LIVE REVIEW: NIGHT AT THE BARRACKS 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: MARK SEYMOUR, IAN MOSS, FURNACE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS

The Barracks at North Head, perched above Sydney’s Manly coastline, offered the perfect canvas for a night steeped in nostalgia, storytelling, and raw musical craftsmanship. As the sun dipped behind the cliffs and dusk settled across the heritage site, the crowd gathered with quiet reverence — a fitting mood for two legends of Australian music and an ultimate party band.

IAN MOSS & MARK SEYMOUR 26/9/2025

Mark Seymour – Grit and Grace

Mark Seymour

Mark Seymour, best known as the frontman of Hunters & Collectors, took the stage first — and wasted no time in reminding the audience why his voice and lyrics have resonated across decades. Backed by a tight band, Seymour delivered a stripped-back yet emotionally powerful set that drew from both his solo catalogue with The Undertow and his iconic work with Hunters & Collectors. Songs striped down like “Do You See What I See?” and “Holy Grail” prompted knowing smiles and soft singalongs from the crowd, but it was in his more introspective solo material — including selections from "Undertow" and "Slow Dawn" — where his maturity and depth truly shone. Seymour’s voice has aged like the best kind of whisky — a little rougher around the edges, but full of character and soul. His banter was dry, understated, and filled with the kind of wry observations that make him as much a storyteller as a singer. Mark Seymour opened the night, walking on stage to warm applause and launching straight into a set that was as emotionally grounded as it was musically sharp. His voice isn’t polished — and thank god for that. It’s rough in all the right places, full of grit and wear, but it cuts. Between songs, he dropped the occasional wry anecdote or sharp one-liner, never showy, just… real.

Ian Moss – The Gentleman of Guitar

Ian Moss

After a brief break and a chance to soak in the evening air, Ian Moss arrived and shifted the tone without losing the thread. Where Seymour brought the fire of a storyteller, Moss brought the soul of a musician. His guitar playing? Unreal. Clean, expressive, and so smooth it’s almost liquid. Watching him live is a reminder that some people don’t just play music — they speak it through their instrument.His vocals were equally on point. Tracks like “Tucker’s Daughter”, “Out of the Fire”, and a stunning crowd sing-along rendition of “Choirgirl” had the crowd gently swaying — not out of obligation, but out of something deeper. Nostalgia, admiration, connection. Moss doesn’t need to shout or strut. He just plays, and it’s more than enough. Ah highlight was the soulful intimate duet with Moss and his rhythm guitarist Ollie Thorpe (who had also played with Lol Scott the previous week) on the Cold Chisel's cover of Rat Charles track "Georgia on My Mind" was carried by Ian's guitar career with every note.What struck me was how quiet the crowd could be. Not from boredom — from respect. During the softer moments, like Georgia, you could hear the absolute silence in the background. It’s not often you get that kind of hush at a rock gig. People were there to listen.

FURNACE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS 27/9/2025

Unicorns, Blow Up Dolls and Rock N Roll

I didn't really know much about Furnace and The Fundamentals when I first saw them on the line up for this year's Night at The Barracks apart from the promotional video of them covering "Like A Prayer". That all changed when I caught in the middle of one biggest, sold out performances the band has ever done.

As a 15th‑anniversary celebration, there was additional anticipation built around this night being a standout in their touring history. Their setlist spans decades of hits — from Queen and Beyoncé to Daft Punk and beyond — and their shows are designed not just as concerts, but as full entertainment productions with visuals, costumes, inflatables, pyro, and more. Imagine a cover band on steroids and you get these guys.

Their audience expands through every generation from young to old with band's use of nostalgia, spoofs, pop culture and non stop all time bangas. Their opening was comedy gold in itself with a short film of the band getting together in a Wiggles style bus as each member was getting picked up from a scene from classic love movies like Titanic, Ghost and Flashdance. Before ripping into the instantly recognisable opening riff to AC/DC's Thunderstruck.

Their showmanship, choreography and unlimited energy was on full display for the next hour and 50 minutes. Costumes, videos projected behind them, inflatables, flamboyant movements — you got more than a concert, you got a spectacle.People weren’t just watching. They were shouting along, dancing, leaning in hope the next song was one they knew. The band rode that energy and fed it back tenfold. Crowd participation was also a key factor for the evening with pre work out videos, red light green light dance activities inspired by Squid Game and all round belting out lyrics was major card to the setlist without giving too much away

Furnace and the Fundamentals are a fresh feeling to bring back party classics to live audiences. 15 years of putting fun back into the live scene. A Bohemian Rhapsody.

Not a bad way to spend a birthday for lead singer Elliot Crane.

Special thanks to Second Sunday Events and Revolutions Per Minute for having us on to witness and review this great cause and great festival.