Harry Styles
7th March 2023
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Charlotte Lightbody. Historical File Photo by Matt Henry Mendonca.
Multi grammy, award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Harry Styles performed last night to a sold-out audience in Auckland as part of his ‘Love On Tour’ show. The entire stadium lapped up everything Harry gave to the crowd. He certainly has come a long way since his 2010 moment on the X Factor stage!
The show opened with kiwi gal Ny Oh, a Tauranga native who’s been playing the keyboard in Harry’s show right across the globe with him. What a treat to have her in the opening act, though. She gave me real folksy, slightly country with a hint of 60’s inspiration and I was here for all of it (especially the florals). There’s something so special about seeing a fellow Kiwi, who was so sweet and humble, having a teary moment on stage because of the magnitude of where she was at that moment. I felt that along with her, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the night.
This was followed by an electrifying performance from the award-winning British indie rock duo, Wet Leg. Hailing from the Isle of Wight, they raced to stardom last year via their viral hit, ‘Chaise Longue’. These cheeky gals were INCREDIBLE to watch and opened with the track ‘Being In Love’, which quickly got the crowd boogying. I could imagine a few of their tracks like ‘Angelica’ or ‘Wet Dream’ featuring in a Quentin Tarantino movie, everything about them just oozes with ‘cool’. The lyrics in each track surprise with a mixture of sweetness, sexiness and occasionally a scream or two – you need to listen carefully though. I was stoked to see them perform live. I consider my muffin buttered, and I’m now even more of a new fan!
As the sun went down, turning the clear night sky dark blue, a sea of pink cowboy hats, paisley printed shirts and feather boas all collectively sang the One Direction anthem ‘Best Song Ever’, as it blared out across the stadium – was there a better way to warm up the already heated masses?
Almost bang on 8.30 PM, the most magnificent moment happened… Harry appeared in all his glory, sashaying across the stage, opening with ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’ to a frothing crowd. And because it’s Harry, we talk about fashion. He energetically pranced around wearing a white/blue t-shirt, featuring a sparkly whale’s tail and his signature navy blue flared-style pants.
His current band members are such a diverse group of talented musicians and backup vocalists, extra special shout out to the insanely skilled female drummer! This pool of talent, coupled with the fast pace nature of Harry’s show, PLUS the instrumental outros (Watermelon Sugar sent me spiralling) really allowed each of them to shine in their own way.
For those original One Direction fans, Harry sang What Makes You Beautiful to an erupting crowd, turning the whole of Mt Smart into the biggest disco party I’ve ever attended.
The show’s pace went from a pumping party ‘Cinema’, ‘Adore You’ ‘Daydreaming’ and ‘Late Night Talking’ through to transcending, quieter moments during ‘Keep Driving’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Love of My Life’. His songs connect you through topics that deal with complicated issues, from bodily autonomy to gun control to issues around queer identity and self-love. Harry has a way of capturing the raw essence of what’s important in life. He knows his audience well, and this dovetails perfectly with his dandyish, vintage-inspired style. Lyrically and rhythmically, he reminds me so much of the bold 1960s and 1970s aesthetic.
I must mention his gorgeous interludes between songs. Addressing the crowd: “Auckland… and surrounding areas!” was a weirdly inclusive moment I loved as someone now living in Hamilton. At one point, Harry was praising those up front with their sign messages, many of which had clearly been lining up since the night before. It felt like he genuinely cared about each and every one of the concertgoers, talking to them, and dishing out advice and praise as if they were close friends. He also mentioned the census, and that he ‘thinks’ he did it, which got a big laugh out of the audience.
Styles also addressed the crowd in te reo Māori more than once, singing Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi and later donning the Tino Rangatiratanga flag (often referred to as the Māori flag) around his shoulders while flashing his cheeky smile after a fan threw it onstage for him. It’s the little things.
Another highlight of my night? I hoped he was going to play ‘Little Freak’ live, and he didn’t disappoint… it’s my favourite track from his most recent album and as always, it hits the most when it’s played live, right? What a tune, and to hear thousands of others singing and swaying along at the same time was a moment I’ll never forget.
He closed the show with his 2017 hit Kiwi from his debut album, introducing this track by saying, “You should know this next one! It’s named after you.” with an extremely cheeky smile. Halfway through the track, he stopped to mention quickly, “How often do I get to sing Kiwi with a bunch of Kiwis?”.
Potentially controversial, but Harry’s House (2022) is definitely my personal favourite of his albums. I was ecstatic to hear so much new music from this album, as some artists just stick to playing their well-known songs. I enjoyed listening to a variety of music from his collection rather than *just* the hits.
Why do we love Harry so much? Well, it’s simple, really. He’s upbeat, inclusive, refreshing, joyful and so damn likeable. He is pure escapism, uncomplicated and his motto is ‘Treat people with kindness’. Harry is everyone’s close friend when the world seems to be a weird and incredibly uncertain place.
Last night, he brought across a powerful message of self-love and kindness to not only yourself but also others, which the world 100% needs right now.
Were you there at Mt Smart Stadium for this huge stadium pop show? Or have you seen Harry Styles perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Harry Styles Setlist:
- Music for a Sushi Restaurant
- Golden
- Adore You
- Keep Driving
- Daylight
- Woman
- Matilda
- Little Freak
- Satellite
- Cinema
- Treat People With Kindness
- What Makes You Beautiful [One Direction song]
- Late Night Talking
- Watermelon Sugar
- Love of My Life
- Sign of the Times [encore]
- Medicine [encore]
- She’s Dressed As a Banana [encore]
- As It Was [encore]
- Kiwi [encore]
Wet Leg Setlist:
- Being in Love
- Wet Dream
- Supermarket
- Convincing
- Obvious
- Oh No
- Ur Mum
- Too Late Now
- Angelica
- Chaise Longue
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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