David Byrne @ Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 24/1/2026
Iconic Talking Heads front man David Byrne needs no introduction returning to Adelaide for the Who Is The Sky? Australian tour. This is one of those brilliant shows that will be a talking point for quite some time as there is nothing like it or anything that is remotely comparable. Creatively out of the box, this was well considered and pieced together and so much so that every detail matters. 2018s American Utopia tour was quite a performance, but this time round was next level. Ambitious? Definitely!
The beauty of this performance is the broad demographic this music appeals attracting music lovers of all ages and music tastes seeking the same thing… an excellent performance, which is exactly what we got. It wasn’t your typical performance either with a band set up in a more familiar and traditional set up. It was far more free flowing with a twelve-piece ensemble of musicians, singers and dancers moving freely across the stage in a roving style with precision dressed in blue jump suits. The staging was an interesting one also with what appeared as three massive flat screens with a slightly sloped floor projecting an image of the moon’s surface. Out of this world? Maybe? As show goers took up their seats it was an array of bird chirping noises that were heard creating a more relaxed vibe before the show started.
With no support, when you are as good as David Byrne you don’t need a support, there was a message from the great man reminding people to be in the moment and not be so reliant on taking photos/ videos on their phone and that it was ok to dance but be conscious of the people around them. As the show started unfolding it was like a real-life diorama right in front of us. The set list was nostalgic traversing a number of Talking Head’s classics as much as it was forward facing covering new album Who Is The Sky? and selected offerings from Look Into The Eyeball and Rei Momo.
Opening song Heaven was majestic promoting Byrne to look at the imagery behind him saying “there she is, the only one we have.” There was a touch of irony in Everybody Laughs with trademark Byrne humour saying “I’m glad you turned up the thermometer up for us” and that “I’ll explain your town to you” pointing out some interesting and funny landmarks like Adelaide’s only volcano and other interesting observations. Admitting he wasn’t in to psychedelics but opting to write about it set the scene for And She Was. Continuing the Talking Heads flavour with Strange Overtones and Houses In Motion before going with a more social and political commentary on T Shirt with a range of messaging on screen from the likes of “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History” to “Adelaide Kicks Ass” to “Make America Gay Again”.
The message and theme of the show was almost subliminal making the connection to Mother Earth and nature with Nothing But Flowers making that point. The one point that resonated strongly was, even now, was from an interview that David mentioned where director John Cameron Mitchell said that “love and kindness are the most punk things you can do” being a form of resistance leading to the aptly titled What Is The Reason For It?
Adelaide Fringe show Byrne Dance had a massive coup for ticket sales having come across an advertisement for the show, Byrne seemed genuinely humbled by it reaching out to show organisers who made a guest cameo on stage going through all the moves to “dance like David” which saw audience members get up and practice the moves. Nice light hearted moment to promote the show.
Independence Day was a great moment also with all the band acknowledged for the individual talents they bring to the band with their names highlighted on screen which moved in the same direction as the band members on stage, I thought was really cool as well. His time during the pandemic was discussed particularly with the amount of time alone to write and draw and the introspective songs My Apartment Is My Friend and the Paramore cover Hard Times took on greater meaner. With the end of the show nearing all the big Talking Heads classics Psycho Killer, Life During Wartime and finishing on Once In A Lifetime. The crowd were up and out of their seats singing and dancing to these much loved songs. The encore was just perfect also with American Uptopia staple Everybody’s Coming to My House finishing the defining Talking Heads classic Burning Down The House. It’s still January and this is the calibre of shows we’re seeing already. Wow!
Live Review By Rob Lyon