The Black Crowes Gallery: Melbourne Forum April 2nd, 2026

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Published April 3, 2026 by Ned Tepper

The Black Crowes wasted no time setting the tone for their Australian tour, kicking things off at The Forum, Melbourne last night.

The Black Crowes set felt loose, loud, and very much alive, with The Southern River Band warming up the room, night one already carried that sense of something building.

There’s always a question hanging over first shows, not here though, the Crowes walked in like a band that’s done this a thousand times but still treats it like it matters. From the jump, the setlist leaned into both legacy and risk, ‘Profane Prophecy’ and ‘Pharmacy Chronicles’ made their live debuts, while ‘Movin’ On Down the Line’ resurfaced for the first time since 2013.

Chris Robinson kept things reflective between songs, touching on the long road from writing in isolation to standing onstage in front of a packed Melbourne crowd, opening night of a tour always carries nerves, this felt more like release.

The moments that stuck

‘She Talks to Angels’ hit that familiar nerve, the crowd didn’t just sing along, they carried it, turning the room into something closer to a shared memory than a gig.

Then ‘Hard to Handle’ flipped the energy entirely, no restraint, foot stomping, shouting, bodies moving shoulder to shoulder as The Forum pushed back. These weren’t polite reactions, they were earned.

New blood in the set

Since their last Melbourne visit, The Black Crowes have dropped two albums, and that evolution crept into the set without feeling like an obligation, the newer material sat comfortably alongside staples like ‘Jealous Again’ and ‘Remedy’, giving the show a sense of forward motion instead of pure nostalgia.

A tour that’s just getting started

If night one is anything to go by, this run isn’t about looking back, it’s about stretching the catalogue and seeing what still lands, if Melbourne was the baseline, things are only going to get louder from here.

Friday, April 3rd: Forum Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
Monday, April 6th: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD
Wednesday, April 8th: Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW (Sold Out)
Thursday, April 9th: Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW

Find out more and pick up your tickets here.