Newcastle Entertainment Centre
13 August 2025

The Newcastle Entertainment Centre was full to the brim this Wednesday night to catch the opening night of Keith Urban’s High and Alive Australian tour, and I arrive to be greeted by hundreds of punters attempting to take a breather following Chase Matthew’s opening set. Sorry mate, I’ll need to catch you another time but I found myself elbow’s deep into the Norther Star’s $25 rump steak special. Boots, hats and a general ‘country’ dress code was prominent, even some sequins were dusted off for this special night, just to ensure you’ve been noticed.

Introducing himself with guitar in-hand, silhouetted by a flashing white spotlight behind a sheer stage-high curtain, the band is revealed with Keith launching into the opening guitar lead of ‘Straight Lines’. Then you realise that the overhead lighting panels are descending, tilting, to be hovering just over the artist’s heads. OK, I did not expect that but damn, that looks great. With a nice clean stage and a full width rear video screen, lighting and production is next level and was used throughout the night with great effect.

There was a big, two hour show ahead of us, and one which touched nearly each of his albums, stretching way back to the 1999 self-titled. A good indication as to just how strong his catalogue is. Songs from last year’s release, High, featured strongest (as expected), with the energy of ‘Heart Like A Hometown’ being illuminated by 100s of overhead lighting cans, it gives me throwbacks to ’80s arenas. This lighting rig never stopped delivering. Twenty year old ‘Somebody Like You’ received solid approval with 1000s of voices joining Keith. Clearly a big highlight not only for myself, as was Pink’s appearance via video to duet with Keith on the following ‘One Too Many’.

Keith is a wonderful guitarist, a joy to watch. Just put him at the end of the thrust stage, light him up, some smoke rising from underneath and let him rip. That’s just what he delivered with ‘Parallel Line’ along with a room full of lasers. It was quite a sight to behold.

A late set visit to a small second stage, quietly positioned at the rear of the arena floor, was a wonderful surprise and set the punters scrambling… for their phones. A couple of “up close and personals”, ‘Pink Pony Club’ (Chappell Roan cover) and ‘You’ll Think of Me’, were very special, lit softly, and a true highlight. As was the acoustic guitar he betrothed onto one lucky punter, signed and all.

To be frank, this was a great show, one with all the production qualities that you were probably not expecting. Keith was chatty and damn right funny at times. His six piece backing band, one that included Rathmines local Gabi Louise on fiddle, were on the money for two hours. With a little cherry to close the night, a great cover of the New Radicals ‘You Get What You Give’, it was a big night for all involved.