The first night of Paul Kelly’s 40th Anniversary Australia and New Zealand tour opened in Perth with a sold-out show at the RAC Areana that delivered warmth, grit and history in equal measure. With newcomers Fanny Lumsden and Country Blues legend Lucinda Williams in support, this was more than just a concert—it was a celebration of songwriting at its most enduring.
Fanny Lumsden opened the evening with the kind of warmth and sincerity that immediately drew the Perth crowd into her orbit. Radiating charisma, she delivered a set that was brimming with fun and the melodic charm of her country-folk roots. Her voice, bright and confident, carried through the room with ease, and connected with a crowd that was still filling the arena to capacity. For a first time on a big stage, she and her band proved that they have the songs and the charm to engage an audience of this size.
Her songs, which blend humour, honesty and heartfelt observation, felt like postcards from country Australia. Between tracks she joked with the audience and the band filled the stage, making the arena feel more like a small intimate gig. It was a reminder that sometimes the best opener is the one who doesn’t try to dazzle, but instead invites everyone to lean in and get in on the fun. Lumsden achieved just that, setting the tone for a great night.
Lucinda Williams and her band followed, turning the mood from fun and upbeat to something rawer, darker, and deeply soulful. Williams, walking carefully to her mic stand but standing firm once there, launched into a voice that still carries the weight of the blues and the grit of decades on the road. The audience responded instantly, all applauding, some rising to their feet in recognition that they were watching a true icon. She and her band are so much more than a casual listener might expect and were a great replacement for Jason Isbell who had initially been penciled in for this slot.
Her band was a study in controlled firepower. The twin guitars of Doug Pettibone and Mark Ford wrapped around each other, one laying down shimmering rhythm while the other stretched into searching, searing leads. Ford in particular provided a highlight with his solos on ‘While My Guitar Genty Weeps’ from the Beatles covers record.
Williams’s set traversed her catalogue with ease, touching on the Southern poetry of her early records as well as more recent, hard-won material. The interplay of the two guitarists created a sonic bed both jagged and tender, a perfect foil for her voice which remains a thing of expressive beauty—rough-edged but utterly truthful. At one point she turned to the crowd and told a tale of a friend who hung out with Townes Van Vant in the 70’s – ‘Drunken Angel’ was masterful Americana that saw Ford stepping forward for a solo that was both mournful and defiant, bending notes into shapes that seemed to hang in the air long after he’d finished. It was the kind of playing that said more in a few bars than words could manage.
The songs are golden and the stories make you realise how much Lucinda has experienced and seen whether it’s newer material like the wonderful ‘Lowlife’, an ode to a cocktail or the rousing cover of ‘Rocking in the Free World’ that closed her set. It’s as close to perfect as you get from a support act.
Then it was Paul Kelly’s turn to take the stage for what was the opening night of his 40th-anniversary Australian and New Zealand tour. The sense of occasion was unmistakable: the room buzzing with anticipation, the sold-out Perth crowd on its feet before he even played a note. Kelly, ever the understated showman, began not with a guitar but at the piano, his silhouette framed against the stage lights. The decision felt deliberate, a nod to reflection and maturity, and the opening notes rang out with a hush that fell instantly across the room.
By the second song, Kelly had slung on his acoustic guitar, instantly shifting gears and loosening into that familiar rhythmic strum that has underpinned so many of his best-loved songs. His long-standing band—anchored by the rhythm section he’s played with for 32 years—slipped in behind him like a second skin. Their interplay, polished yet still alive with spark, was a testament to a partnership built over decades of shared stages and studios.
Kelly paused early in the set to speak warmly of Perth. He recalled the city with real affection, noting that it was Perth radio that first gave “Before Too Long” a spin all those years ago. You could hear in his voice both gratitude and nostalgia, and the crowd responded with loud applause, proud to be acknowledged as the place where one of his most enduring songs first caught the public ear.
The setlist, modelled closely on the one he played in Dublin a few weeks ago, yet shifted and shaken up to create a new cocktail of the same ingredients but with new accents and angles, was a perfect blend of old favourites and newer gems. From the aching balladry to the foot-stomping anthems, it was a reminder of just how broad his catalogue has become and how supremely well it has weathered. He even debuted his sequel to How to Make Gravy, a song titled ‘Rita Wrote a Letter,’ which picked up the story with wonderful twists. It was met with huge applause, proof that his gift for storytelling, creating characters and weaving a wonderful narrative is undimmed.
What was striking was not just the breadth of material but the freshness with which he and his band delivered it. His voice was clear and unforced and it carried every word to the audience who sang it back just as hard. His guitar playing had an ease that only decades of practice can bring, let’s be honest if anything, Kelly sounded reinvigorated—an artist who, forty years into his career, is still writing and performing at a level most would envy. I’ve seen him numerous times over the years and this was definitely my favourite.
Midway through the evening he introduced his band one by one, drawing special attention to his rhythm section. “I’ve been playing with these guys for 32 years,” he said with real love, the audience responded with thunderous applause. It was a touching reminder that Kelly’s story is as much about friendship and loyalty as it is about music. As the night drew towards its close, the setlist built to a series of songs that had the audience singing along word for word. Classics sat comfortably beside newer tracks, all of them delivered with equal conviction. The encore brought the house down, Kelly and his band leaving nothing in reserve, their chemistry undeniable and the room full of love and positivity.
With sold-out dates across the country and in New Zealand, it is clear that this anniversary tour is not just a retrospective but a celebration of an artist in full flight. The Perth opening night set a high bar—an emotional, musically rich performance that reminded everyone why Paul Kelly remains at the heart of Australian music and one of our most cherished and essential artists.
Taken together with Fanny Lumsden’s big stage debut and Lucinda Williams’s fire-forged poetry, and unstoppable band this triple bill is as strong as any you will see this year. It’s a lineup that honours tradition, celebrates the art of storytelling, and showcases artistry that is still evolving. Truly, a night not to be missed. Get off that fence Australia and get those tickets!
Lucinda Williams Setlist
Let’s Get the Band Back Together
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Drunken Angel
Lowlife
Fruits of My Labor
You Can’t Rule Me (Memphis Minnie cover)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles cover)
Joy
Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
Paul Kelly Setlist
Let’s not ruin the surprise!
