The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is an enormous space, made more so by the seeming scarcity of the people lining up before the doors, waiting for the official opening at 7:30pm.
Even so, it would take a phenomenal effort to fill the expansive halls, but one UK trio The xx will eventually conquer by the end of an intense night of music making.
First to grace the stage however were Australia’s very own Jagwar Ma, and they brought with them a killer vibe and wicked stage presence fit for any club or bar.
Having said that, they might have been a little more at home playing somewhere like Alhambra or even The Tivoli. The crowd drawn to see The xx weren’t overly appreciative of their scuzzy ambiance, but they put on an amazing show.
With heavily reverberated vocals, a thick bass and electronic element filled out their psychedelic sound, Jagwar Ma embodied groove. It seemed as if they were having a party on stage, the consequences of their good times creating this incredible music.
Although there wasn’t much dancing it was clear the crowd were heavily enjoying the support for the main event.
It was a long wait for The xx to start their act and audience members were throwing around ideas as to what was taking them so long; dance rituals, secret handshakes, the eating of steaks (“you can’t rush a good steak”) But as the lights finally dimmed and a filling throng flocked forward, all remnants of conversation ceased.
An enormous projection of paint splattering onto a giant white sheet backing the stage signalled the beginning of ‘Try,’ and the three band members walked on stage with straight, intense faces.
In fact, ‘intense’ is a good word to describe the show as a whole. ‘Crystalized’ was slow and deep, Romy Madley Croft’s wispy vocals and Oliver Sim’s mysterious stare and loping ‘I’ve got the blues but I’m shaking them loose’ walk creating an immediate vibe of piercing depth.
The crowd grooved to Jamie XX’s sultry beats more than Jagwar Ma’s obvious dance tunes, and in this sense ‘Chained’ was an obvious hit. Sim swayed like a metronome, the crowd mimicking him with closed eyes and adoring dispositions.
The band are unconsciously modest through their mysterious and unfeeling facades. Every once in a while when the fans’ loving cheers would reach a peak, their straight expressions would slip, and it was incredibly satisfying to see Croft’s lovely smile make an appearance through her serious expression.
‘VCR’ was a blast from the past, and a really lovely performance. ‘Sunset’ was equally as well-received, with crooning vocals and the group’s signature smooth sounds. Croft’s guitar had great tone, especially in ‘Reconsider’ – those little licks were a treat. ‘Islands’ was a huge hit, with a sing-along from the audience and even (nearly) an actual dance.
The most brilliant song of the night had to be their last. ‘Infinity’ was intense and magnificent, with the clash of the cymbal bringing on a bright flash of light and a building of tension helped along by Sim and Croft stalking each other from one side of the stage to another.
The exuberant use of a smoke machine created a ‘Northern Lights’ type effect and finally, as the pressure peaked, they lifted the enormous sheet backing the stage.
As the curtain slowly began to rise, people started shouting and yelling approval; finally, a colossal X was revealed. It was the climax of the entire show, and as the smoke cleared and the song ended, the threesome walked off stage to the cries of an extremely satisfied audience.
After the appropriate wait, the trio re-entered to perform ‘Intro,’ and finally, finished the show with a beautiful performance of ‘Angels.’
As their music flowed through the venue, smoke filled the signature X, as it changed colours and put on a light show like no other.
It was a magnificent concert to say the least, and all spectators were buzzed as they left the venue, reliving the evening and storing their memories in that secret place reserved only for those truly special nights.
