Heavenly clouds float across a dreamy blue sky on the stage's screen.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a man's calm voice intones. "Welcome to an extraordinary evening that promises to transcend the ordinary and catapult you into an uncharted world of wonder." The show has barely begun, but the voice is already bestowing lofty praise on what the crowd at Brisbane's The Princess Theatre (14 June) are about to experience: "A gateway to a new realm of existence. A key to unlock the deeper potential within you. After tonight, you won't recognise the person you once were."
It's been a decade since American shoegazers DIIV last stepped foot in Australia, off the back of their second album. While a tour was planned for their third, it happened to be scheduled in the cancelled year of 2020, which seems to be the starting point for the chaos that's since overwhelmed the world.
DIIV - image © Sakina Indrasumunar
Previous albums from DIIV explored the personal, diving into frontman Zachary Cole Smith's addiction issues and his difficult recovery. On their fourth album, last year's 'Frog In Boiling Water', Smith shifted his view to look at the outside world, and the view is bleak.
Neoliberal capitalism has gutted the creative industries, forcing artists to shill for tech companies to make a living. However, along with painting a dire picture with their songs, video intermissions during their live show leaned into the absurdity of modern life, creating a complex portrait of this decade.
A pair of halos bobbed in the darkness as a rhythmic beep transmitted from the venue's speakers. A burst of house lights revealed black-clad figures of local duo Lunar Dirt, both of whom wore fairy lights wrapped around their heads.
It's an outfit that perplexed some in the crowd, but once Louise O'Reilly's synths and Kurt Read's drums kicked into gear, the crowd were onboard for their space-age rave.
The pair have performed across town in small venues, including the dearly departed Bearded Lady. Those shows were lit only by their headwear, but in this larger space the crowd were treated to a light show that perfectly complemented the band's performance – but no matter the size of the space, Lunar Dirt's grooves always make a crater-deep impact.
Lunar Dirt - image © Sakina Indrasumunar
Infomercials popped up behind DIIV throughout their set. Disembodied voices told the crowd 'capitalism is not the root cause of your problems' and 'resistance is not the solution', and footage of police beating citizens glowed from the screen.
The timing of these messages are incredibly serendipitous; Smith's home town of Los Angeles is currently resisting the heavy-handed enforcement of ICE, while the rest of America is protesting Donald Trump's many acts of authoritarianism.
The reliance on the videos between songs meant there was zero banter from DIIV. However, it also meant the band were fully immersed in their performance.
Most of their set was pulled from their two most recent albums, which step away from the floating dream pop of their early material, and into down-tuned guitars that growl like Deftones' more epic songs.
DIIV - image © Sakina Indrasumunar
Grinding guitars warped through songs like 'Like Before You Were Born' and 'Brown Paper Bag', with Smith's voice sighing beneath. Reverberating guitar notes briefly transported fans back further in time on 'Take Your Time', the only song played from their second album.
It's a stark contrast to the rest of their set, sounding lighter and dreamier, and with a vocal hook buried in the mix. It's a moment that shows how much the band have evolved, especially in terms of the clarity of their lyrics and underlying messages with purpose.
There was some movement by the band onstage, but it was when the Ben Newman's beat picked up pace on 'Blankenship' when the band really let loose. Bassist Colin Caulfield skipped on the spot, flicking his long black hair around, while guitarist Andrew Bailey spun around during the stormy noise break, tangling his guitar cables during his whirlwinds.
It's a pace that stirred movement in the crowd, but the moment that filled the crowd with cheers came briefly during heavy dirge 'Reflected'. It happened very quickly, when Smith seamlessly inserted the phrase 'Free Palestine' into the lyrics, and behind them the screen flashed with the words and a Palestinian flag.
DIIV - image © Sakina Indrasumunar
It's an about face from the band's satire, a reminder of the horrific inhumanity that capitalism has wrought. After a video of 'critically acclaimed band DIIV' giving their seal of approval by endorsing fossil fuel company Exxon Mobil, the band returned for an encore.
They finished the night by going back in time once again, performing 'Doused' from their debut album. It's a spirited performance, with Bailey and Smith's guitar lines swirling around each other over the racing beat.
As the final note echoed, the band left the stage, and the same disembodied voice told the crowd: "You should be proud. You've earned this. Do not forget us." Amidst the darkness in the world, DIIV provided an unforgettable bright spot.
More photos from the concert.
