Severe winter storms, flash flooding and traffic chaos across the city couldn’t stop a sell out crowd from packing themselves into 170 Russell on Thursday evening for the second headline Melbourne show of Balu Brigada’s Australian Portal tour.
Rocking up to the venue and seeing the seemingly endless queue snaking round the block, braving the pouring rain and gusting winds with good humour and excitement, the signs were promising that the energy at the show tonight was going to be electric.
The night kicks off with a support set from Sydney based artist Cowboy Malfoy. Bathed in the hazy blues and yellows of the lights, donning a (crowd donated) cowboy hat and with just a guitar and microphone to hand, they cut a distinctive figure on stage. Songs filled with an infectiously melodic mix of folk, pop, and a sprinkling of indie rock for good measure make up the short setlist, and they’re performed with such a genuine warmth and raw vulnerability that you can’t help but fall under the lulling spell of their musical poetry. It’s always great to see the audience turn up for a support act, and by the time Cowboy Malfoy leaves the stage, the venue is pretty packed.
There is barely space to turn around in the thoroughly sold out hall and by the time the lights dim to darkness and the pre show music cuts out the anticipation in the room is through the roof. The rhythmic synth drones of The Portal buzz in the air like a thick static as the keyboardist and drummer take their places. Finally, the Beasley brothers come bouncing out onto the stage and Balu Brigada launch straight into the chugging guitars of Golden Gate Girl, and the crowd erupts in raucous screams.
What follows over the next hour and twenty minutes or so is a display of incredibly slick, high energy alt-pop by a band that has the kind of effortless charisma and stage presence you don’t often get to experience. They tear through hits like Backseat, So Cold and Sideways, as well as fan favourites Politix and the melodic The Question, the latter of which had everyone’s phone lights swaying in the air to its hypnotic rhythm. No doubt aided by their close relationship, Henry and Pierre perform flawlessly together, feeding off the other’s energy and pushing themselves to heights they might not even attempt without the reassuring presence of their sibling on stage next to them. Their chemistry is genuine and infectious – this is a duo who trust each other’s instincts and abilities implicitly.
The night is as much a conversation with their fans as it is a performance, that effortless sibling banter carries over into their interactions with the crowd, laughing and joking along between tracks. Their youthful energy sometimes threatens to overspill, but the laddish charm and boisterous atmosphere they cultivate thankfully remains on the entertaining side without ever tipping over into something more distancing or obnoxious.
This was a night of catchy hooks, great energy, and frenzied performances. Some of the guitar playing was wonderfully flamboyant and unhinged at times, and it was great to experience such a buzzy and fun gig with a clearly enraptured audience. Balu Brigada feel like a band on the cusp of some truly great things, and their live show translates their music into the kind of experience that makes trekking through wet, stormy weather completely worth the effort. Just ask any of the thousand people crammed into 170 Russell last night.