened during Holly Hebe’s set at The Triffid on November 18th, 2025.

HOLLY HEBE

Holly stepped up to the keyboard, front and centre on the stage, and launched into a nostalgia trip of a song in Hat Hair, with a beat reminiscent of 2000s Disney Channel (the best!) and dreamy pop vocals. I felt like I was watching my favourite teen comedy, with a carefree, youthful atmosphere starting to resonate from the stage over the crowd. Don’t Come Crying was similarly bubbly and fun, with catchy lyrics that were easy to pick up and sing along to. The contrast of the girly-pop sound with darker themes interrogating the difficulties that arise in trying to reclaim power from unhealthy relationships quickly proves Holly to be insightful and appealing to a crowd.

Personally, I’ve come to appreciate seeing rising stars for the first time in a more stripped-back performance. They might be used to (or working towards) singing with a band, but in the moment they’re on stage, independent and armed with their instrument. For Holly, it’s keys which she’s been practicing and perfecting since early childhood. While she’s got nothing but her keys, her voice and the crowd this evening, Holly can also be found playing or singing as part of the band. Her versatility and talent is admirable and has led her opening for musicians like Holly Humberstone and Alfie Templeton, winning over the crowd with her sweet disposition and dreamy pop vocals.

Holly switches off the backing track for the next three songs, swapping in the emphasis on her production talents for a focus on her instrumental and vocal talent instead. 8ball and Baby Pick Your Phone Up are romantic and vulnerable, emulating the same vulnerability of some of Hebe’s influences, like Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers, without compromising on her own unique sound. But it’s If You Were A Person (Ruby’s Song) which stands out as a highlight of the set, nostalgic and loving, a dedication to Holly’s dog which ends on a tearjerking note that every pet owner will understand.

Showcasing her beautiful skills as a pianist for the last time, Hebe picks up the pace to finish off the set and steps out from the piano for an ethereal club track, Strobe Lights, which makes me yearn for a festival tent and a spiked slushie. Holly further endears herself to the audience by bringing us together for a sing-along in Snap Out Of It, raising the energy in the room further still. Her last two songs, Bottle Blonde and Ultra Love, contrast each other in their efforts to leave the best impression on the audience. The first features the introspective lyrics and the rose-coloured nostalgia that plucks an emotional chord, while the latter returns to the hazy club beats that feel like a reinvention of the Y2K girl-pop era.

Holly Hebe is a star on the rise, so be sure to catch her at one of her upcoming shows or give a listen to debut EP, Ruby, so you can join along with her ride! She’s got a few more dates supporting Holly Humberstone across Australia before she jumps right back on the road with Lyric to end off the year, so there are plenty of chances to catch Holly Hebe live, and more to come in 2026 we hope!

Fave song: If You Were A Person (Ruby’s Song)