REVIEW: Glass Animals brought ‘Life Itself’ to Riverstage

REVIEWS

11 Dec

Written By

Words by Aaron Griffiths

Through the wet weather of November 22, a torrential downpour of fans sloshed into the muddy Riverstage grounds. Sliding down the hill to the open-air stage, the gathering mass of wet-haired fans vented their excitement in spite of the humidity. Brisbane’s desire and passion for the return of Glass Animals far outweighed any negative consequences the heavens could bring. One could argue the rain was a marker of a repeated pattern, some reminisced on the last Glass Animals performance they had seen… However, the gig to follow was far greater than simple splendour in the mud.

As the pitter patter on the stage's awning slowly ceased, the dulcet tones of the night's opener rang through the audience. Sydney singer-songwriter May-A provided the perfect vibe to warm up the crowd, commanding the stage from the moment she joined her band. With G on the drums, Chloe (aka Chloe Dadd) on guitar, and Caitlin (aka HANDSOME) on the Bass, the audience’s attention was captured immediately. With hits like ‘Your Funeral’, ‘ifyoulikeitlikethat’, and ‘Say Nothing’, the crowd were voracious; devouring the energetic performances from these talented artists. As the end of the set swiftly approached, it was clear, May-A had gotten everyone into the ‘Swing of Things’.

As though ‘Lost in the Ocean’, the crowd pushed and pulled, swaying, anticipating. Then began the overture, Richard Strauss underscored a conversation between two galaxies and before long, ‘Life Itself’ had begun. The stage was illuminated with a flurry of neon lights and blinking consoles, which displayed a collection of trippy visuals intertwined with live video of the band. The four band members, almost engulfed in their own world, slowly broke down the divide between audience and stage, and by the verse Dave Bayley had everyone in the palm of his hand. As an assortment of carefully designed computer graphics bounced to the steady rhythm of Joe Seaward’s drumming, the crowd pulsed in unison, drawn irresistibly toward the stage. The warbling techno-dreams of Drew MacFarlane and Edmund Irwin-Singer’s instrumentation positioned the crowd with a collective notion that screamed I LOVE YOU SO F***ING MUCH.

A wonder to watch, Bayley seized each moment he could with the audience, and treated them with a reverence usually reserved for more intimate performances. Despite the size of the crowd, you’d be forgiven if you had assumed Glass Animals were playing solely for you. Not to get ‘Gooey’, but this is what sets the act apart in the contemporary scene. There is a fervent and crystal clear affection for their fans. From the stage’s production design, to the farcical use of pineapple props and talking solar systems, the band set a VIBE that is all too easy to fall in love with.

At the end of ‘Pork Soda’, the animals left the stage and through cheers and hollers were summoned back for the encore. Featuring ‘Tokyo Drifting’ and ‘Heat Waves’, Brisbane’s Riverstage was left on a high, keeping hope that Glass Animals’ next visit won’t be too far away. As the Tour of Earth came to a close, the crowd descended back to reality, the remnants of the alternate world slowly fading. The skies opened back up and painted the crowd with a cooling respite, and throughout one collective thought remained, “Thank you so f***ing much.”