Concert Review - Lauren Spencer Smith - Auckland - 2nd November 2025
Presented by Live Nation
Lauren Spencer Smith Image Credit - Azrie Azizii
Review By: Mihirangi Rice
Artist/Band: Lauren Spencer Smith, SUP by Maisy Kay & Cassie Henderson
Venue/City: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, NZl
Date of Event: Day, Sunday 2nd November 2025
Lauren’s first hit song, “Fingers Crossed”, made it big when a titbit was uploaded on to TikTok, and it became a viral, soon to be released in 2020. It connected with Millennials and Gen Zs as they related to the love, heartbreak and vengeance of Smith’s lyrics and melody.
The Art Of Being A Mess Tour started in the Great Hall of the Auckland Town Hall. There was a long line when I arrived - the first fans had arrived at 8.30am for the greet and meet. Lauren's music has always connected with me, and this was my first concert - an extraordinary experience.
Maisy Kay opened with eight amazing songs; her opening song, ‘Eternity’, gave that first taste of romance for the night, which gave the audience a chance to feel love gone wrong, giving a taste of what was to come.
Cassie Henderson started with ‘Whatever’, getting the crowd involved. Her last song, ‘Seconds To Midnight (11:59),’ transformed the concert hall to a nightclub dancing to the anguish of being stood up.
Smith started her performance with ‘IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL)’ as the venue came to life with vibrant red lights flashing, signifying anger throughout her performance. A white street phone and a park seat were set up on the stage before her entrance, and three calls were picked up by Smith during the concert - one of which interrupted the start of ‘Worse’, as it introduced the audience to her song ‘Bridesmaid’. This twist kept the audience on their toes.
She sat down cross-legged on the park seat as she performed her song ‘Small’, while the lighting became dimmed throughout the venue, and a stage light pointed on her, with a soft white glow around the stage, giving off a sad lonely feeling, while the audience swayed to the slow melody.
During the concert, Smith had two conversations with the audience, where she was calm, confident and caring. She introduced ‘Bigger Person’ as a favourite from her first album, Mirror, and later ‘Best Friend Break Up’ as her favourite song she had written so far.
She captivated the audience, her music felt and absorbed; it was a rollercoaster of emotions - love, heartache, sadness and anger. To spice up the performance, she introduced a game called ‘The Wheel of Feels’. She chose someone to come up and spin the wheel, an 11-year-old girl holding a sign saying, ‘It’s mine and my auntie’s first concert’. The audience was standing in excitement. The wheel landed on ‘Perfect’ by One Direction and was a perfect song to land on, as many new concertgoers had chosen her concert as their first, and in turn, Smith called it a ‘full-circle moment’ because her first concert was One Direction.
Smith introduced ‘Worse’ saying it wasn’t going to be interrupted with another phone call, which made the audience laugh. The vibrant red of the lighting hyped up the slow burn from sadness to anger, with vengeance cutting through the lyrics and beat as the words ‘I hope it's worse’ reverberated. It was a thrilling way to end the performance, but fans weren’t ready to say goodbye to Lauren Spencer Smith. The lights turned on in the venue, with a chant of Lauren's name until the stage came to life again, and Smith's first hit song, ‘Fingers Crossed’, started.
Finally, ‘Sticks & Stones’ changed the venue's atmosphere with the red lights beating like a heartbeat, while Smith sang confidently, strong and vibrant. It felt like a finish to an enchanting romantic revenge book, as the lights turned off to end the night.
Maisy Kay
Eternity
Addict
Death at the Party
Love is a God
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) (Kate Bush Cover)
Somebody You Never Touched
Technicolor Honeymoon
Karma Is A Bitch Like You
Cassie Henderson
Good Luck, Babe!
Whatever
Always Known
Admit to that
Somewhere Only We Know (Keane Cover)
Seconds To Midnight (11:59)
Lauren Spencer Smith
IF KARMA DOESN'T GET YOU (I WILL)
Lighting the Flame
28
‘Talk’
Bigger Person
Worse (Interruption)
‘Phone Call’
Bridesmaid
Parallel universe
Narcissist
‘Talk’
Best Friend Breakup
‘Phone Call’
That Part
Flowers
‘Phone Call’
Small
Looking Up
Things You Never Say
Perfect (One Direction cover)
Thick Skin
Pray
Worse
Encore
Fingers Crossed
Sticks & Stones
