Powderfinger guitarists rock out under Brisbane’s CBD

Powderfinger guitarists Ian Haug and Darren Middleton have gone underground in Brisbane’s CBD, making the most of the acoustics in a space that set to become a Cross River Rail station.

Powderfinger guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug rocked out below Brisbane’s CBD in an intimate concert for rail project workers.

Mr Middleton and Mr Haug performed some of their band’s greatest hits before a small group of Cross River Rail workers in the 290-metre-long cavern, around 34 metres below the CBD.

The space will soon be filled with permanent features, including a station platform, but CRR delivery authority CEO Graeme Newton said work crews would regularly discuss how good the acoustics would be and whether a performance could be arranged.

“With construction progressing well, Albert Street is the last of our open underground caverns and this was really the last opportunity to try it out,” Mr Newton said.

Powderfinger guitarists Darren Middleton (right) and Ian Haug perform below Brisbane's CBD and the former Festival Hall. Picture: Cross River Rail

“We wanted to do something that was quintessentially ‘Brisbane’, and it doesn’t get much more ‘Brisbane’ than having two-fifths of Powderfinger shredding hard underground almost directly below where Festival Hall once stood.”

Mr Newton said Powderfinger last played Festival Hall in 2001, so it was a “really special moment” to be able to host Darren and Ian in such a unique way so close [to] the site of the iconic venue more than 20 years later.

“Performances like this are just one of the many ways we’re raising project awareness and keeping the community informed about ongoing works,” Mr Newton said.

“While Cross River Rail will transform how we travel to, from and through Brisbane, it does mean there are construction impacts now.

“We thank Darren and Ian for their time and their generosity in helping out with our experiment, which sounded absolutely incredible.”