There’s something magical about dancing under wild, open skies, the rain mixing with flashes of otherworldly stage lights and feeling the warmth of a throng of moving, ecstatic bodies.
The crowd at RÜFÜS DU SOL were definitely in the zone, embracing the weather conditions with (literally) open arms and riding the experience of the night, however that came at them.
The three boys from Sydney have developed a cult following, as evidenced by the hordes of people honing in on The Riverstage (2 March), coming from all corners of the city.
Supported by 2016 Triple J Unearthed winners and indie-electronic duo Lastlings and fellow Sydney native, the on-the-up, DJ Cassian, the night was a testament to movement.
Lights, sounds, bodies, feelings – everything was constantly in flux and in flow. Once RÜFÜS DU SOL took the stage, thus began a relentless wave of songs, interspersed with thank-you’s and I-love-you’s from the trio.
The crowd lapped it up, loving the comment that Brisbane was the best and loudest crowd yet (you could see chests swelling in pride) as the boys shared what they’ve been doing since they played here last time in 2016.
The Riverstage is geared towards a visual show, the gently sloping hillside perfectly set up for excellent viewing from the top to the bottom. RÜFÜS DU SOL took advantage of this and had designed a mesmerising light show, with a nod to the '90s and the perfect backdrop to their tunes.
People came to party though, so the areas near the stage were filled with whirling, writhing, joyful bodies and hands were constantly waving in the air.
There is a genuine love for this music and you can feel it as you walk through the people - and RÜFÜS DU SOL know it. Most of the crowd knew all the words to every song, and the boys played track after track from ‘Solace’ plus a few songs from ‘Bloom’ and ‘Atlas’ to roars of approval from the audience.
You know that you’re making an impact and captivating a crowd when they don’t stop for a sudden downpour, but just keep dancing.
It’s a sign of graciousness and appreciation for their fans that RÜFÜS DU SOL thanked everyone for their support over and over again.
At one point they asked everyone to take their phones out and shine their torches to light up the entire crowd, so they could see everyone’s faces. The power of many – the lights combined were so bright it looked like daylight – and created this feeling of unity between everyone.
Walking out through the Botanical Gardens with cool, clear skies above and the music still playing inside everyone, there was a feeling of easy joy and satisfaction. Exactly what a concert should feel like on a Saturday night.
