Review: Rufus Du Sol’s Brisbane show was a spiritual, hypnotic masterclass
Lasers, confetti and cult classic Innerbloom. This is why Australia’s electronic trio remains unmatched after 15 years of global success, writes Taylah Fellows.
Seeing Rüfüs du Sol live is a spiritual experience, and their latest Brisbane stop on the Inhale/Exhale world tour was no exception.
It felt like being transported into a hypnotic, magical realm — intimate, despite standing shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of people.
I started listening to this trio of musical geniuses when I was around aged 16 and it’s remarkable how they’ve retained the sweet, unmistakeable soundscape that made them global icons.
Fifteen years after rising from Sydney’s southern beaches to international festival royalty, Rüfüs du Sol reminded a packed Brisbane Entertainment Centre exactly why Australia chose so well when it decided these were the guys to make famous.
The crowd was one of the most diverse I’ve ever seen as the floor began filling with teens, thirty-somethings, parents, even grandparents, all melting into the sound.
British producer SG Lewis opened the night with a silky, atmospheric set, elevated by the powerhouse vocals of Rahh.
Lewis sipped tea mid set while Rahh bounced across the stage, lifting the energy as anticipation for the main act surged.
Then came the Rüfüs sonic universe.
What is perhaps most captivating about watching Rüfüs is the way Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt perform like a single organism.
Hunt’s shift from keyboards to the drum kit delivered one of the most technically precise live percussion performances you’ll find in electronic music, while George moved between dual keyboards, stitching loops and textures together and vocalist Lindqvist darted across the stage to serenade the crowd.
The trio spoke to the crowd throughout the night, offering messages of gratitude to their loyal base and new fans alike, the kind of unexpected vulnerability that only comes from a band 15 years into its career and still humbled by the love in the room.
Lindqvist shared a story about his proud dad asking a waitress if she listened to Triple J radio, hinting that his son – sitting right across from him – was well on his way to stardom and it only made the room fall for him harder.
“That made me feel so uncomfortable, but honestly, that is the love of a parent, and that’s what we felt from our parents,” he said.
“We get to do what we love. We get to follow our dreams, and we owe a lot to our parents and our family, and a lot of them are here tonight, and to you beautiful people, thanks for being a part of our family, because we’ve been doing it for 15 years, and you guys keep growing and coming to our show.”
The crowd were treated to a full Rüfüs discography mix, a perfect blend of new album highlights — In the Moment, Breathe, Levitating, Pressure as well as fan favourites Alive, Treat You Better, On My Knees, and You Were Right.
I felt 16 again, blasting those early tracks in my car on the way to school.
And I have to admit, there was a brief flash of envy for the fresh eighteen-year-olds in the audience discovering the old catalogue the way we once did.
Then, Innerbloom arrived as the spiritual centrepiece.
The cult classic, the one that binds every soul together in that room and sees thousands simultaneously hold their breath at exactly 5:46 (if you know, you know).
It's the fitting (and predictable) end to a fantastic set.
And while most acts would end there. Rüfüs decided to come back with a three-song encore.
The arena erupted.
Laser halos spun across the crowd, confetti was shot from cannons and blasted over the masses squeezed onto the arena dancefloor.
Pure magic, surreal.
This was their second last Australian show before heading to South America and Europe in what is certainly to be their most successful tour to date.
If you’re in Brisbane and wanting to catch their final Aussie performance tonight, it’s not too late. You won’t regret it.
