The Grand Hiatus: Concert Review

It’s just a hiatus.

Those four words have come in conversation with everyone I’ve met tonight at Miami Marketta, for the first of Holy Holy’s last Queensland shows before they head overseas. The words provide us an uneasy comfort, a guilty pleasure, a sliver of hope in a tentative time. Even in the middle of the show, Oscar has to check himself when he alludes to the possible end of the hiatus before it’s officially begun – nothing said tonight is contractually obliging, he reminds us. But that goes both ways, right?

Tonight, I met the band through a VIP meet-and-greet experience. It was fantastic to get a chance to talk to the creators of music that has inspired, challenged and uplifted so many people. In some ways, the highlight was meeting the other diehard fans. We recognised each other from other gigs – Kingscliff, Byron Bay – and teed up our plans to meet up over the next few nights of shows and after parties. We struggled to choose our favourite songs and the ones we hoped to hear one last time, or understand how so many people were oblivious to the existence of this beautiful music, or fathom a world with no promise of another Holy Holy concert.

It's just a hiatus was what we kept coming back to.

I’m going to enjoy seeing the band play in Caloundra tomorrow and for the final time in Brisbane on Saturday. I’ll be at the afterparty, hopefully front row at the shows, capturing my fan videos for my personal enjoyment. But Holy Holy is one of the strongest musical acts we have in Australia, from my layman’s perspective at least. So it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that with the last opportunity I have for now.

This is what happened at Holy Holy’s The Grand Hiatus Tour at Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast on June 5th, 2025.

ROWENA WISE

I’m glad Rowena Wise is set to tour later this year (with Diddiri!) because her six-song set was just a taste of her musical prowess. Rowena has music in her blood, coming to the stage with an alternative-folk sound that has been harnessed over the years of her life into a fine-tuned performance with a strong sense of individuality. The reflections that Rowena sung covered themes of love and loss with a complexity that reflects the inner workings of the mind but rarely gains the acknowledgement it should, such as in her opening song of the act Nobody’s Saviour, which provides a strong impression of Rowena and highlights her stunning vocal talent. Meanwhile, Bad Things Feel Good and 26 Hours, highlight Rowena’s honest persona, allowing her to quickly endear the audience to her. This was a great preview of what’s coming up over the next few months for Rowena. If you missed her set (or don’t have concert tickets yet!) make sure to be at King’s Beach Tavern or The Fortitude Music Hall early to hear her live!

Fave song: 26 Hours

HOLY HOLY

Like the band, I also enjoy the intimacy of a smaller venue in a regional space. The music reaches everyone easily and there’s a greater sense of unity and appreciation all around. For the people who come from regional areas, there’s an immense gratitude for the artists travelling further afield and making time in a tour. And then there are a bunch of us who know the reward of seeing a Holy Holy show live far outweighs the cost of the two-hour drive.

With Tim and Oscar taking front of stage, drummer Ryan and bassist Graham joining up the back, the audience was treated to the triumphantly romantic Elevator. Everything hit harder tonight – the beat from the drum, the groove of the bass, the iconic melodies of the guitar, and the raw, passionate vocals embellishing every line in every song with that extra attention to detail. Before the show, I bumped into the band’s manager and struggled to choose my top 5 songs on the spot. The fact of the matter is that the setlist tonight featured 21 of my top 5 songs, but also left out 42 of my other top 5 favourite songs from Holy Holy’s career. So I was going to have a good time no matter what.

An early few highlights of the night included the addition of Love You Still to the setlist. This song, a love letter from the band to the each other, and maybe also to the audience (and definitely from the audience to the band when we sing it back at them) is one of Holy Holy’s new releases as part of their Sweet Bitter Sweet album released this year as a final body of work before the hiatus begins. This song has all the features of the best of Holy Holy’s discography, with the depth that comes from releasing a poignant song as a parting gift.

If I Were You was an incredible testament to Ryan’s talent on drums. The crowd hung onto every hit, kick and beat, awestruck. Soon after, we were treated to the first four songs from My Own Pool Of Light, where the band explained the breakthrough they had in writing for each body of work. I’ve always found the Codas to be a staple of Holy Holy’s live experience and love the transition from Flight to Sandra, which adds so much depth to the shows and the album.

The band’s collabs over the years have always been executed brilliantly. We were spoilt having Clews provide backing vocals and featuring in Aftergone and Ready. And the crowd went wild when that boy Kwame arrived on stage to perform Messed Up. Special shout out to Kwame for passing me a setlist after the show! We were treated to a four song encore, including Frida, especially fitting given the murals of the famous artist around the walls of the venue. And of course, we had to have Sentimental and Monday and True Lovers as well – it’s not a Holy Holy concert without them!  

I’d love to say more, but I’ve got two more shows and an after party to get ready for this weekend and I really hope I’ll see you there! Tickets are about to sell out, but the after party is free and a bunch of us are having fun speculating what we’re going to hear when Tim and Oscar hit the decks at Crowbar Brisbane. There’s only one way to find out!

Bye for now. Love you, still.

MERCH

I paid extra for a VIP ticket, which included a signed poster and a polaroid photo of me with the band!

I also bought a crop top, t-shirt and cap from the merch desk during the night.

Thank you to Lewis and Kwame for passing me the set lists for tonight’s acts! I really appreciate it. <3

SOUNDS GOOD?

If you’re looking for a band to fill the void that Holy Holy will inevitably leave, these groups might do the trick!

Ball Park Music – I love the theatricality that Holy Holy and Ball Park Music incorporate into many of their songs, where there’s a build up to a musical climax that feels almost cinematic!

Gang of Youths – Another band that crafts really complex albums to take you on an emotional journey, with amazing stage presence as well.

Boy and Bear – If you’re more into Holy Holy’s earlier country-rock tinged sound, you’ll probably appreciate a similar style from this band who also know how to put on a good show.