Highly Suspect – Review & Photo Gallery 25th November @ The Brightside, Brisbane QLD
Highly Suspect
The Brightside, Brisbane
November 25, 2023
Support: Sunbleached
“Come on Brisbane!! Come on Australia! You’re at a Mother F*cking Rock Show in a f*cking parking lot!” – this just about sums up the awesomeness that was Highly Suspect’s Brisbane sold out show.
Making my way up the street towards The Brightside, you could be forgiven for walking straight past what is seemingly an unassuming little church like building and missing the funky venue altogether.
It was my first time visit to The Brightside Brisbane. I had a quick little venture around the venue to check it out and then made my way to the barrier in front of the stage for the show.
Fun fact – the location began as a sunday school for the larger Presbyterian Church building next door, and built in 1906. The property has had many purposes over the years, most recently it has been added to the list of Brisbane’s premier music venues. The Brightside has a huge indoor stage, bar and beer garden and for larger events the Brightside Outdoor – where the car park is transformed into a live music paradise.
Supporting Highly Suspect were Brisbane locals Sunbleached. Hot off the back of their second EP Delicate Places We Hide released earlier this year, the five piece are turning heads where ever they go.
Putting in a solid set to a decent sized crowd, there was plenty of on stage action. Big high fives to those who get to gigs early enough to see the support bands! Sometimes you can stumble across the best bands.
Then after waiting in the wings, the Cape Cod legends, walked out one by one onto the stage in a haze of red, to an already screaming crowd.
The boys took a few moments to gear up and get themselves into position before launching into first song of the night – clearly a crowd favourite and definitely one of mine ‘Bath Salts’. The whole crowd cheered, eagerly singing along with the band and nailing every word.
Not wasting a minute, part way into the first song – lead vocalist Johnny Stevens calls out to one happy fan in the crowd- “Hey you in the Jordan hat – start running in circles right there. Yep you in the grey shirt start running in circles bro they will follow you. I promise you.
Come on Brisbane!! Come on Australia! You’re at a Mother F*cking Rock Show in a f*cking parking lot!” You all know what to do when the beat drops!”
Front and centre to the stage, round and round they go as the beat slowly begins to build, all waiting in anticipation for the beat drop. And when it did the Highly Suspect circle pit of madness erupted in cheers and jumps and body slams, arms and legs flailing right, left and centre, everyone having the absolute time of their lives.
Highly Suspect delivered a 1.5 hour set , plowing through a bunch of all time favs and a few new ones. Throwing out favourites such as ‘Bloodfeather’, ‘My name is Human’, ‘Claudeland’, ‘Lydia’ and more, the crowd were screaming their hearts out with all the lyrics, captivated for the entire time. Circle pits, mosh pits, body slamming with 500-600 punters crammed in together having the time of their lives.
With a host of new music on the way and another Australian tour on the horizon for next year, the Cape Cod outfit show no signs of slowing down and we don’t want them to! Their music continues to evolve while still keeping that distinctive sound that is all things Highly Suspect.
When they do come back, make sure you grab a ticket – you wont be disappointed. In the meantime check out our recent interview here. Have a listen to their latest album Midnight Demon Club and see what the fuss is all about.
Photo Gallery by Bec O’Reilly. Find Bec on Facebook and Instagram.
Please credit Wall of Sound and Bec O’Reilly if you repost.
Setlist
Bathsalts
Bloodfeather
Blue Eyed Devil
Mexico
Summertime Voodoo
Lydia
Lost
Serotonia
My Name is Human
Wolf
Suicide Machine
Run for your death
Claudeland
Pink Lullaby
Sunbleached
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Highly Suspect
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