ARTIST: WINGER
VENUE: THE PRINCESS THEATRE, BRISBANE
DATE: APRIL 8TH 2025
PHOTOGRAPHER: MERT TYSON PHOTOGRAPHY
REVIEWER: MERT TYSON
Winger Rocks Brisbane: Seventeen’s All Grown Up, and She’s Still Got Great Taste in Music!
🤘🔥Well, one thing’s for sure—she’s still got taste, because if she was at The Princess Theatre last night, she witnessed one of the finest displays of rock musicianship Brisbane has seen in a long time!
When you need a band to fire up a Brisbane crowd before Winger, you call in Shotgun Mistress—and trust me, they came armed to the teeth with pure rock fury!
Hailing from Australia’s own backyard, Shotgun Mistress has been on a mission to prove that rock is alive, loud, and louder. Blasting onto the scene with their self-titled debut in 2021, these guys mixed classic hard rock swagger with modern energy, proving they weren’t just another retro-revival act—they had serious bite.
Fast-forward to The Princess Theatre, and that raw intensity was on full display. Energy? Check. Charisma? Double check. From the first riff to the last cymbal crash, they cranked out a full-throttle, kick-ass rock show with all the bells and whistles—tight riffs, soaring vocals, and just the right amount of chaos to set the tone for the night.
If you came in cold, you left converted. If you were already a fan, you left knowing these guys are the real deal. Shotgun Mistress didn’t just warm up the crowd—they blew the roof ff the Princess!
Winger: From the first riff of Stick the Knife In and Twist, the crowd knew they were in for a show. No messing around—straight into Seventeen, and just when we thought we could catch our breath, boom! Can’t Get Enuff thundered through the venue like a freight train fuelled by pure 80s excess. John Roth and Reb Beach? Absolute fire. Their mastery of guitar tone, speed, and precision is the stuff of rock legend. If Brisbane had a Richter scale for shred, it would’ve hit an 8.9.
Then came Down Incognito, which was a personal highlight. The boys completely nailed it—tight, crunchy, and rich with swagger. No banjo for John last night (sorry, folk fans), but instead, a guitar solo for the ages that reminded us why this band was never just another hair-metal act.
And Kip Winger? He may joke about being 63, but let’s be real: that man still owns a stage like it’s 1989. After surviving a fire evacuation in Sydney, his voice may have sounded a little rugged, but when he dug into Miles Away—one of the greatest power ballads of its era—the crowd carried it home with a roaring singalong. No doubt, a goosebumps moment.
Then Reb Beach, the guitar wizard, the shred king, the maestro, took centre stage. Rainbow in the Rose launched into a solo that was so emotional and nuanced that if anyone in the audience claimed they didn’t feel something, they were either lying or made of stone.
More classic Winger poured onto us like a sonic tidal wave—Black Magic, Pull Me Under, Time to Surrender, all delivered flawlessly with the tightness of a band that still knows how to do it right. And then came the mighty drum solo. Rod Morgenstein proved once again why he’s one of rock’s most underrated powerhouse drummers. Thunderous, technical, but never self-indulgent—a total masterclass.
And of course… what’s a Winger show without Headed for a Heartbreak? Yep, second power ballad of the night—because when you’ve got two stone-cold classics in the arsenal, you fire them both. The leather-clad, spandex-wearing Brisbane crowd? Totally in their element. Not a dry eye in the house (or at least that’s my excuse).
As the night wound down, Easy Come Easy Go reminded us why Winger wasn’t just about massive solos and slick production, but about sheer feel-good energy. And finally, Madelaine closed the night in pure rock fashion, leaving us all feeling like we’d just checked off another item on the bucket list.
Final Verdict?
Winger proved they still have it, and honestly—do it better than most. Class act, killer musicianship, and a night to remember. Hats off to Silverback Touring for making it happen. Brisbane, you did yourself proud supporting this one.
Now, someone check if Seventeen is okay.
🤘🔥 Rock on, Winger! 🔥🤘
Mert.
