The fourth show of James’ Australia and New Zealand tour took them to Brisbane, where, as in the other cities on the tour, the band had moved up to a considerably larger venue. Their previous two visits had seen them perform at the Tivoli, a historic theatre with an intimate atmosphere, but this time they took to the stage at Fortitude Music Hall. It was another significant step up in capacity, reflecting the band’s growing popularity in Australia.
At the VIP soundcheck, the band performed ‘Stay’, stating that it wouldn’t be featuring in the main set, followed by ‘One of the Three’. Undecided on their third song, they turned to the audience for suggestions. ‘Waterfall’ was among the requests, prompting Tim to ask whether they could play it, much to the apparent horror of Dave. Mark pointed out that they’d performed it on their previous visit Down Under, and they opted for ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’. The Q&A brought some interesting insights, with Tim discussing the challenges of writing a love song and how the lyrics of ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ relate to his own life. Asked about their musical inspirations, he mentioned artists including Patti Smith and Sufjan Stevens, while took the opportunity to reveal his plans to write a fictional book about Pink Floyd.
Having proved such an effective opener in Melbourne, ‘Dream Thrum’ was given the same role in Brisbane, its understated beauty providing a gentle introduction to the evening. ‘Say Something’ followed as the first single of the night, with Tim remaining on stage throughout for the second consecutive show rather than venturing into the audience. ‘Low Low Low’ retained its early position in the set, which worked particularly well given how different it sounds from the rest of Laid. Its infectious rhythm soon had the crowd moving, while the contrast with the album’s more reflective material made it an ideal choice to inject some energy into the opening stretch.
‘She’s a Star’ returned to the set for the first time since Perth, its soaring chorus providing a welcome singalong moment, before ‘Zero’ from All the Colours of You brought a change of mood. With its atmospheric arrangement and more reflective tone, it offered a lovely contrast to the familiar hit that preceded it. It also marked its Australian live debut, as the album hadn’t even been written when the band last visited the country.
A substantial portion of Laid’s more delicate material occupied the middle of the set, with ‘Way Over Your Head’ and ‘Sound’ interspersed among the songs. Despite being a relatively recent addition to Brisbane’s live music scene, Fortitude Music Hall has a distinctly Art Deco feel, complete with a chandelier, its elegant surroundings providing a fitting backdrop for the more intimate performances. Not everyone was quite as absorbed in the music as the setting might have suggested, however, with Tim making a tongue-in-cheek remark between ‘Knuckle Too Far’ and ‘Lullaby’ about those who seemed more interested in continuing their conversations than giving the songs the attention they deserved.
Chloe shone as she took the lead vocals on ‘Skindiving’, giving Tim the opportunity to make his way up to the balcony to interact with fans for ‘Born of Frustration’, before returning to the stage for ‘Tomorrow’. One of the band’s most powerful anthems, the latter is always a live highlight, particularly during the guitar and bass breakdown that sees Saul and Jim play in close proximity before the rest of the band come crashing back in. James’ willingness to experiment isn’t reserved for their newer material, however. As the band began the song while Tim made his way back to the stage, Mark introduced some twinkling synth notes.
Raw and explosive as ever, ‘Stutter’ made its second appearance of the tour. While the band’s immense talent is no secret, this track offers each member a chance to showcase their individual skills, with Mark stepping behind Debbie’s drumkit, Saul taking to a floor drum and Tim swapping his usual setup for Mark’s keyboard.
The main set drew to a close with the anthemic ‘Sit Down’, with Tim delivering the entire song from the barrier and everybody crouching down in a truly communal moment. Due to a medical emergency in the crowd, the band had to leave the stage to take their encore, though just a song or two earlier than planned.
James have never been a band to do the expected, and while most bands opt to kick off their encores with a burst of energy, they took a more understated approach with the emotive ‘Out to Get You’. ‘Sometimes’ followed, sparking one of the longest post-song crowd singalongs in years, with voices continuing to ring out long after the band had finished playing.
Next came new track ‘Nantucket’, which featured a couple more lyrical changes, before ‘Getting Away With It’ delivered one of the night’s most joyous moments. Both Debbie and Tim made their way down to the barrier, with Tim eventually taking to the crowd for a spot of surfing. The night reached a triumphant conclusion with ‘Laid’, which began with a thunderous crowd singalong before Tim had even joined in, giving the earlier rendition of ‘Sometimes’ a serious run for its money.
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