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Homegrown boys Miami Horror take the stage to a flurry of teenagers rushing the barrier. Their four to the floor electro pains most everyone else who turned up early enough to catch the support, which really isn’t many. The late crowd don’t miss much – given the music and stage show that’s in store from the headliner, Miami Horror deliver a very average set which does nothing gain the audiences’ attention until closing the set with Sometimes.
Lisztomania signals Phoenix ’s arrival to screams, jumping and chair-dancing so volatile the seating bank moves with a life of its own. People in the pit claw at lead singer Thomas Mars when he ventures down from the stage, landing on photographer’s shoulders in the process.
From word go, the band prove themselves consumate musicians, their captivating stage presence generated by their playing, not gimmicks nor crowd-hyping banter. Thomas Hedlund is the French personification of Animal from the muppets – belting drums like Tarzan and providing much of the set’s visual entertainment.
Playing Brisbane for the first time to almost 3500 excited fans who likely are only familiar with the band’s latest radio-friendly offering, the set brings to life much of their current album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Older material showcases the band’s instrumental prowess, including that of guitarist Christian Mazzalai, with a little help from touring keyboard player and percussionist Robin Coudert.
The show’s production values only serve to enhance the band’s note-perfect magic, with paralysing strobes giving Rome and Lasso an otherworldly feel. This is the devine execution of intelligent, body-shaking, wonderful pop, with Mars announcing he is stoked to “play shows to people who understand our lyrics” – not that words matter a single iota with music this joyful.
Mars and Mazzalai return post-encore to appease a crowd that just won’t go home until they get more than their fill. The duo offer Everything Is Everything and Air’s Playground Love. 1901 sees Mars walk through the mosh and crowd surf back to the stage, then call the audience onto the stage to help close the show with a bang.





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