TWICE recently took Melbourne by storm – check out our review

By Narelle | June 18, 2023

All Access Asia’s dear friend Heather went along to the TWICE show in Melbourne recently and prepared this review for us.

Energetic. Spectacular. Pop-tastic! These are the words I would use to describe Twice’s penultimate Australian tour concert ‘Ready to Be’ in Melbourne.

As a Once from sunny Brisbane, dealing with Melbourne’s cold weather was a lot for me to handle – but once I reached the bustling concert venue at Rod Laver Arena, all my worries faded away. Excitement was abuzz, trendy Twice-inspired outfits were aplenty, and fans were ready to ‘Dance the Night Away’ with their candy bongs on hand!

Thunderous applause hit the arena as soon as the stage darkened, and the silhouettes of the 9 members – Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu – rose, illuminating the stage with their black-and-white bejewelled outfits. The concert kicked off with their smash hit ‘Ready to Be,’ followed by ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘I Can’t Stop Me.’ With fabulous vocals, exhilarating dancing and funky outfits, the intro set the mood for an unforgettable night to come.

After crowd-pumping performances to ‘Go Hard,’ ‘More & More,’ ‘Moonlight Sunrise,’ and ‘Brave,’ members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung addressed the stage, interacting with the crowd. The crowd roared for their biases as they playfully talked with each other and their fans. They even did some cover dances, including ‘Thunderous’ by Stray Kids! As a STAY it was amazing to witness such an unexpected crossover!

Kicking off the first lot of solo performances was member Dahyun, who graced the stage adorned in a gorgeous multi-coloured gown. She performed an emotional and chilling piano rendition of Colbie Caillat’s ‘Try.’ Next was Tzuyu, covering Charlie Puth’s ‘Done For Me,’ with her smooth vocals and sensual dance moves.

Sana’s solo was a dance performance of Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules.’ She did the popular song justice, with eye-catching dance moves and a funky red-and-black outfit. Next, Momo brought out her inner queen, embodying sexual energy as she pole-danced to Beyonce’s hit ‘MOVE.’ Rounding out the first set of solos was Mina, impressing the crowd with her vocals and moves to Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings.’

Soon, it was time for the girls to perform together again. Hitting the stage in angelic white outfits, the girls truly made ONCE’s ‘Feel Special’ as they performed their hit song with a live band! Next up, they amazed us with ‘Cry for Me,’ ‘Fancy,’ and ended by hitting us in ‘The Feels!’

After a fun moment with Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun and Tzuyu, where they explained the choices behind their solos, it was time for next round of solo performances. I was wowed by Chaeyoung’s solo, ‘My Guitar’ – it was dedicated to her mother, so you could feel all her emotions bubble as she strummed at her guitar and sang from the heart. Another emotional song followed, with leader Jihyo’s intense solo, her own song ‘Nightmare.’

Jeongyeon took the stage in a fabulous green outfit, and covered pop royalty, Lizzo’s song ‘Juice.’ She looked energetic as she strutted the stage, singing in her floor-length robe. The final solo performance of the night featured Nayeon, singing her solo, ‘POP!’ Being such a fun, high-energy song, I think it was the perfect end for the solo performances!

This time, the girls all returned to the stage in fun denim-inspired fits, reminding us of who we were there to see! After an intro performance of ‘Queen of Hearts,’ TWICE continued to grace the stage with a jaw-dropping medley of some of their most popular songs – ‘Yes or Yes,’ ‘What is Love?’ ‘Cheer Up,’ ‘Likey,’ ‘Knock Knock,’ ‘Scientist,’ and ‘Heart Shaker’

After the medley, the girls chatted with the fans more, and Chaeyoung, Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Nayeon were given a chance to explain their solos. It was extremely heart-touching to see the members interactions and you could feel the love they had for each other as they hyped each other up. Before we knew it, TWICE was asking if we wanted tequila or margarita, as they sang ‘Alcohol-Free,’ followed by ‘Dance the Night Away’ and ‘Talk that Talk.’

During intermission, one big highlight of the concert was the fancam, a portion of the concert that gave spotlight to ONCE’s on the big screens. The camera panned to fans, allowing them to dance to their favourite TWICE songs and participate in dance battles! It was amazing to see the passion and talent that the fandom has!

The girls returned strong with an emotional rendition of ‘When We Were Kids.’ We were able to get an intimate look at the girls as children, as childhood photos lit up the screen behind the girls. They followed with ‘Crazy Stupid Love,’ tearing up the stage with their big smiles and interacting with the crowd, all while wearing cute TWICE tour merch!

After taking a photo with the crowd, the girls decided that the next performance would be decided by a song wheel. The wheel spun slowly, and was manipulated to be ‘Candy Pop,’ but there were no complaints from the audience! The bouncy, fun song gave the girls more of a chance to dance around the stage and have cute moments with us! By the end, everyone was waving their hands back and forth for the members.

It seemed like it was nearing the end of the concert at this stage, as the girls called on us to applaud the dancers and live band. Of course, fans obliged, cheering their loudest, bopping their heads, and screaming their hearts content out!

But there was still a little more in store – the song wheel made another appearance… and hilariously landed twice on ‘Candy Pop!’ Fans were screaming for ‘TT,’ and just as it was about to land, it was pulled backward to ‘Say Something.’ It was the first time I’d heard the fans moan, as they screamed for ‘TT’ instead! Of course, TWICE couldn’t say no, and so they gave fans what they wanted, of course.

Looking around the arena, fans were screaming, crying, dancing along with no troubles in the world. It was an amazing atmosphere to be a part of – and incredible to experience being surrounded by a group of people that loved this band as much as I do!

“Aussie Aussie Aussie!” the girls shouted, to be met with returning screams of “Oi! Oi! Oi!” As the girls began to depart the stage, fans chanted for one more song. Of course, TWICE couldn’t let their beloved fans down, finishing their insane, breathtaking, and amazing concert with ‘Say Something.’

You could tell that finishing off this leg of the tour had been a whirlwind for them, but that they were happy to have spent the evening with us. They flashed their smiles, amazed with their voices, and floated around the stage, waving at fans, and giving us fun dance moves.

Finally, the dreaded time had come, for the girls to say goodbye. They thanked us for coming and promised that they will come back to Australia one day! I think I can speak on behalf of everyone there when I say that I hope they fulfill this promise to us.

It took me a while to move after the end of the concert because I had to come to terms with the fact that it was over. Overall, I had an amazing time, and it didn’t feel long enough. Each member brought something unique to their performances, and I was awed by how well the members vocalised both together and during their solos. It’s easy to see the love that the girls have for each other, as well as performing. While I can’t thank TWICE enough for an unforgettable night, I am excited to leave Melbourne’s weather behind!

Photo credit: Rick Clifford

Written by Heather

Edited by Narelle