Balu Brigada close out their massive Portal Tour with a run of sold out shows, here in Australasia, where it all started.
For the majority of the past year, Balu Brigada have been taking their debut album ‘Portal’ around the globe. The tour started in September of last year in North America and by mid May had crossed off a run of festivals across Australia, New Zealand and South America, plus headlining shows – most of which sold out entirely – across Europe and the UK. After just several weeks off between legs, the New Zealand alt-rock duo, comprised of brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, were set to make their triumphant return home. It was an absolute dream to capture a couple of their shows in Australia. I’ve also had the pleasure of catching them throughout every leg of this tour, something I’m incredibly lucky to be able to do, but an indicator that I’m definitely a big fan of their art. Something, I hope that has not made me biased in this review.
On the 31st of May, in spite of severe storms and torrential downpour, Balu Brigada miraculously made it to Perth, along with their support act – Cowboy Malfoy.
Cowboy Malfoy was indeed very Cowboy-ish, at least in appearance. The music that the Sydney based musician performed was far from country, instead offering a wide range of genre blending and quite theatrical numbers. In the words of the 23 year old musician themselves “Rather than believing I’m unique – I try to remain conscious that creativity is an amalgamation of various existing things, experiences, and cultures.” their music taking direct influence from their unique perspective on gender and their lived experiences dealing with both ADHD and OCD. The result is something not entirely dissimilar to Dallon Weekes’ work in the Brobecks, though there’s a scaling back on the indietronica and rock elements that helmed his indie band. Cowboy Malfoy swaps out rock for something more reggae inspired.
The thirty minute acoustic set consisted of moments of story telling with ‘How I’d Kill’ and the infectious grooves of ‘Headstart’, a song that reminded me of a 2018 classic Khai Dream’s ukulele jam. With the nature of being an opener, there was the addition of a cover to the setlist. Tame Impala is a hero of Balu Brigada and the influence of Kevin Parker is beyond evident in the music they create. Cowboy Malfoy’s reggae-esque cover of ‘Feels Like We Are Only Going Backwards’ was beyond fitting, especially in Parker’s own hometown. The crowd latched onto it, echoing back every word, swaying and clapping in time to the beat. As the applause died down, Cowboy Malfoy stepped back up to the mic “Imagine you’re on a train…” What followed was the introduction and story boarding process behind their next, and currently unreleased, single. The unnamed song takes what made “How I Kill” so good and builds on it, it also features Cowboy Malfoy’s best vocals, capping out in a thrilling crescendo. Fremantle loved Cowboy Malfoy and their departure from stage was met with many “aww”s.
Balu Brigada didn’t keep their fans waiting, strutting onto stage less than half an hour later. No time was wasted, the moment the duo and their backing band, consisting of keyboardist, Harper Finn and drummer, Tom Leggot, were in place, the guitars kicked in and they were launching into the anthemic ‘Golden Gate Girl’. As Pierre inclined himself towards the crowd, Henry sauntered effortlessly across the stage, pausing intermittently to jam out the pumping guitar heavy heartbeat of the track. It’s the small crowd work, of making effective use of all space available, that sets the Beasley brothers apart from others in their niche. Before the first song is even over the whole room’s attention is held raptly, all heads facing forward, conversation long since dwindled off.
From there the antics were only upped, transitioning from edgy guitar riffs, into the indie-pop and Sims-featuring ‘Sideways’. This time, both brothers found themselves on guitar and vocal duties, harmonising together with instrument and voice. The song’s signature ‘quack’ mimicked by the fans. The fans and the band were unfaltering in their switch from moody to fun, and by the end of the song Henry Beasley was shredding guitar on the barricade as the crowd bounced around him.
The band swiftly ran through ‘Politix’, the first section of their set filled with high impact and high energy hitters from their debut album ‘Portal’. Inevitably, it came time to slow it down and for the two brothers to address the crowd.
“Do you guys prefer to be called Perth or Fremantle?” asked Henry.
The audience immediately broke into shouting, everyone offering their own response. Confused looks were exchanged between the brothers, before Henry spoke up again.
“Moo? Are you guys saying moo?”
