13 March 2026 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – words and pictures by Bec Harbour
It isn’t until you really pay attention to Hilltop Hoods that you realise just how integral they are to the Australian music landscape. My interaction with Hilltop has mostly been hearing the songs on the radio and passing them by, or catching part of their set at festivals (and them filling in for artists who have pulled out – the eternal Australian festival stand-by’s).
Hearing that they had sold out Brisbane Entertainment Centre (BEC) for their first night and were on track to do it again for the second, I figured it was time to start paying attention and see a headliner show properly. The line-up featured not only Hilltop, but UK artist Maverick Sabre, who fuses soul, hip-hop and R&B, along with local industry veteran Trials, with DJ Eclipse keeping the tracks spinning between artists.
Arriving at BEC for night 1, there were already plenty of people lining up and heading in to grab food and drinks before the show, while a huge line had formed at the outside merch stand. Having merch outside as well as inside was a clever move – a few people even ran up from the drop-off zone just to grab a couple of T-shirts before heading off again.
Inside, DJ Eclipse was already spinning a medley of tracks from ‘Hollaback Girl’ to ‘I Love Rock and Roll’, with the front row enthusiastically singing along. He then called out Trials to begin his set.
For those not aware, Trials is one half of AB Original and Funkoars, and he kicked off the Adelaide representation strong. I’m not familiar with Trials’ solo work, so settled in to see what the set would bring.
L-R DJ Eclipse – TRIALS – BEC – photos by Bec Harbour
Trials has always blended his Ngarrindjeri heritage with contemporary music and themes, and tonight’s set was no different. He brought out local MC Birdz with Fred Leone to perform a cover of Birdz’s song ‘Bagi-la-m Bargan’, along with a short speech about men making sure women feel safe and welcome, directed squarely at the men in the audience. The set carried an underlying funk that went straight to the pit of your stomach and made it impossible not to move your feet – a great performance with powerful messages woven seamlessly through it.
Next up was Maverick Sabre. I had never heard of the UK singer-songwriter before, so I was curious to see what he would bring. Judging by the phones already raised in the front row, parts of the Hilltops crowd clearly knew his work. The only song I recognised was the Oasis cover ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, but the R&B-infused set provided a smooth, mellow interlude before the main event.
Maverick Sabre – BEC – photos by Bec Harbour
Then the arena went black. A murmur of anticipation rolled through the crowd before the intro music blared, the lights burst on and confetti cannons fired. Suddenly Suffa and Pressure were on stage, running from side to side, waving to fans and soaking in the Brisbane crowd.
The set kicked off with ‘Leave Me Lonely’ and ‘Chase That Feeling’, with Suffa and Pressure immediately working the stage, including a massive catwalk that stretched deep into the crowd. By the third song, ‘The Nosebleed Section’, the audience erupted. You could see the sheer delight on Suffa and Pressure’s faces as they ran the length of the stage and catwalk (no small feat on the enormous BEC stage) while delivering those rapid-fire lyrics.
Hilltop Hoods – BEC – photos by Bec Harbour
What followed was effectively a roll call of guests. Nyassa joined them for ‘Fall From the Light’, ‘I Love It’, ‘Something Bigger Than This’, ‘Higher’ and ‘Through The Dark’, along with a sort of cover of ‘Don’t Worry be Happy’. Montaigne appeared for ‘1955’, Maverick Sabre returned for ‘Wont Let You Down’ and ‘Live and Let Go’, and Adrian Eagle stepped out for his collaboration with Hilltop, ‘Clark Griswald’.
The biggest crowd reaction of the night, however, came when Illy joined them for ‘Exit Sign’. From there the set pushed towards the finish, closing with ‘Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom’, with the crowd already buzzing in anticipation of the encore.
Hilltop Hoods – BEC – photos by Bec Harbour
Pressure and Suffa soon returned with the opening notes of ‘Still Standing’, and by the time the intro of ‘Cosby Sweater’ hit, the entire arena was singing and jumping along.
I have to admit I feel a little schooled for not paying closer attention to Hilltop Hoods over the years. They put on one hell of a show, genuinely engage with their fans, and have done a huge amount for Australian hip-hop, paving the way for the artists that followed. Watching them on stage, they are clearly still excited to do what they do – and that energy is infectious.
Hilltop Hoods – BEC – photos by Bec Harbour
What an amazing night that I thoroughly enjoyed!
