Aussie electronic lords Rüfüs Du Sol are killing it on huge homecoming arena tour
A Grammy-award Aussie band have been slaying huge audiences around the country as Oasis, Metallica and AC/DC command everyone’s attention.
Jam-packed crowds from across the ages, bathed in lasers and confetti, united in a euphoric dancing mass across three victorious concerts in Sydney last week.
These chaotic scenes weren’t from the Oasis, Metallica, AC/DC or even Olivia Dean sold-out shows.
They were the triumphant homecoming concerts by Sydney’s global superstars Rüfüs Du Sol, on the final leg of one of the biggest electronic music arena tours ever by an Australian act.
The Grammy-winning trio of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt, who formed the band in Sydney’s southern beaches and are now based in Los Angeles, have sold out most of their 11 arena shows on the Inhale/Exhale tour.
By the time Rufus wrap up in Brisbane on Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 100,000 fans will have thrilled to one of the most joyous and epic productions to tour Australia this year.
“It feels good to be back in our home city,” a beaming Lindqvist said as the audience erupted in deafening cheers at their opening show at Qudos Bank Arena last Thursday.
The visiting international stadium rock gods who have cycled through the huge Accor Stadium next door through November may have commanded the media attention, but the Rufus shows are the ones everyone is raving about, and serving up “You should’ve been there!” brags.
So why was this gig better than the Big Stadium Shows?
First up was the people-watching before the gig. While the younger fans were missing as it was an 18+ gig, it was a shock to see some many Gen X electronic music fans in the bar queues or the almost bigger lines at the free water fountains.
An older couple at the show became TikTok faves over the weekend after a fan posted a video of them dancing with each other, while held aloft on the shoulders of two punters, at the first concert in Sydney on Thursday.
The video, asking “whose parents are these because I love them” was captioned “If this isn’t me and my husband at Rufus in 20 years time I don’t want it.” Check it out:
Another reason why the Inhale/Exhale show hits hard is because its epic stage production and lighting is a stadium or festival-sized show fit into an indoor arena.
Its looks and sounds massive, but felt intimate, with everyone dancing together from the sardined front rows of the floor to the nosebleed section.
Rufus, whose music has generated more than four billion streams, has clearly invested millions of dollars in a production that features all the same bells and whistles as the international stars hosted in our bigger venues - the big screens, the pyros, the confetti cannons and all of the laser beams. Note to Oasis, Metallica and AC/DC - more lasers, please.
What is also striking about this band live is the musicianship of the trio. Hunt switches from keyboards early in the set to deliver one of the most intricate, relentless and exacting drumming performances on any stage.
George is a dual keyboard-playing whiz while frontman Lindqvist effortlessly switches between to singing and synth-playing mode.
The trio is also armed with an enviable catalogue of hits 15 years into their career and are playing all of them on this tour, including their biggest banger Innerbloom, which was released exactly 10 years ago on the day of their first Sydney show.
The setlist featured songs that have soundtracked the Hottest 100, Sunday sessions and festival DJ sets such as You Were Right, On My Knees, Next To Me, Alive, Treat You Better and recent addition to their hitlist, Music Is Better.
The band’s Inhale/Exhale album is also up for a Grammy next year.
Rüfüs Du Sol play the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on November 25 and 26 and kick off the rest of their world tour in South America in February before heading to Europe.
Originally published as Aussie electronic lords Rüfüs Du Sol are killing it on huge homecoming arena tour
Strict rule for star’s Aussie stadium shows
