26 September 2025 – Riverstage, Brisbane – words by Bella Cockle – pictures by Vincent Shaw
Veterans of the indie rock scene, The Wombats, played their tenth Brisbane date last Friday at the Riverstage. This set marked the halfway point on their 8-date Australian tour for their latest album Oh! The Ocean. Supporting them on all dates was Brooklyn born indie-pop artist Del Water Gap.
In tandem with this tour, Del Water Gap have been running their own slew of headline shows in Australia. Going viral on local socials for their dreamy and enigmatic aesthetic, this act certainly drew in an excited crowd. DWG, joined by a three-piece live ensemble, played out both older and newer tracks like ‘Better Than I Know Myself’ and ‘How To Live’ – which has only just graced listeners in the last few months, but performed to a studio level. The set top to bottom felt like an endless road trip through country towns. They nailed the nostalgic young love and heartbreak vibe, emphasised by the moody red, pink, and blue hazy lights.
Del Water Gap – Riverstage – photos by Vincent Shaw
On cue, The Wombats turned up the heat from the first second as they kicked their set off with new album’s first track ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come’. Their simple stage setup allowed for plenty of dancing, and the scattered, twinkling lights behind the artists brought the party to life. Throwing it back early, the boys belted out ‘Moving to New York’ and ‘Techno Fan’ whilst elaborating on the highly spirited origin stories for these iconic hits – they were (and are) nothing if not professional partiers. Even still, on this stage we saw all three band members at their most refined and established musical selves to date – including, of course, their musical wombat who crashed the stage for his iconic trombone solo during ‘Ready for the High’.
The Wombats – Riverstage – photos by Vincent Shaw
Whether you were here for the deep-running 2010s’ nostalgia or you’re just discovering the extensive discography of The Wombats, the boys’ setlist ensures that no one misses out. It was a brilliant curation of tracks that celebrated their strong history and proudly showed off their latest creations. We heard an acapella snippet of ‘Tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials’ into ‘Kill the Director’, which frontman Matthew Murphy suggested might go down as one of the strangest introductions to a debut album in music history, but still no less a rocket to their success. The crowed joined in for a mandatory “this is no Bridget Jones” chant as the band played with complete rockstar energy.
The Wombats – Riverstage – photos by Vincent Shaw
There was eventually calm amongst the chaos as The Wombats slowed it down for some softer tracks. It was a perfect opportunity to hone in on Murphy’s lyrics, and I came to the realisation that this band have an undeniable talent of being able to turn even the most crushing situation into a beautiful and danceable track.
The Wombats – Riverstage – photos by Vincent Shaw
The final songs of the night were so anticipated, it saw a mass exodus of punters abandoning their posts in the bar queue to rejoin the mosh. Their encore saw the full extent of the Riverstage crowd dancing their hearts out. Even after an extensive 20 song set, The Wombats brought an effortlessly consistent energy to the table – if this didn’t put you in the best mood for the weekend ahead, I don’t know what would have.
