In support of the recent release of their sophomore album, New Zealand duo Broods debuted their new live show at The Tivoli in Brisbane.
Machines aren’t usually associated with emotions. When comparing another person with a robot, it’s not because they’re high-performing machines, but because they lack empathy and emotion. But, musicians have somehow found a way of injecting souls into their computers; making them sing with just as much emotional resonance as a human. With the rise of electronic artists like Flume, musicians are now taking their laptops out of their bedrooms, and on to stages to sing to adoring listeners. A duo who have turned their machines into balladeers are Broods, who showcased their new tunes at The Tivoli to an adoring crowd.
The first opener of the night was Xavier Dunn. Initially coming to fame through acoustic covers of hard banging pop songs like Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’, Xavier showed the crowd a newer electronic direction. Hiding behind a stack of synths and samplers, Xavier’s electronic works was filled with washes of synths and stuttering beats, but still retained the delicateness of his acoustic material thanks to his sweetly unassuming vocals.
Image © Daniel FosterUp next was Vera Blue. Flanked by an acoustic guitarist and an electronic musician, Vera showcased her similarly downtempo electronic music to the other artists on the bill. What made Vera stand out on her own was the vocal skills she put on display; moving through various octaves like a gymnast in a routine. The combination of Vera’s voice and the softer electronic backing gave her music a '90s R&B sound, bringing back memories of such groups as TLC.
Vera BlueClick here for more photos.
After a blinding light show and waves of pleasing synths, Broods appeared like they were teleported to the stage. Coated in dark blue lighting, Broods launched into the slow-building title track from latest album ‘Conscious’. After belting out the final huge chorus in the song, singer Georgia greeted the audience, letting the crowd know they were lucky because they were seeing the debut of Broods’ new live show which they will be taking around the world.
Image © Daniel FosterLetting her guard down, Georgia admitted she was nervous and excited about how the show would go. The nerves didn’t last for long, as Georgia went back to frontwoman mode when the band launched into another new song, ‘Hold The Line’. As Georgia started hitting the first few notes, she let go of the mic stand she was hanging on to for security to stride across the stage, absolutely owning it thanks to her powerful voice.
A number of high-octane pop bangers later, the two supporting musicians left the stage, leaving Georgia and her brother Caleb alone on stage. The two sat at the front of the now bare stage, stripped back to just Georgia’s voice and Caleb on acoustic guitar. After a very intimate performance of ‘All Your Glory’ in this set-up, a third chair appeared, with the pair now joined for a special performance of ‘1000x’ by the track's other voice, Jarryd James.
© Daniel FosterAfter the trio wrapped up what felt like a special moment, the stage was cleared, with Broods returning after a costume change to launch back into their maximalist pop bangers. The group finished their high-energy set with current hit single ‘Free’, with its enormous chorus barely being contained by The Tivoli. The crowd hardly had to wait for an encore, with the group returning to play their first big hit ‘Bridges’. It didn’t seem like there could be a moment to top ‘Free’, but ‘Bridges’ just did it, with Georgia asking the crowd to sing along, adding to the joyful noise of their machines.
Georgia’s nerves about this new live show shouldn’t have worried her so much; judging by the positive praise from the crowd throughout, this show is another rung on a ladder which will take Broods even higher than before.
