Live Review: Parcels - OVO Wembley, London 27/09/2025
Parcels light up OVO Wembley Arena for an all-singing, all-dancing set that overcomes some tough competition from their rowdier neighbours as they make the night their own.
Wembley has rarely had it busier. On the same night as Oasis return for the final leg of their UK tour; Parcels bring their LOVED tour to OVO Arena Wembley, literally next door, to delight fans looking for a dancier; happier feel-good vibe. And they deliver – within seconds, the crowd is clapping, on their feet, having the time of their lives – they came here to party; and the Australian electropop group deliver with a riot that appropriately matches the tone of their newest album – nostalgic, disco funk that has its heart in the right place.
First act on the bill is Parcels compatriot Tennyson Nobel; who instantly gets the Oasis elephant in the room out of the way early by joking that he’s Wembley’s resident pianist and is off to support Oasis after this; getting a few cheers when he yells “fuck Oasis” midway through his set and a few laughs when he says he normally has an orchestra but they’re stuck on the trains so it’s just him. The music’s good – making the massive, 12,500 capacity venue feel like an intimate living room – providing the support to get the crowd warmed up with a mellow set; narrating the entrancing half empty about his grandfather – which he realised was about his father, and then about himself – it’s the kind of singing/songwriting that has a way of pulling you in; feeling like it should fit with Parcels’ house style yet at the same time feeling completely different.
Rising German techno group Zimmer90 are up next and the crowd buy into their music completely. You can see why they were chosen to support Parcels, their music is similarly indie pop with touches of Pond’s groove. Their band pays tribute to the freedom of expression and that is evident – “I wanna dance, dance just like you do,” feel like we used to roars, Joshua Becker embracing the synthy vibes that match the jazzy energy to go with it. People are bouncing, having the time of their lives – the heavier drum beat taking over as it progresses and you can see that they have such passion for their audience. Rarely has a support at a big arena got the crowd so energised in the way that Zimmer90 had and the passion was evident across the stage; plenty of audience members joining in on the clapping.
Then it was time for Parcels, who came on to a resounding applause and had the seated audience up on their feet in their entirety by the second song. Everyone just came here to groove, feel good, dance – and the Australian band deliver with the passion that has them adored by their audience. You have to be a good band to get people to brave the Wembley masses – and Parcels are that band – the energy is completely engrossing and captivating. Funky guitar riffs beg the audience to get involved early and it’s hard to resist from Tobeloved, and the unconditional love and affection provided by ifyoucall envelops the audience and makes them feel like one big group of friends. “I recall, I called you home, Crying out on the phone, If you call, I'll be there”; showcases unconditional support – for loved ones both platonic and not, and that’s reflected in the audience. People are easy going, in the mood to talk to and dance, sometimes a big arena can feel isolating but that was not the case here; Parcels gathered a real sense of community and togetherness. In terms of catchy, feel good albums their latest, LOVED, is one of the best of the year – and they find their groove instantly.
The riffs and guitar vibes of Parcels are energetic and whilst there isn’t much interaction with the crowd beyond thanking them for coming and encouraging them to get involved, sometimes that’s all you need when the music does the talking for you. Parcels played 11 songs from their new album across the night – and the warm reception of the crowd ensured it was a successful one; I saw several people with records that they’d purchased from the merch stand. This new project is the latest transition for a band that started off as a “vibes-based band”, vocalist Jules Crommelin recalled in a recent interview for the Guardian – and it’s the escalation of the “inevitable small town [thing] – you either stay forever or leave as quick as possible.” No surprises for guessing what Parcels did: they left to Berlin, and their music reflects that – the music feels German by way of Australian. Khruangbin fans will like the energy here, as will fans of their compatriots, Pond. They had a big enough fanbase to draw a sizeable crowd away from Foo Fighters when they clashed at Rock Werchter in Belgium last year in competing headline slots; and they know they’re a big band that can deliver on the biggest of stages with the confidence and swagger of one. There’s a reason why the first band that came up in my apple music mix after LOVED finished was Daft Punk – they’re the natural heirs to the French techno gods.
Somethinggreater would be many a band’s closer, but instead here it’s deployed early on in the set, a rousing funk epic. The band’s ability to make their songs feel louder and stadium ready regardless of what arena they’re playing in shouldn’t be underestimated – they’re in free flowing form and capable of switching from groove to groove with precision, whether they’re maximising the emotional cues of Iwanttobeyourlightagain (the nostalgic ode to youth, remembering when they were cool and breaking into swimming pools and getting high behind the school); the five minute album closer of LOVED, or going for a unique trance version of tobeloved to cap off the main part of the set, bringing everything full circle. Of course – Yougotmefeeling has the warmest reception towards the end of the setlist – and rightly so, it’s a banger. The catchy bop has the audience in total free flow. Short and sharp; a real delight – it really got me in the core and I just can’t stop dancing, the band know how to put on a real dance party.
The band have been together for a long time now and they know how to energise and deliver for a crowd. The disco feeling of Parcels is free flowing, energetic and lively – and rare do you get a crowd this involved with their music. Everything hits all the right spots and it’s hard not to get involved – the band are here for a good time; synchronised and perfectly moving with the energy of bandmembers that have been working together for a while now. Joining Commelin, Patrick Hetherington, also on vocal and keys/guitar duties, Noah Hill, Toto Serret and Louie Swain make up the quintet. They’ve switched from the festival stage of Primavera and Glastonbury to interior arenas expertly – and over the eleven years they’ve really came into their own – a real success that emerges as one of the most pure fun live acts currently touring. If you haven’t seen Parcels yet; you’ll want to make sure you get on board.
Words by Miles Milton-Jefferies
