Ezra Collective live at the Sydney Opera House, 31/5/25
I’ve been to a few concerts at the Sydney Opera House and I have something possibly unpopular to say: it’s not exactly my favourite venue for live music.
As someone who prefers to stand, perhaps against the wishes of their back and knees, I can feel disconnected from a concert when sat down. Especially when the entire crowd is seated.
On this occasion, however, this was not the case.
Ezra Collective are an award winning UK jazz group whose music blends elements of afrobeats and hip-hop. I’ve been a fan since 2018 when they only had a handful of EPs and singles out, and since then they have released three full-length albums. The second of which, Where I’m Meant To Be, won the 2023 Mercury prize. Their most recent has the rather apt title of Dance, No One’s Watching.
They have played in Sydney before and each time they returned have played to a larger venue. They first played the Oxford Art Factory in 2020, the Recital Hall in 2023, and now finally the Opera House.
After a brief set from their DJ, the concert kicked off with multiple members of the band playing standing in the middle of the crowd. As my friend Lizz remarked, that was one way to get the crowd on their feet. And on our feet we remained for the entire show.
Both Koleoso brothers, Femi and TJ (drums and bass respectively), addressed the crowd at various times during the concert. They told stories including their surprise in 2017 when someone online made a “family tree” of UK jazz and listed Ezra Collective, how the creator of said graphic was from Sydney and that she was actually at the show. They also told an anecdote about a woman who was advertising her tickets online earlier in the day as her date had stood her up, and they convinced her to come along anyway (she apparently was also in attendance).
The actual show itself was a raucous, non-stop, dance party, punctuated by the aforementioned talks with the crowd and a brief solo near the concert’s climax by keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones providing a moment of calm reflection.
While it would have been a pleasant surprise if they had brought out any guest singers they have collaborated with, e.g. Yazmin Lacey or Olivia Dean, it absolutely wasn’t necessary and the band held their own including receiving some support on tracks such as God Gave Me Feet For Dancing from the crowd.
The energy they bring is infectious, especially during moments when members James Mollison on the saxophone, Ife Ogunjobi on the trumpet, and TJ Koleoso on the bass ventured into the crowd once again later in the show. Each member also got their moment to shine during solos, with bandleader Femi’s drum solo a particular highlight.
Another welcome sight at this concert was the relative lack of audience members spending extended periods holding their phones up to record the show. The crowd was lively, engaged with the music, and having a good time.
Ezra Collective put on a lively, joyful show that is not to be missed, and you should definitely come ready to be on your feet and dance like no-one’s watching.