The Forum Melbourne venue filled to the brim early, with a diverse turn out of patrons, collectively eager to see Myles Smith’s first ever Australian concert.
You see, Myles was originally meant to come to Australia back in November last year. Due to demand, and after some venue upgrades and rescheduling, the British Jamaican singer-songwriter is finally in town for his Australian debut shows.
Touring as part of his 2025 We Were Never Strangers Tour, Myles Smith and his band mates Eddie Lopes (bassist), Daniel Said (drummer), Joe Devine (guitarist) and Elliot Herrington (keyboardist), were given the best Aussie welcome possible.
Myles stepped onto the stage to greet his patient Melbourne audience in a stylish Aussie Socceroos green and gold football jersey and hit the ground running with the gorgeous ‘Wait For You’. It may have been a Monday night, but the sold-out Forum Melbourne instantly came to life from the moment that Myles began to sing.
Delivering his perfect measure of uplifting tunes and emotional ballads, while equipped with his smooth yet powerful vocals, Myles thoroughly impressed, with a captivating stage presence that’s undeniable. This was only enhanced by Melbourne fans that were more than willing to wave their hands, clap, sing back and cheer on command, practically knowing the lyrics to every one of Myles’ songs off by heart.
This tall, bold, bashful, super talented and beautiful music personality proudly wears his heart on his sleeve and it’s evident through his music. Despite being inspired by the likes of Chris Martin (Coldplay), Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons), and Ed Sheeran, Myles Smith has successfully formed and maintained his own lyrically eloquent signature sound. His music has the duality to have you animatedly dancing one moment and tearing up in the aisles the next.
The intimate lighting of Forum Melbourne, especially its section closest to the stage where the vast blue ceiling above appeared to look like a sky full of stars, felt ever appropriate from the moment that the plain background behind Myles revealed to also appear like a starry sky during the appropriately titled ‘Behind’. This brilliantly stunning, minimal yet effective lighting, continued to wow Melbourne patrons throughout the night as it danced along with Myles’ songs, like an additional member of the band.
Myles stated that by the end of the evening, he wanted everyone in the room to get to know him and each other better, and the Melbourne concert soon became an excellent eye-opening introduction on Australian culture. From our “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie – Oi, oi, oi” chant, to a fan welcomed on stage to do a shoey (later gifted a hat by Myles since he was so impressed), Myles and his musician friends were equally as astonished with us, as we were with them.
Stand out songs of the night consisted of the aforementioned ‘Wait For You’ and stunning ‘Behind’, alongside my personal favourite, the poetic ‘Whisper’, the late-night romantic ‘3am’, and affectionate ‘My Home’. Crowd favourites of the evening included hit ‘Nice To Meet You’, and new song ‘Gold’ from his upcoming third studio EP A Minute, A Moment, which is due to be released later this month on May 23rd.
However, highlights of the Melbourne concert occurred during two songs. The first was when Myles performed ‘River’, transforming the Melbourne audience into his very own emotional support community and chorus. Myles spoke candidly about mental health, familial love, friendship and self-love, openly sharing personal stories of his inspiration for the title of his We Were Never Strangers Tour. Then, during ‘Little By Little’, Myles requested for everyone to hold up their phones and slowly turn on their lights if they’ve ever experienced the certain troubles that Myles listed one by one. This in turn ended up having every patron illuminate the iconic Forum Melbourne venue, like we were all little twinkling stars in Myles’ chosen galaxy. This was a beautiful moment which moved many in the venue to tears.
Concluding the evening with his big hit ‘Stargazing’, not once but twice, with the second time on the floor amongst his Melbourne fans, it’s hard to believe that this event was Myles Smith’s first ever Australian concert. In an unforgettable experience, it was wonderful witnessing Myles’ journey. Not only because he finally made it our shores and we got to know him through his show, but it was an honour watching in real time the passionate singer-songwriter cement a special relationship with Melbourne.
It may have been a first visit for Myles, the first of many to come, but the way that the Melbourne crowd cheered him on, it felt like a wholesome homecoming. Admittedly, I had not heard of Myles prior to his Australian tour being announced, but after listening to a handful of songs, my curiosity piqued and inspired me to apply to review his show. I’m happy and thankful to share that I’m now a fan, even though this new fan is a bit sad that after the Melbourne show, I tried to get a black tour shirt in my size but they had already sold out! This brilliant musician is destined for arenas in the not-too-distant-future, in what may already be his second home outside of the UK.
Myles Smith is a refreshing talented artist, bravely using his platform to be an advocate for mental health. It helps that his music is great too. He’s not only one to watch, but he’s also one to love.
Myles Smith played the first of his two sold-out Melbourne shows at Forum Melbourne as part of his We Were Never Strangers 2025 Tour, proudly presented by Frontier Touring, on Monday the 5th of May. His second will be tonight (Tuesday May 6th) before embarking on the rest of the Australian and New Zealand leg of his world tour.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.frontiertouring.com/mylessmith
https://www.mylessmith.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/mylessmithuk
Photography by Grant Alexander.
