HEADLINER: MIA WRAY
SUPPORT: NEW DELICA
VENUE: BLACK BEAR LODGE – BRISBANE
DATE: APRIL 17TH 2026
REVIEWER: GRACE HALLIDAY
PHOTOGRAPHER: HAYLEY TREADWELL
Walking into a venue you have never been to before always makes for an exciting experience, going into the Black Bear Lodge was a wonderful vibe within itself and when New Delica took the stage they truly amplified the atmosphere with a mix of gorgeous warm vocals and old school contemporary rock that truly got the gathering crowd into the mood for the rest of the night.
The Lead Singer, Pat Coyle, definitely had some pep in his step, his charisma and pure energy only enhancing his already amazing stage presence that brought the whole venues vibe to a high in anticipation for Mia Wray who would shortly take the stage, but before that the crowd shared a beautiful moment of community and music during New Delica’s song “Down To The River”, it is always amazing to see the artist and crowd sync and join in together for a beautiful song.
All in all their set was amazing, the singer also filled the crowd in on a pretty cool fact, his dad had once told him that he “Should Open for Mia Wray” after he first saw her a few years back opening for one of his favourite artists, I believe dad definitely manifested that into the universe and New Delica was certainly the perfect band to open for the star of the night.
I first saw Mia Wray back in 2023 when she opened for Teddy Swims at the Fortitude Music Hall, her voice is one of the only ones to ever give me full body goosebumps, her raw, powerful and beautiful vocals are truly a work of art, it is easy to see how she is now opening the likes of Ed Sheeran in Stadiums around Australia, she is definitely one of our most talented artist and more than deserving of the big stage. But there is no denying her stage presence when it comes to performing in a more intimate setting.
Mia is engaging and enchanting, it is impossible to take your eyes off of her or not sing along with her as she performs songs like ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘What If’ where the crowd harmonized beautifully alongside her angelic voice. Her versatility from captivating the audience with nothing but her powerful voice, to rocking out on her guitar and the delicateness she plays the keyboard with, Mia Wray is an incomparable artist who I want to see again and again.
And just for a moment, I want talk about ‘Monster Brain’. I believe this is one of the most genuinely beautiful songs ever written. I have been fortunate to hear it live several times now and the feeling that washes over you when Mia sings it, it’s like a big love filled cuddle to everyone in the crowd, whether it’s 50,000 in a stadium, or 300 people in a gorgeous little bar in Brisbane, the emotion and happiness that song brings, simply engulfs you.
We shared a beautiful night with Mia Wray in Brisbane! I can’t wait to find out where we get to see her next. Thank you to Frontier Touring, the lovely folks at Black Bear Lodge and to the artists for having us along to this beautiful night of home grown music.
