Split Enz, Vika & Linda @ Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 25/5/2026
History Never Repeats! This was one for the ages giving credence to a saying of mine that nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Showing my age I was there when Split Enz played the Adelaide Entertainment Centre twenty years ago and that was great and last night’s show continued in very much the same vain. What was more apparent was the generational shift in the fan base with a lot of younger faces in the crowd joining in the celebrations of a stellar and a back catalogue of music that is still just as relevant now as it was when it first came out.
The old firm of Neil and Tim Finn plus Noel Crombie and Eddie Rayner reunite for the Forever Enz tour playing to big crowds everywhere including Adelaide and even more pleasing was that there was no blue dot fever. The Entertainment Centre precinct was buzzing and good luck getting a car park remotely close. Definitely hard to top a Monday night like this.
Joining Split Enz on this tour were music icons Vika & Linda backed by their band The Bullants. With forty minutes to warm this crowd they wasted no time at all getting in to Be Careful What You Pray For. Tour hardened, this was a polished performance mixing up their set list with new tunes from their forthcoming album Where Do You Come From? amongst some of their biggest hits allowed them to shine. There is plenty of good time vibes coming from their music setting the tone for what was to come.
There was also the important message behind the music tackling the theme of prejudice and disadvantage. Winning Adelaide over with their opening remarks “dreams come true, playing with our favourite band in our favourite city”. It seemed like the ultimate fan girl moment reminiscing watching Countdown and wanting to be able to sing like them.
When Will You Fall for Me and Raise Your Hand were great moments followed by The Parting Song brought back in to the set after thirty years. Both Vika & Linda shared their love of the simple things in life including gardening and swimming serving as the lead in to That’s How I Pray and Pigface and Calendula. The ABBA inspired Bliss, and new single, was their attempt to pretend to be them” and the Black Sorrows ditty Never Let Me Go lifted the collective spirits of the crowd ending on Where Do You Come From? dealing with “being teased and getting over it fifty years later”.
Last show of the tour and their “1,013th show” Neil Finn echoed the sentiment of Monday night being the best night. Spot on! Archival footage including images from music videos, behind the scenes and early recordings was super imposed over a red curtain and then Split Enz emerged from under an “orange tarp” to launch in to Shark Attack. The Entertainment Centre came alive with each band member decked out in their bright and colourful suits with all the different shapes that uniquely identify them. It didn’t take long for people to stand once they heard the iconic History Never Repeats. Neil broke his first string of the tour after Poor Boy. Nobody Takes Me Seriously was one of those relatable moments of defiance of hating one’s job. Attention turned to those who “committed to the outfit” with Neil and Tim being impressed with the lengths that some went to.
Dirty Creature was gold and one for the highlights reel! Tim asked if anyone saw them at the Arkaba many moons with Eddie reflecting on the “medieval illness” quinsy that saw him collapse on stage at the Largs Pier (well before my time). Time For Change was described as a brave one to play in a pub with the crowd loving it with the added bonus of the snippet Split Ends going for that “psychedelic acoustic” sound of the first line up. Another one from the hit machine in Message To My Girl was well received. Double Happy saw all the outfits, many Neil made himself, projected on the screen before pulling out another gem in Stuff and Nonsense. Whilst the focus was very much on Neil and Tim the presence of Eddie and Noel is significant and can’t be understated either.
My Mistake got the crowd involved being subbed in for the trumpet solo going with all the big guns to finish the main set with Six Months In A Leaky Boat, I Got You and I See Red. If any songs were going to get a music heritage listing it would be these. Sounding just as great now brought to life again in Adelaide. The crowd response was epic and if they bailed at this point no one would have been disappointed. Being the last show Neil echoed the sentiment we were all thinking in “we don’t want to go home!” Spellbound was a great moment preceded by “Bold As Brass” making its tour debut from the Dizrythmia album. Tim’s moment came with the defining I Hope I Never followed by show closer Strait Old Line complete with Noel on spoons.
Nostalgia is a wonderful thing and if that was the last time what a way to remember them by. Fifty years strong we look forward to however the story continues. Forever Enz!
Live Review By Rob Lyon