22 November 2023 – Riverstage, Brisbane – words by Emma Dilemma – pictures by Bec Harbour
On a humid Wednesday evening in Brisbane, thousands of Indie Rock fans descended on Riverstage for a double-headlined show. It had been raining for days, but now everything was fine. Bloc Party and Interpol had arrived.
Traffic was bonkers, and the line-up at the gates may have been worse. Brisbane had chanced the rain on a school night in droves. I am super disappointed to have missed Dust at 6pm, trying to navigate my way through an obstacle course of cars and people just to get there. Apologies to Dust, I heard it was a great set.
Dust – Riverstage – photos by Bec Harbour
As I neared the front of the line, Bloc Party hit the stage with a polite greeting and ‘So Here We Are’. I’m not sure about the mosh pit, but those of us still outside were cheering and singing along. This was quickly followed up with ‘Sex Magik’ and ‘Hunting for Witches’.
By now the venue was packed. Kele talked about being excited to be in “Brisneyland” for their “final Australian show”. The crowd was not nearly as responsive to this as I expected, but Kele continued, insisting we were going to have a fun night. He even threw in an impromptu rendition of Paul Kelly’s ‘Dumb Things’ (always an Aussie crowd pleaser) before launching into ‘Song for Clay’ which got the attention of everyone.
Bloc Party – Riverstage – photos by Bec Harbour
The last time Bloc Party played Brisbane (in a time before COVID) it was Silent Alarm in full. Having missed tickets, a mate and I (hey, Dave) packed a picnic and sat on the East Lawn outside dancing and singing to all the OG faves. A few of those featured in tonight’s set including ‘Helicopter’, Banquet’, and ‘This Modern Love’ mixed among tracks spanning across their career.
Highlights included ‘Traps’ (with tiny powerhouse Louise Bartle absolutely smashing it on drums) from their latest LP, Alpha Games, ‘Flux’ off Weekend In The City, and certified “banger” to close out the set, ‘Ratchet’.
Bloc Party – Riverstage – photos by Bec Harbour
Bloc Party are surely a tough act to follow, but Interpol managed just fine, opening strongly with ‘Untitled’ and ‘C’mere’. Having never seen the NY rockers before, I was delighted to hear that Banks’ distinct vocals sounded exactly as recorded.
It was clear that Interpol are every bit the professionals, their act is polished and perfected, and they waste no time getting down to business. Even if you peeked a look at setlists from their shows in Sydney and Melbourne, you couldn’t know what to expect. Every night, a little something different to surprise and delight.
Interpol – Riverstage – photos by Bec Harbour
Tonight’s set featured tracks from 6 of their 7 studio albums, including ‘All The Rage Back Home’ and ‘The Rover’. Unsurprisingly, the crowd favourites included ‘Evil’, ‘Obstacle 1’ and ‘PDA’. They are favourites for a reason.
Interpol – Riverstage – photos by Bec Harbour
Before closing out the night, Banks encouraged appreciation for Dust and Bloc Party, and thanked Brisbane for coming out. ‘Slow Hands’ bid us goodnight, and then, as haphazardly as we had arrived, thousands of Indie Rock fans wandered out into the streets of Brisbane and into a humid Wednesday evening.
