Brisbane's The Princess Theatre, in Woolloongabba, is Queensland's oldest surviving theatre with a rich history dating back to 1888.
My last visit to the historic venue was to photograph the swirling foggy mayhem that was a death metal band. Friday night (11 April) would see Aussie hip hop taking the main stage, with Illy supported by Kuren and CHISEKO.On entering the venue, it looked as if the fog still hadn't cleared from the previous gig as the blue and purple fog floated in the air amongst the classic architecture.
The Brisbane leg of the Good Life tour was originally planned for last November, but as the last five years have taught us, life is a bit unpredictable. The Brisbane audience got extra study time with the new album, and Illy would call on them to read out aloud to the rest of the class. I have spent the last week with the album on high rotation and was definitively interested in how the new tracks would work their way into the set.
Kuren was the first artist onstage. The Indigenous producer from Hillston NSW also goes by the name of Curtis Kennedy. It was one man, turntables, and a sea of blue fog and his tunes. There was a certain air of mystery as he provided an atmospheric soundscape.
The punters filled the venue as elements of electronica were mixed with haunting vocals. The tempo ebbed and flowed as he delivered his tracks with a very chilled persona and then vanished off the stage as the set ended.
Kuren - image © Radical Imaging
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in a UK, Switzerland and Australia, CHISEKO is an explosion of energy that has to be seen to be believed. I had the feeling he had looked at his 'step count' before coming onstage and realised he needed another 5,000 steps before the day was over.
In my notes I wrote 'Lupe Fiasco vibes' as he kicked and pushed his way around the venue – on foot that is, no skateboard in sight. With the crowd singing "damn! My bank accounts about to crash," we got a feel for the relatability of his lyrics before he ventured into the crowd to get up close and personal.
It was an awesome effort given that his DJ couldn't make it and he was also controlling the tunes amongst various exploration outings of the historical venue. We got tales of spaceships, bank accounts and juice to make for an awesome set full of energy, enthusiasm and crowd participation.
CHISEKO - image © Radical Imaging
Illy has been kicking around for a bit with almost two decades in the music industry. His new album 'Good Life' (his seventh studio album) pushes the boundaries with a mix of musical styles.
To say this gig was highly anticipated would be an understatement. Originally booked for November 2024, tonight's concert was five months in the making and well worth the wait. Illy took the stage to massive cheers from the crowd.
He started off with the new track 'Throwbacks' that would give us a feel for how the night was going to proceed. We would get a taste of the 'Good Life' and then he would "play them old-school records" with an extensive discography going back a decade-plus.
Illy - image © Radical Imaging
Illy was joined onstage by Liam on drums (we did get an awesome drum solo interlude as Illy caught his breath at one stage) and his "right hand man" Patty on keyboard (and various other electronic devices) creating the unique sound of this Aussie hip hop experience.
The 'Two Degrees' album from 2016 would bring us three awesome tracks. 'Catch 22' had the crowd moving early on (yeah, we are definitely going to "stay, stay, another round") as the pre-recorded vocals from Anne-Marie accompanied Illy's lyrical genius.
This weekend, Hilltop Hoods will play Bluesfest (which I still can't get my head around). I was wishing for a sideshow while they were in the area (maybe there is a secret gig somewhere), but we did get a taste with Illy doing a cover of 'Exit Sign' as a tribute to the legends and their contribution to the Australian music scene.
Illy - image © Radical Imaging
The 'Good Life' is an exploration of different musical genres and styles with heartfelt storytelling. 'Good Night, Good Luck' has a strong country music influence as the song launches with steel guitars, the crowd encouraged to yell out "good night! Good luck!".
'Braveheart' gives us a more sombre exploration of the relationship between a father and son, as we get a taste of Illy's most personal album to date. The serious themes are balanced out with lightheartedness as we get a taste of one of Illy's favourite songs to play live, with the track 'Swear Jar'. Audience participation is a must for this song as the chorus is sung and fists pumped into the air.
Illy - image © Radical Imaging
There is a generous helping of the new album throughout the set with 'Stubborn', 'You Lying', 'Rings', 'Satellites', 'Closer' and the title track making it into the set list. The Tones and I collaboration 'Kids' is a standout for me with the vocals from Sofia Reyes making it an absolute classic.
This would be Brisbane's first taste of these tracks live and it was well worth the wait. For those that hadn't done their homework on the new album there was a great selection from Illy's other albums with such classics as 'Then What' ('The Space Between', 2021), 'Tightrope' ('Cinematic', 2013) and 'Papercuts' ('Two Degrees', 2016) filling the extensive set list.
It was a high-energy show that left the audience wanting more. I couldn't put it any better than the lyrics from 'Throwback' as Illy tells us: "I still hold a soft spot back / For an Aussie accent / Kickin backpack rap." Go and check out Illy at a venue near you.
More photos from the concert.