It turns out the crowd were not saying moo, but actually the local indigenous name for the country the band were playing on – Boorloo -a coincidental pun, pronounced just like the band’s own name.
Next came the portion of the set the band had dedicated to their ‘older’ songs. Older in quotations being that of their discography spanning almost a decade these songs were scarcely three years old. Their setlist feels complete aside from the notable absence of any of the singles released during covid and the ‘Almost Feel Good Mixtape’ EP. It is a shame to not play them for those more dedicated fans or to even breathe a bit of new life into them.
The stage darkened, Pierre forgoing his bass and Henry sitting on the opposite side of the stage as ‘Designer’ started. Instantly, the set felt so much more intimate, I recall even during the Clancy World Tour where they were playing in arenas that for a moment a building full of 20 000 people felt no larger than a thousand. Following ‘Designer’ Henry and Pierre swapped positions for the ‘Question’ and Henry called for the crowd to get out their torches and to make the place ‘cozy’. The warm orange lighting only added to that feeling, as if we were singing round a campfire under the open night sky.
Though, these two songs really served as a moment to calm down, or to give the active crowd a breather before launching into banger after banger. ‘2good’, ‘4:25’, ‘What Do We Ever Really Know”, “Moon Man” and then into their eclectic, guitar driven reimagining of Grimes’ ‘Oblivion’, there was no respite. The energy that the brothers’ displayed onstage kept the crowd going with them.
Thankfully, the tempo slowed down and with a very bashful introduction came ‘Isolation’. I’ve seen this song a few times now and every time it is introduced in this same manner, like the rockstars are a little embarrassed of this slower, more emotional song. It is a fan favourite, this is your headline show, they are here for you and your music, what are we doing? The switch in energy is such a stark contrast to the confidence they usually exude, that it really throws you for a moment. For those that are tagging along with a friend, or simply on a night out, it doesn’t invoke much faith or belief in their own music. The awkwardness of the band aside, ‘Isolation’ is beautiful live and once Henry and Pierre lock back in, the song really comes together. It is haunting and raw, coupled with the blue and green flickering lights that intensify as the song reaches its apex and the overlaying of the different vocals to convey that desperation and pain. The culling of that apex abruptly into the somber outro is just as compelling, the room darkens and then it really does feel like it is just Henry and Pierre on stage playing to one another, communicating through their instruments. ‘Isolation’ is a highlight in the setlist and a moment that showcases both brothers and their skills exceptionally, especially Pierre and his roots in jazz that truly shine during the outro.
As the synths of ‘Isolation’ transitioned into ‘Birthday Interlude’ an air of tension settled over the venue, for those that were familiar with the tracklist of ‘Portal’, we knew what this preluded to. Those that didn’t know were about to find out. “Are you guys ready to go fucking crazy?!” called Pierre, the audience let out several small cheers. “Do you guys know a song called ‘Backseat’?”, it was then that everyone realised what was happening and the tension within the building snapped. Chanting turned into screaming, the lights flashed and that signature sound not dissimilar to a gun being reloaded echoed around the club. This was the song everyone had come to see — although that might be a spot of self projection — and Perth was ready to show up and show out. Even the people who had been talking amongst themselves just moments before ceased their chattering, giving into the music and Balu Brigada’s energy. ‘Backseat’ will always be the highlight of the setlist to me, seeing the Australian crowds’ response to it, there’s no doubt in my mind as to why it placed so well in this year’s Triple J’s Hottest 100.
Much to their credit, Balu Brigada really know how to curate a setlist and when to turn down the energy. At this point, the room was thoroughly hot, sweaty and out of breath. It was the perfect time to bust out the then unreleased ‘Bedhead’ — a song about trading your sleep for your dreams. Fending off the weather and then putting on a sold out show is quite literally the epitome of that. ‘Bedhead’ continues the guitar centred trend of ‘Portal’, somewhere between the upbeat tones of ‘Sideways’ and the driving energy of ‘Backseat’, it is a banger for sure. It truly feels like Balu Brigada have found their sound. The song’s unreleased nature is what allows it to work in its current placement, no doubt that once it is out in the world, the crowd will be as loud and ebullient as they were for the rest of the set.
