Live at Eventfinda Stadium
27 February 2025
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
Thompson Twins Eventfinda Stadium with a Synth-Pop Time Machine.
Auckland’s Eventfinda Stadium isn’t exactly Madison Square Garden, but last night, it may as well have been. Tom Bailey, the voice and vision behind the Thompson Twins, turned back the clock and transformed the North Shore venue into an ‘80s synth-pop utopia.
Tom Bailey may be the last Twin standing, but he proved last night that nostalgia still packs a punch – even if his voice was running on fumes.
Three and a half decades since their last major heyday, Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey proved that time is no match for a great pop song. Rolling into Eventfinda Stadium on a balmy Auckland night, the iconic frontman led a tight, synth-heavy set that transported the crowd straight back to the neon glow of the '80s—big hair, big hooks, and even bigger singalongs.
The audience—a mix of longtime fans and fresh converts—erupted as Bailey and his band opened with “Love on Your Side.” Those punchy drum pads and swirling synth lines still hit like a rush of youthful energy, with Bailey’s voice somewhat intact, warm and commanding. Dressed in his signature minimalist cool – all crisp white and effortless swagger – Bailey hit the stage with the confidence of a man who’s been here before, yet still revels in the magic of it all.
Bailey, flanked by his powerhouse trio of female musicians, delivered a tight set dripping in synth-pop gold, their harmonies elevating each track to shimmering heights. From the first pulsating notes of Love on Your Side, the crowd was fully invested, a sea of middle-aged fans reliving their ‘80s glory days – some even taking it a step further with air-drumming, air-guitaring, and yes, air-keyboarding their way through the night.
The setlist was a greatest-hits jackpot. “Lies” pulsated with new-wave urgency, while “Doctor! Doctor!” sent the crowd into a synth-fueled frenzy. Bailey, ever the craftsman, has retooled these songs with a modern edge—slicker, punchier, but never betraying their neon-soaked DNA. His voice? Still golden at times. Maybe a little more seasoned, but that just adds to the gravitas.
Then came “Hold Me Now”—the one everyone was waiting for. And when it hit, the entire venue swayed in unison, thousands of voices lifting in melancholic harmony. I saw couples swaying, friends arm-in-arm, voices lifted in unison. It was one of those moments where time folds in on itself—1984 and 2025 existing in the same breath.
Bailey, ever the gracious showman, kept banter to a minimum but radiated gratitude between songs. Before launching into “You Take Me Up,” he quipped, “You lot still know how to sing, right?” The answer was a resounding yes.
Then, without missing a beat, he dives headfirst into the track, tearing into his harmonica with a raw, bluesy wail that electrifies the room. Midway through, he vanishes offstage, only to reappear moments later clutching a massive red balloon—a spectacle in itself. He parades it around, belting out the lyrics with theatrical flair, before sending it soaring into the crowd just as the chorus hits. The audience keeps it alive, punching it skyward in a frenzied game of keep-up, until—pop!—it meets its inevitable, thunderous demise, bursting into a cloud of rubber confetti as the music surges on.
Auckland’s crowd was dialled in, feeding off the energy of a frontman who, at 69, still owns the stage with an effortless mix of charm and precision. There were no gimmicks, no overblown theatrics—just stellar musicianship and a catalog of songs that still resonate.
This wasn’t just a night of retro revival—it was proof that great music, when delivered with heart and authenticity, never fades.
Thompson Twins may have been a duo, then a trio, then just Tom Bailey, but on this night in Auckland, it felt like we were all in the band.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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