Full Gallery and Review by Brittney McCarthy of BM Images
Invoking the Past, Enchanting the Present: Heilung’s Melbourne Ritual
I knew Heilung would be special, but capturing the essence of their ritual in words feels impossible. I've tried, yet I still feel an immense inadequacy in my attempt to capture it here.
Naarm itself had a sense of drama that seemed orchestrated for the night ahead. It began with the city basking under 33 degree sunshine, only for bone shaking thunder to erupt at 3 p.m. and a sudden, forceful shower to descend, large droplets falling as the weather cooled. By evening, a crisp, charged energy lingered in the air. It was a fitting prelude to the ancient power that Heilung would soon summon within the walls of the Palais Theatre.
Arriving at the Palais, the crowd patiently waiting to enter was an eclectic mix of people of all ages and personalities, brought together to witness a night of magic.
The venue was filled with the sounds of birds and nature, a stark contrast to the usual music before a performance. It encouraged contemplation and respect, as the crowd settled into their seats to bear witness to what was to come.
Opening the night was Faroese singer Eivør, whose hauntingly beautiful presence felt like an invocation. Her voice moved with a graceful intensity, her ethereal vocals and throat-singing layered over minimalist beats and Nordic-inspired rhythms, drawing the crowd into stillness. Eivør wasn’t merely an opening act; she was an enchantress, casting a melodic spell that softened the boundaries between past and present, preparing the audience for the ritual Heilung would lead.
Before the main performance, Benny Clark, Heilung’s Cultural Consultant, and Brent Watkins led the audience in a powerful land acknowledgment, with the sounds of the didgeridoo and traditional dance grounding the night in respect and connection to the traditional custodians of the land. Benny expressed his appreciation for the impact Heilung has and thanked the audience for their respect and open hearts toward the culture being shared that night. His words were sincere and soulful, resonating deeply with everyone present.
Heilung began their ritual with their opening ceremony, burning native plants and using smoke to begin the immersive, sensory rich ritual. They appeared like apparitions from another era, adorned in ritualistic attire with antlers, bones, and tribal markings. Their movements across the stage were trance-like, each beat of the drum and guttural chant drawing you deeper into their ritual. The crowd responded not with raucous energy like you would experience at other live music events but with a reverent, almost meditative focus, each person entranced by the primordial soundscape surrounding them.
With projections cast against the walls, the Heilung collective cast in shadows, fire, smoke, and voices echoing in layered harmonies, the entire experience felt as if we’d been transported to a pre-modern, untamed time. This was not merely a concert but a shared passage into folklore and myth, a journey that bypassed rational understanding and struck directly at something more instinctual. The sound enveloped you, each moment more profound than the last, as though we were bound within a circle that held an ancient, collective memory.
By the end of the night, as the group gathered in a circle, and the audience stood enriched by the ritual, the energy in the room felt profoundly shifted. Those present left not only with the memory of a remarkable performance but with the sensation of having been part of something timeless, a ritual that would echo within them long after the final note had faded.
Walking out of the Palais I was shaken back into reality, speechless at the experience I had just shared with countless strangers. I’d attended alone yet I found myself seeking out eye contact with other attendees just to share a smile and know you both had felt the Heilung magic.
