RÜFÜS DU SOL - Surrender Tour at RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane | REVIEW

More than 28,000 Queenslanders turned out for the long-awaited return of electronic crossover kings RÜFÜS DU SOL in Brisbane on Saturday night – and they weren’t disappointed.

Before I’d even left the house, I knew we were in for something quite extraordinary.

With my Uber from the inner-west coming in at a hefty $67 around the time the gates were opening, it was clear there was a big movement of people toward the RNA showgrounds for RÜFÜS DU SOL’s first Australian show in three years right here in Brisbane.

The waves of people grew thicker as we approached Bowen Hills, with punters aged everywhere from 18 to 60 pouring in to see arguably the hottest Australian act on the planet right now.

The Sydneysiders made the move to LA three years ago and due to the pandemic, any hope of a return home was dashed several times.

Things have escalated since they left our shores as well. The trio, consisting of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt, now count themselves among the biggest live electronic outfits in the world off the back of four chart-topping albums, multiple Grammys and ARIAs, performances at festival juggernauts like Coachella and Lollapalooza and one of the busiest touring schedules in the business.

It was fantastic to see just how many Queenslanders turned out in force in support - 28,000 to be exact - with a crowd normally reserved out to see the Aussie heroes tour their latest chart-topping effort Surrender.

Their appeal is not hard to understand. On one hand, they are the nation’s top dance act, delivering a tight fusion of house, techno and indie pop that doesn’t sound out of place in a DJ set. Yet live, they are more akin to a stadium rock band, complete with drums, guitars and vocals alongside a glorious rack of the world’s best synths and effects.

Walking a tight line between cutting-edge and accessible, their music is rooted in sweaty, heaving dancefloors yet packs the palpable emotion and sing-a-long hooks of pop.

It’s a sublime combo that is at its absolute best in a packed arena with huge sound and epic lighting; for Rufus and the promoter’s part, they certainly delivered on the deal.

Gallery: RÜFÜS DU SOL live at RNA Showgrounds

VIEW GALLERY

Soaring through classic after classic from their whole catalogue, the boys were in fine form and clearly appreciated being back in Australia after such a long time.

The always stunning Eyes was an early highlight, as was the melancholy but powerful On My Knees and tear-jerker You Were Right.

Lindqvist dedicated Sundream to the Sunshine State as their two-hour set took a more danceable turn before crescendoing at the now classic Innerbloom, which surely left many in the crowd with a few sore vocal chords the next morning.

Isn’t it a pity, then, that the city’s ridiculous sound restrictions meant we couldn’t feel the full glory that the massive line-array sound system was capable of.

Despite boasting eight full hanging stacks, it was a little sad I really didn’t feel the true punch of the bass in my stomach the whole show, despite being right in the sweet spot.

Equally uncomfortable was the number of people in the venue, with a lot of bump and grind required to get even the smallest of distance across the showgrounds.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a stunning show and this is no fault of the band.

Judged on the music alone, this was a truly landmark evening of the world’s best crossovers between live and electronic music and a rival to all full festival show in vibe.

Alice Springs-based artists Rona provided the perfect intro with a slick mix of melodic techno and broken beats; UK master John Hopkins, whose set was painfully too short, was at his glitchy, head-busting best; and the headliners, of course, were in a class of their own.

But if Brisbane wants to be the “New World City” it claims to be, we need to invest in world-class, fit-for-purpose venues instead of putting on the globe’s hottest band in a cattleyard with noise restrictions and an 11pm cut-off.

The artists, touring companies and Queenslanders deserve better.