Sydney copped a shot of catharsis last night as Hands Like Houses rolled into Manning Bar for the second stop of their Lótus Tour, turning a packed room upside down.
Riding the momentum of their recent ARIA success, the Canberra outfit didn’t coast, they leaned in, from the jump, there was a sense this wouldn’t just be another tight alt rock set. Hands Like Houses played with the kind of chemistry that only comes from years in the trenches together, between songs, they joked and kept things loose, but when it came time to lock in, everything snapped into place.
Hands Like Houses Gallery – Manning Bar – Sydney, April 17th 2026 (Photos by Steve Fry)
Photos by Steve Fry for Blunt Magazine.
Crowd connection cuts deep
By the fourth and fifth tracks, frontman energy spilled straight into the pit, quite literally, singer Josh Raven launched into the crowd, dragging the audience into the moment and turning those songs into something physical. It wasn’t just a gimmick, it felt like an extension of what the band was already building.
Vocally, he didn’t miss. Big, clean hooks landed with weight, carried by choruses that stuck fast without feeling forced, behind him, the rhythm section stayed sharp, with drummer Matt Parkitny in particular keeping things grounded, precise without ever sounding clinical.
Balancing light and heavy
Hands Like Houses have always danced between accessibility and edge, and here they pushed that balance further, there were stretches where chunky, almost djent leaning riffs crept in, giving the set a heavier spine, it never alienated the room, if anything it added bite to the band’s melodic core.
The tone shifted when the band opened up about mental illness and the loss of loved ones to suicide, it was raw without being performative, the room stilled, then lifted again with that push and pull between heaviness and hope defined the night.
What stood out most wasn’t just the sound, it was the sense of mateship on stage, they played like a unit that actually enjoys being there, and that energy bled into every corner of Manning Bar.
Remaining Tour Dates
Hands Like Houses ‘The Lotus Tour’ ft. Dream On Dreamer
Saturday, April 18th – Princess Theatre, Brisbane, QLD
Sunday, April 19th – Kings Beach Tav, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Thursday, April 23rd – Beer Deluxe, Albury, NSW
Friday, April 24th – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, April 25th – UniBar, Adelaide, SA
Sunday, April 26th – Magnet House, Perth, WA
Find out more and get your tickets here.
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