A sold-out crowd packed The Hi-Fi (Thursday 2nd October) for Bluejuice’s final Brisbane show, giving a raucous yet endearing send-off for the beloved Australian band.
It was a get-up-and-dance party atmosphere right from the beginning as Bluejuice launched into ‘The Recession’ and ‘S.O.S.’ before whipping out crowd-pleasers ‘(Ain’t) Telling The Truth’ and ‘Shock’.
Click here for photos from the show.
This farewell tour, aptly titled ‘Retrospectable’, showcases Bluejuice’s 13-year career and the setlist was nicely balanced between classics and new stuff, as well as a mix of up-tempo party tracks and more soulful material.
Image © Lachlan DouglasNo matter what they played, the well-oiled audience was with them every step of the way, singing every word and loving every minute. Mid-set was reserved for newer songs such as ‘No Time For Tears’ and ‘George Costanza’ (which vocalist Jake Stone proudly declared was “a song about nothing”), and their cover of ‘Video Games’ by Lana Del Rey.
Playing for just over an hour, Bluejuice wound up their set with their most well-known song, ‘Vitriol’ and were chanted back onstage by an audience who didn’t seem to want the show to end, performing a two-song encore comprised of ‘Medication’ and ‘Broken Leg’.
Image © Lachlan DouglasWatching them play, their honed stagecraft and infectious-party attitude, not to mention a throng of adoring fans, it’s hard to believe Bluejuice are disbanding; if anything, they perform like a band at the top of their game and can obviously still draw full-capacity crowds.
However, Bluejuice have repeatedly stated they wanted to go out on top and if that was their intention, then mission accomplished, lads. It was the best send-off any band could hope for: high-energy tinged with just a hint of nostalgia — and in true, Aussie style they joined the fans for a drink after the show.
So farewell Bluejuice – you may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but if this show is anything to go by, you will be sorely missed by many.
