The use of the space alongside the Brisbane River in front of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, On The Banks, is the perfect setting for a steamy March night and the return of Birmingham's favourite rapper Mike Skinner and his group, The Streets.
First though, Shady Nasty turned a lot of heads with their punchy brand of music that is hard to pigeon-hole.
With post-punk instrumentation and a dead-pan monotone vocal delivery, you'd be excused for thinking this band was from the rough streets of London, rather than Sydney.
Maybe that's why it worked so well with so many British people in the crowd, but also, this band are doing something fresh that not only this country is embracing, but as they prepare to embark on a tour of Europe and the USA, they've got a sound that is increasingly universal. A great choice of support act.
Shady Nasty at Melbourne gig (5 March) - image © Danielle Annetts
Mike Skinner and The Streets are no strangers to Australia. They've been known and loved here since their first show, also in Brisbane, at 2002's Livid Festival. Back then, they hadn't even released the album that would feature tonight (6 March).
It's always made sense that 'A Grand Don't Come For Free', their second album released in 2004, should be heard in full, but it seems incredulous it hadn't been performed in its entirety until this tour.
It's a concept album that tells the story of losing a thousand bucks, before evolving into the realness of life, love gained and lost, and the mates that surround us, for good and bad.
It's a story we've all come to know and love along with its fair share of memorable hooks, catchy choruses and the inalienable ability to immerse us in that dingy Birmingham flat with the broken TV as we all sing-along in our best Brummie dialect.
Skinner casually appeared onstage to the strain of 'It Was Supposed To Be So Easy' and it's immediately obvious this isn't the same Skinner we've seen before. This is theatre. This is poetry. This is performance art.
The Streets at Melbourne gig (5 March) - image © Danielle Annetts
The album is faithfully played in order with Skinner remaining in character as the protagonist, just as we always imagined. Wearing a trench coat on a humid Brisbane night probably wasn't the smartest idea, but the pint in his hand was certainly part of the plan.
The jacket came off in the second song. 'Could Well Be In' introduces the love interest into the story, but also the outstanding backing singers for the evening, Roo Savill and Kevin Mark Trail.
Savill would play the role of girlfriend, Simone, for the evening and provided a perfect foil to Skinner's role, particularly in the 'break-up' song, 'Get Out Of My House'.
Trail would take turns as the mates and brain of Skinner with his pristine vocal and would often be bouncing off Savill as part of the stage show.
The Streets at Melbourne gig (5 March) - image © Danielle Annetts
As the waft of weed filtered through the audience – which seemed largely British with a wide range of ages – Skinner moved through 'Not Addicted' and into the nightclub evoking 'Blinded By The Lights', before flipping a foldback speaker on its end and taking a seat, head in hands.
Skinner continued to deliver the album in character through the drunkenness of 'Fit But You Know It', the anger of 'Such A Twat', and into the heartbreak of 'Dry Your Eyes', the crowd joining in with gusto.
'Empty Cans', all eight minutes of it, wraps the album and the first half of the show before Skinner and his band bow, just as they would on a theatre stage.
This is not just a concert; this is a play and it's brilliant to see Skinner delivering the album in a way that we've always imagined. So, when's the movie coming out?
The second half of the show converted the mood into a party with a best-of-the-rest set that included six tracks from their first album, 'Original Pirate Material', a smattering from other albums and lockdown-breaking anthem, 'Who's Got The Bag'.
The Streets at Melbourne gig (5 March) - image © Danielle Annetts
There were mosh circles, a lot of raucous dancing and then Skinner decided that we were going to "complete Brisbane on the hardest setting".
This very convoluted process included, firstly finding a "box fresh" shoe within the crowd (not an easy task) from which to consume a shoey, before directing the delivery of a beer and a shoe to the mid-point of the crowd as Skinner made his into the crowd, was lifted up by the audience and drank the beer before continuing to sing 'Take Me As I Am' to a delirious crowd as he was transported back to the stage.
This was the Mike Skinner we know and love, but the show was sublime in its balance and delivery. A fitting show in a cultural space for an adoring audience.
