Review: Pond’s Stung tour at Princess Theatre, Brisbane

Pond dazzled Brisbane’s Princess Theatre with an electrifying performance of their tenth studio album and nostalgic favourites, blending psychedelic rock, indie-pop and funk.

Pond at Princess Theatre. Photo: Pond Facebook

Australian psychedelic rock band Pond, famously known for their collaborations in some of Tame Impala’s most famous tunes, performed their tenth studio album Stung alongside many crowd favourites at the Princess Theatre in Brisbane on Saturday night.

Having formed in 2008 in Perth, Pond have taken their music to a euphoric new level with every album and Stung proved to be no different, with fans excitedly jumping to every word sung by lead vocalist Nick Allbrook.

As the first riff was played the lights shot up towards the crowd and as the floor rumbled Pond opened with a nostalgic hit from their 2019 album Tasmania, Daisy.

Pond’s energy on the stage was captivating with Allbrook’s Jagger-like moves, incredible interactions with the crowd while performing their exciting mix of sprawling psych-rock, indie-pop and funk.

Having formed in 2008 in Perth, Pond have taken their music to a euphoric new level. Photo: Pond Facebook.

The explosive sounds of their newest single Stung was carried by sparkling guitars while Allbrook sang about romantic rejection and trying to sound unbothered about the situation: “And what I feel don’t matter, baby... As long as you’re having fun … Well, I’m stung”.

The Zeppelin-esque, gritty headbanger featured Allbrook using a voice modulator held to the mic, distorting his vocals to create a electronic, psychedelic sound.

After their first three songs Allbrook took to the microphone to thank their audience, “They told us live music would be dead”.

“It’s a beautiful feeling,” he said.

“We are honoured to be here”.

As Pond introduced their “old one”, fan favourite Sweep Me Off My Feet, the crowd bounced with nostalgia and the atmosphere in the room was electric.

The funky bass lines played and written by Jamie Terry were pumping through the theatre as the guitars, swapped between the artists multiple times, harmonised with them to create Pond’s iconic sound.

Lead singer Allbrook took a funky bass-driven trip and crowd-surfed like a professional. Photo: Pond Facebook.

During Human Touch, Allbrook reached out to the crowd, grasping their hands, while Terry, moments after playing a slick bassline, placed one hand on the keys in front of him, playing briefly before jumping back on bass, moving seamlessly.

Drummer Gin Ireland maintained the rhythm and energy all night long, making complex tempo changes look effortless.

The intro to their biggest hit Paint Me Silver, a dystopian synthy riff that sounds whimsical, had the audience swaying with their arms in the air.

Albrook dashed around the stage with his slick and dramatic movements, he took a funky bass-driven trip and crowd-surfed like a professional towards the end of their set.

Sixteen years in the making, Pond is reaching new heights with their infectious energy that radiated throughout the theatre, and outside as the crowd poured out of the venue after their last song.