Block-rocking beats, tricks ’n' treats, disco-soul and laser-beams were all in full swing at Brisbane’s Riverstage with the Halloween night return of electronic wizards The Chemical Brothers. Though there were grizzly ghouls, and other cooky costumes to be seen throughout the crowd, the only true beastly fiends of the night were those upon the stage.
A DJ set from The Avalanches set the mood, revving the crowd up with each song. Every banging selection took a 180 degree swing from the last, with flavours ranging from soul train hooks to rock legends Led Zeppelin to our very own Yothu Yindi. You read correct: Treaty was booming from Brisbane’s Riverstage. I couldn't resist marking the occasion with a patriotic corroboree (I had to! Plus, I'm Aboriginal). While the Avalanches' set exemplified the variety of musical source material they respond to with huge creativity, it was also a great display of Australia's diverse musical sound, in harmony, and danceable.
Time for the main attraction... Not since 2013 have we played host to The Chemical Brothers, also known as Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. If absence really does makes the heart grow fonder, we can consider October 31st 2019 at the Riverstage a pretty big family reunion. As expected, the brothers served an even distribution of their iconic bangers (Go, Galvanise) with those offered on their latest LP No Geography, (Eve of Destruction, MAH), which features vocal contributions from Norwegian singer Aurora.
The set list alone was captivating, but with an added slew of reoccurring digital projections that responded to the music, it was taken to a whole other level. My favourites of the outrageous, artistic displays: the sassy, cylindrical strutters during Got To Keep On, the oceanic dream partnered with Wide Open and the slightly eerie emoji-glow-stick-face during Hey Boy, Hey Girl. If they had some scratch and sniff stickers on offer, the tour tagline could've been: "The only performance where your senses know No Geography," (Badum-tish).
This was my first time experiencing what felt like a polished bush-doof with an artistic edge. It was a kaleidoscopic education in what electronica, techno and house can sound like and I can only imagine what it was like, starting out back in ‘95 compared to today. But, who better to guide and assist us along our own Golden Path of electronic music than The Chemical Brothers?
- Michael H