The Chemical Brothers @Brisbane Riverstage, Brisbane(04/03/2011)

Fri 11th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Brisbane Riverstage is one of the best venues in Brisbane and tonight it is playing host to one of the best electronic acts in the world, The Chemical Brothers.

Despite the fact that it has rained almost all afternoon and that drops are still falling as the gates open the punters make their way onto the hill and prepare to dance the night away.

DJ James Holroyd plays a mix of chart singles to get the crowd going. The doors have opened at 6pm and as it is a Friday night this means that a lot of punters won’t arrive until well into the second or third support. This doesn’t seem to deter Holroyd though and he energetically talks to the crowd throughout his half hour set.

It was extremely surprising to see Art vs Science as the second support act for the evening. As the Riverstage is nowhere near capacity when these talented lads take the stage it seems like such a waste to have them so early on the bill, especially when the final support act only plays a mix of tracks from the dance charts.

It even seems that Art vs Science have taken this onboard as they work their way through their playlist. Saving their three biggest tracks for last they play Parlez Vous Francais, Hollywood and Flippers to a growing crowd, but the effort lacks the spark that these boys have brought to their sets on previous occasions.

The crowd is almost at capacity by now and DJ Zane Lowe keeps everyone dancing by mixing a string of the latest dance tracks, plus a few old favourites thrown in for good measure.

The Chemical Brothers are renowned for their live shows and visual effects and tonight is no exception.

As a single strobe rotates around a circular cage that begins to lower over the DJ decks onstage, the introduction mixes into Galvanise and the crowd goes wild. With such an extensive back catalogue to pick from, the set promises to be full of gems to really get the crowd going.

A massive response follows as the opening chords signal Do It Again and the visual effects really start to come into play. There is a large screen set up behind the decks and the most amazing light show is acted out to the music. Dancing bodies, faces, silhouettes of people seemingly swimming, animals pacing across the stage and balls of light that explode like paint gun bullets beat in time with the music as the set continues. It really is hard to describe just how good the visual effects are.

At times though, the visuals are hampered by the smoke machines. This could be a throwback to the horrible weather that the punters are experiencing, as on a clear night, the smoke would be easily blown away. But under the humidity and the rain, it hangs around and for those further up the hill the stage is dulled by the haze.

The Chemical Brothers put on a solid two hour set and rip through their most popular tracks but there is a notable absence of one of the most popular tunes The Salmon Dance. But Block Rockin’ Beats, Believe, Setting Sun and Hey Boy, Hey Girl more than made up for that absence.

As the two hour set draws to a close the lads take a short break before returning with their encore. This was the only other flaw in the whole performance, the very anti-climatic feel that comes with the fact they don’t finish their performance with one of their biggest tracks like The Salmon Dance. Although it was released as a single, The Private Psychedelic Reel is an older track from 1997 and some punters have begun to leave during the final tune.

Overall the night is extremely entertaining and The Chemical Brothers prove yet again why they are two of the best in the business.