The Jungle Giants, Sycco Extended Family @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 11/4/2025
Footy fans may have descended upon Adelaide Oval on Friday night. But the music lovers Gather(ed) Round Hindley Street Music Hall for something exponentially better.
With their infectious grooves, The Jungle Giants brought the party to Tarntanya/ Adelaide for their Hold My Hand tour. Their seventy-five -minute high-energy set ensured a night of fun, frivolity and funk.
Sycco Extended Family opened the night with an unexpected DJ set that served as a gentle warm-up for the main event. But it was The Jungle Giants we came to see.
As a sublime lighting sequence shined through the darkened room, On Your Way Down kicked things off in style. The Brisbane quartet wasted no time shaking the walls with their signature blend of indie-pop.
Trippin Up, In Her Eyes, and Charge My Phone kept the funk train rolling. Arms were in the air, bodies were dancing, and vibes were positive.
South Australian born front man, Sam Hales, ever the energetic maestro, danced like a man possessed like your mate who just found his groove at 1 a.m. His vigour was persistent all night, as was his conversation with the crowd.
Sending Me UR Loving from 2020’s Love Signs proved popular. While Heartless showcased Hales’s vocal talent as his impressive falsetto echoed through the venue.
A massive shout-out has to go out to Thomas and his spectacular lighting throughout the night. On point from start to finish, it was a highlight especially through the run of Bad Dream and Quiet Ferocity.
This golden pairing was a dream-pop spectacle. The former, slick and hypnotic, melted into the latter like a neon sign into the night. Then, She’s a Riot, Monstertruck and Love Signs raised us out of our trance. They were playful, poppy, and crowd-unifying.
By the time Used to Be in Love and Hold My Hand arrived, Cesira Aitken (guitar), Andrew Dooris (Bass) and Keelan Bijker (drums) were playing in the pocket. Together with Hales, they offered an elevated, intense, yet brilliant musical experience.
Then Feel the Way I Do dropped. There’s something deeply satisfying about hundreds of strangers singing “Feel the Way I Do” in perfect sync while bouncing like caffeinated kangaroos. As I pondered whether the song still hits as it did back in 2017, the answer was a definitive, hell yeah, it does!
Succumbing to peer pressure and chants of “shoey”, Hales did, in fact, do a shoey before launching into the final song of the night, Heavy Hearted.
After fourteen years in the biz, The Jungle Giants reminded everyone why they’re still at the top of their game. As we spilled out of the venue—grinning, buzzing, totally uplifted—it was clear this wasn’t just a gig: it was a masterclass in the magic of live music.
Live Review By Anita Kertes