US rap icon Nelly kicks off Australian tour in Brisbane with surprise Aussie tribute
US rap icon Nelly had Brisbane’s Eatons Hill Hotel rocking last night and after 25 years in the game, prove he still has it
Entertainment
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US rap legend Nelly kicked off the Australian leg of his “Where The Party At tour” in Brisbane on Saturday night — and brought the house down with an unexpected Aussie twist.
It marked his first show in the region for this tour, after announcing back in February that he was cancelling the New Zealand leg, which had been scheduled for March 21 at Auckland’s Spark Arena.
“Welcome to Club Derrty,” that was the neon-lit message that greeted fans at Eatons Hill Hotel as the 50-year-old Grammy winner made his low-key entrance — no gimmicks, just the swagger of a man who knows he doesn’t need it.
The moment he stepped on stage, the crowd erupted into a frenzy.
Dressed in a backwards white cap, a black singlet with “Nelly” across the chest, flexing biceps bursting from cut-off sleeves, and enough bling to rival a diamond showroom, Nelly didn’t just perform — he hosted.
With four hypemen and a DJ spinning hit after hit, he turned the northside venue into a one-man festival.
He opened the night with the tour’s namesake Where The Party At, and kept the energy high with crowd-pleasers like Ride Wit Me, Hey Porsche, The Fix, Move That Body, and Grillz.
But what truly stood out was his infectious energy and his genuine enjoyment. This didn’t feel like a polished arena show — it felt like we were at an intimate party thrown by Nelly himself. He looked like he was having the time of his life on stage with his crew, smiling between verses and shouting out fans with genuine affection.
Midway through the show, the St. Louis native channelled his inner preacher, launching into a rapid-fire, heartfelt sermon of thanks – particularly to fans who’d stuck with him for the past 25 years.
“No matter why it is that you started supporting Nelly … no matter how the hell it came to be that you started riding with Nelly, I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart,” he told the crowd.
Even with a Brisbane audience that skewed a little on the quieter side, Nelly performed like he was in front of a stadium.
No backup dancers, no costume changes — just him, his mic, and unfiltered charisma. At times, he even rapped a cappella, no beat needed, his flow razor-sharp and commanding.
Then came the moment no one saw coming.
“I need to test my Aussie!” he grinned, before launching into Thunderstruck and You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC — sending the crowd into a screaming singalong.
Adding to the night’s feel-good factor, Nelly brought out fellow rapper J-Kwon — best known for the 2004 club banger Tipsy — introducing him as his “nephew” and giving the track a new life on stage.
Closing out his official set with crowd favourites Hot in Herre, Dilemma, and Just a Dream, the night seemed complete. Fans began streaming toward the exit — only to frantically race back as Nelly reappeared in a surprise encore of Na-Nana-Na.
If anyone still had doubts about whether Nelly’s still got it, Brisbane just got their answer.
He might be old enough to be my dad — but the man is still undeniably effortlessly cool.
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