Review by Markus Hamence & Jeff Smith – Lau Noah & Lior: Adelaide Guitar Festival – Performance date: Sunday 14 September 2025. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia
The Adelaide Guitar Festival always feels special, damn right – our city collectively tunes into a different frequency for a few nights and stepping into Her Majesty’s Theatre for the Lau Noah and Lior double bill, you could feel a vibing spark in the air. People were excited and ready for some epic music, and I was right there with them.
“Lau Noah and Lior created a night of contrasts and connection – her raw intimacy and his golden warmth weaving a spell that lingered long after the final note.” – Markus Hamence
Lau Noah opened the evening, and to be honest – from her very first notes, it felt like being taken into her private world. She doesn’t perform so much as she converses with the guitar, and you can tell it’s deeply personal. Her sound is hard to pin down – fragments of folk, touches of classical, a whisper of flamenco – yet it all melts together into something unique. The intimacy of her playing and singing made the theatre feel like a small lounge room. You find yourself leaning in, not wanting to miss a single turn of melody or story tucked inside her lyrics. At times it felt like she was balancing on the edge of fragility, but that’s where the beauty lived – in the tension, in the way she held back just enough to keep us spellbound.
Lau’s ability to story tell is excellent. Both in song and in spoken word. The New Yorker that hails from Rues, Spain, Lau is a breath of pure fresh energy. From fairytales to f**cking (Hugging), there is a quality that cannot be manufactured and Noah has it in spades. Her first trip to Australia (with her best friend/grandmother in her heart) and the only one performance right here in Adelaide, we were most certainly aware of how lucky we were not very far into the set.
What struck me most was her ability to create entire landscapes with the gentlest of touches. Her songs are mesmerisingly inviting – and I think that’s why they worked so powerfully. You could hear the audience collectively slow down, soften, and surrender to her pace. It wasn’t the fireworks of a big set, it was the quiet magic that stays with you after the lights come up. Bravo, and I cannot wait to see Lau back on our shores soon… and, I don’t think I’m the only one.
After a 20 minute break came Lior, and with him, the shift – the room warmed immediately. There’s a groundedness to Lior that feels like coming home. After two decades the guy in the industry the guy is well-crafted. His smooth voice is golden, steady, and true, and when paired with the full band, the songs expanded in the most glorious way. I’ve always loved his shows (my first being way back in about 2010 on Valentine’s Day in Adelaide Botanic Gardens), but hearing material from The Blue Parade with that extra depth was a revelation. Strings adding emotion, percussion lifting the rhythm, harmonies giving wings – the music took flight, and so did the audience.
“With his golden voice and the rich layers of his band, Lior turned songs from The Blue Parade into soaring moments of pure connection.” – Markus Hamence
Highlights for me were the moments where he allowed songs to breathe and then burst open. He has a way of pulling you into the story of a lyric and then releasing you with a swell of sound that hits straight in the heart. You could see the smiles ripple through the room, couples squeezing hands, friends nudging each other with that “this is good” grin. It’s what live music is all about – the shared experience, the collective goosebumps.
The band are just brilliant and freaking great in the musicianship, yes, but also in their ability to all capture the magic of the music simultaneously, all together while highlighting the vocal brilliance of their main man. And, speaking of vocals, Domini Forster. Domini, on backing vocals, brought a luminous energy to Lior’s show, her voice blending with his in a way that felt both tender and commanding. She carried her parts with poise and passion, giving the performance an added emotional resonance that lingered long after the final note. There was a strength in her delivery that beautifully balanced Lior’s intimacy, creating moments of harmony that soared and others that drew the room into stillness. Her presence was an essential part of the night’s magic.
“From delicate whispers to soaring anthems, Lau Noah and Lior gave Adelaide a night of pure musical magic that will linger long after the applause.”
– Markus Hamence
The night was truly memorable due to the contrast between the two artists. Lau Noah offered something raw, intricate, and unfamiliar – a new voice, delicate and daring. Lior brought warmth, emotional weight, and the comfort of songs that felt both fresh and familiar. Together, they created a balance that was deeply satisfying. One was discovery, the other was connection – and both were powerful in their own ways.
Walking out into the warm Spring Adelaide night, I felt that rare post-concert glow. It wasn’t just about the performances, though they were stunning; it was about the feeling. That reminder that music isn’t only about sound, it’s about presence, about being in the room when something unrepeatable happens. For me, Lau Noah and Lior delivered one of those nights – the kind you carry with you, humming a tune on the way home, knowing you’ve witnessed something quietly magical and memorable.
Stars? There’s Not Enough In The Sky!
“The Adelaide Guitar Festival proves once again that it’s much, much more than a celebration of strings – it’s a gathering of stories, cultures and sounds that unite audiences in pure joy. Credit.” – Markus Hamence
Review by Jeff Smith
Lau Noah and Lior at the 2025 Adelaide Guitar Festival was a dream pairing and one that Adelaide music lovers will remember for its incredible storytelling and heartfelt performances.
Spanish singer songwriter Lau Noah set the stage perfectly in her Australian debut show. Her mix of virtuosity, playful storytelling,beautiful vocals and crowd interaction won the audience over instantly. May she return soon to Adelaide stages.
An evening with Lior is comparable to being in the company of a close friend. There is a warmth and connection between artist and audience that is rare.
Tonight’s performance, a full band show saw Lior in his element in his return to the Adelaide Guitar Festival after some absence. Focused heavily on his new album The Blue Parade the set spanned tracks from across his much loved catalogue including favourites from Autumn Flow and Scattered Reflections.
Highlights included If I Lost Your Love, Sitting With A Stranger, Learn to Live and Blessed. The set concluded with the show stopping Compulsion and encore Satisfied Mind, which saw Lior solo and leaving an indelible mark on the song and mesmerised audience.
These performances had a reflective beauty and a deep appreciation of life and its seasons. Tonight we were all the richer for it.
“An evening with Lior is comparable to being in the company of a close friend. There is a warmth and connection between artist and audience that is rare.”
– Jeff Smith
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