John Summit’s recent run of Australian shows was nothing short of a full-blown takeover. With a sold-out stop in Brisbane, three huge nights in Sydney, and two massive warehouse shows at Pica in Melbourne, this wasn’t a tour built on intimacy.
Over 5,000 fans packed into Pica each night, and Summit didn’t waste a moment in making the space feel like a festival stage. The production was truly next level; blinding lasers, bursts of flame, and a thunderous sound system that shook the warehouse to its core. No expense was spared, and the result was a sensory assault in the best possible way.
The music hit the mark, especially for those who hadn’t already rinsed his Ultra set with Dom Dolla. Plenty of fresh cuts, unreleased edits, and big moments throughout, though it’s fair to say some of the newer tracks Summit’s been road-testing felt a little too easy. Crowd-pleasing, yes, but not quite pushing the envelope.
One of the most memorable moments of the Melbourne shows came when Summit brought out Dougy from The Temper Trap and Cloves for live vocal performances, an unexpected and emotional high that gave the night a uniquely local flavour.
Instead of opting for a single large-scale venue in each city, the tour was clearly designed to stretch across multiple nights. And with production of this scale, a crowd this size, and moments that felt made-for-Australia, it’s hard to argue with the results.