Chet Faker Brings His "Hotel Surrender" World Tour to Toronto's History
Photo: Steve St. Jean
It's been six years since Nick Murphy a.k.a Chet Faker officially announced himself (again) as the latter and Toronto fans couldn't have been more stoked to see him performing under this moniker again.
The Australian pop phenomenon made his comeback with his 2021 pandemic release Hotel Surrender, his first release as Chet Faker since his breakout album Built on Glass (2014). Like every other tour over the past two years, Chet was not unscathed from COVID cancellations. His Hotel Surrender world tour was set to hit Toronto back in the spring, but thankfully ended up making its way to Toronto’s History this September.
The show opened with dark mystic visuals with writing appearing on a large screen that set the stage for a night at Hotel Surrender. The set kicked off with an immediacy to get the dance vibes started as Chet positioned himself at his keyboard and kicked the show into full gear.
Early on in his set he addressed the fans at History:
"It's good to be here with you beautiful Canadians. I say this every time I come to Canada but no one cares. My mum was born here. It's cold in here and I don't know why, so we're going to continue playing party jams"
After a quick breath the three piece broke into "The Trouble With Us" to continue the dance party.
Throughout the set, tour visuals showcased giant silhouettes of Chet and his band members layered on top of psychedelic motion graphic backdrops. The graphics added to the dance vibes, helping suck the crowd into a purgatory of high bpm beats and heaven-like synth patterns. The set was eclectic, but tastefully curated, spanning new music and his classics that catapulted his music into the ears of fans around the world. From drum solos to hypnotic bass lines tapping into your soul, this set was a fantastic reunion between Toronto and Chet Faker.
Question your sanity if you passed on this show.
The Setlist:
So Long So Lonely
1998
Feel Good
Whatever Tomorrow
The Trouble With Us
Birthday Card
Cigarettes & Chocolate
It Could Be Nice
Drop The Game
Get High
No Diggity
Gold
Oh Me Oh My
I’m Into You
Talk is Cheap
Low
Photo Gallery:
Words & Photography by: Steve St. Jean