SPLIT ENZ: Live In Melbourne
Words and Photos by Scott Gelston
Nostalgia: It’s a Hell of a Drug.
May 13th 2026
At a sold-out Rod Laver Arena, SPLIT ENZ delighted the crowd with a set of songs, all of which are old enough to have a house and two kids of their own by now, maybe even an investment property. VIKA AND LINDA have the monumental task of support act tonight and their short sharp set covered everything from their days in THE BLACK SORROWS, solo hits through to new tunes off a soon-to-be-released album.
9PM hits and a video montage of the ENZ’s early days plays; promo shoots in a swimming pool, makeup sessions, TV appearances, set to their track The Choral Sea, and setting the scene perfectly for the coming two hours. Soon enough the band snake their way on stage together under a golden cloth, slithering towards the crowd Chinese Dragon dance style. The new-wave stomp of Shark Attack gets their set off at breakneck speed, before the band reminds us that History Never Repeats, despite their 2006 reunion tour and the odd show in between. It’s over 50 years since Tim, Noel and Eddie first started playing together, and it’s fair to say Tim’s voice has found a lower, earthy timbre which hits its peak tonight during the emotional Time for a Change. Neil chimes in on the track with some Brian May-esque soloing as the music builds to a perfect climax – it’s arguably the highlight tonight for die-hard fans.
Soon enough Eddie Rayner is playing the simple but iconic piano intro to Message to My Girl and this time it’s Neil’s turn to shine. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Neil play this track solo, and with his post-SPLIT ENZ band, the somewhat well-known CROWDED HOUSE, but tonight, with Tim’s harmonies, Eddie’s synth pad chorus and Noel’s iconic percussion, the song is transformed into a moment of pure pop brilliance – Kleenex made some good money while this tune rung out.
Oddly many punters picked Tim’s excellent Stuff and Nonsense as the time to go to and from the bar. Tim explains that the track was written in London as a 26-year-old in a doomed relationship who didn’t know how to end things, or what to do next, as young people often don’t. The track has always been one of the elder Finn’s finest moments and tonight is no different. Hits and fan-faves come thick and fast before the main set ends with a four-song blitz. Their interstellar instrumental, Pioneer, segues into Six Months In A Leaky Boat which powers through the chorus before drifting away across its haunting minor chord outro. Neil’s timeless I Got You is a full arena sing along before the quasi punk I See Red wraps the set at the same pace it began almost two hours earlier.
Beautifully the band played what can only be described as a fans encore; a very deep cut in Spellbound, a slow but emotional Tim number, I Hope I Never, before a little art-pop masterclass in Straight Old Line, complete with Noel’s spoon solo, wraps up proceedings.
For a band who broke up before I was born, I didn’t expect to spend the night grinning like a goon, but this is New Zealand’s BEATLES; an impeccably tight band, a world class pair of songwriters and an arena’s worth of timeless tunes.