Purple lighting fell over Freo Social as they continued on the slower tunes, playing the fan favourite ‘Butterfly Boy’, the closing track of ‘Portal’. Henry’s vocals are showcased beautifully in the chorus. The ‘final’ song of the set couldn’t have been more contrasting to the somber tones of ‘Butterfly Boy’. Before the critical and commercial success of ‘Backseat’ there was ‘So Cold’, a song that saw them featured on the soundtrack of FIFA ‘24, their first ever live tv performance on Jimmy Kimmel and the signing of them to Tyler Joseph (of Twenty One Pilots) and Chris Woltman’s record label ARRO. ‘So Cold’ was the kindling of their explosive climb to success and the manifestation of the brother’s collective dream. That gratitude is evident in how they give to the performance of this song, stomping around the stage, riffing off one another and encouraging the crowd to move and sing with them. When the band leaves the stage, the audience is begging for more. No one wants it to be over.
Their prayers are answered, when scarcely five minutes later Henry and Pierre appear on stage accompanied once more by Harper Finn and Tom Leggot. The band is introduced via a stellar cover of Daft Punk’s ‘Robot Rock’, showcasing each of their individual talents, before moving on to their mashup of ‘Find a Way’ and ‘Could You Not’, the true last song of their set. Outside of hits like ‘So Cold’ and ‘Backseat’, this mashup is the song I believe should stay on the setlist, its absence at Nostalgia Fest earlier this year was something I and my friends felt dearly. It’s cathartic and fun, a tribute to what they’re capable of. Back in 2024 when ‘Balu Brigada’ were opening for Twenty One Pilots, this was the song that made me fall in love with them as artists and performers, a case that rings true for many fans of the band. The strobing lights, screaming guitars and moshing fans couldn’t have been a more fitting end, and for the fan gifted the mic, I doubt the ending could have been any better. In spite of the storms outside, this was an incredible performance from brothers Henry and Pierre.
Melbourne continued the trend of miserable weather, but by the time night two rolled around, storms had mellowed out into a mild drizzle. The band had played the 170 Russel the night prior in the first of two sold out shows, having worked out the kinks of the venue. The setlist remained for the most part unchanged, and the crowd was as hyped as you’d hope a sold out show to be.
Of the changes made, the most notable was the impromptu and rough addition of ‘Number One’, a song not played since the start of their Europe tour, and that their current touring drummer had never played. It came as a way to cover the brief hiccup due to technical difficulties, and to hold the crowd over as they solved the issue. It worked incredibly well and seeing Tom Leggot instantly pick up the beat was very impressive.
In comparison to Freo Social the lighting of the 170 Russel was much improved. Freo Social’s lighting was abysmal, it was a losing battle to shoot in, especially with a camera not particularly suited to low light photography. It felt that most of their set was draped in darkness, especially moments like ‘The Question’ where it became more intimate. Even my phone struggled at times. When the stage was actually decently lit, I almost jumped for joy.
The show was just as fun as Perth, if not more fun, after all Melbourne is known for its live music scene. The band’s infectious energy, converting another crowd. It is a continuous theme and while I had as much fun as any other show on this leg of the tour, the unchanging setlist brought a hint of monotony that didn’t exist during the European leg. During their Europe tour they regularly swapped around the songs of the setlist, rotating covers and their older songs and even swapping out ‘Bedhead’ for their other unreleased song ‘But I Do’. It is such a first world problem to have and one that comes with the privilege and joy of being able to travel for a band I love so much, but I do miss the unpredictability.
Melbourne concluded with Henry climbing atop a table at the back of the venue, after splitting the crowd like he was Moses, and shredding on his guitar. An ending as high energy as the show that came before. Tomorrow, Balu Brigada had the first of two sold out shows at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, the band on a continuous high note and hungry for more. The hunger evident in their exhausting tour schedule and incredible live shows, they show no sign of letting up, booked out until the end of the year and with a deluxe album on the way. Each festival set the crowd only grows, it won’t be long until they’re a real headlining act, something they are more than deserving of.
You can view our full gallery below
Leave a comment