LIVE REVIEW: VIOLENT SOHO + BEDDY RAYS + TEENAGE JOANS @ THE FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL BRISBANE 26/09/26
Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Well, it got rowdy real fast at the Fortitude Valley Music Hall, and Violent Soho were still a support act away!
What a difference 24 hours makes in Brisbane. On the Friday night, those of us in the Valley watched people spill out of the Fort, hot and sweaty, and become instantly deflated by the news that the Brisbane-adjacent NRL team, The Dolphins, had been defeated. It was gig up but fins down!
Then, on Saturday, Brisbane had won a three-peat the AFL Grand Final, and the place was buzzing. The Fort was full to bursting, and a huge crowd had got together to welcome the Teenage Joans, Beddy Rays, and, after a four-year hiatus, Violent Soho back to the stage for the second night of their East Coast Tour. It was also the last gig of the tour, the gig blow-out and a homecoming. Violent Soho may have pointed out: “You guys weren’t all at Ric’s back in the day – we would have noticed.” But the huge crowd was there to celebrate Brisbane’s own, and one of Australia’s best alternative bands.
The evening started with The Fort’s Premium Lounge, and I have to say how much I love and appreciate that service provided by the venue. It’s awesome! And, after a drink and snack, it was into a ‘spot’ to enjoy the bands. I started the night on the barrier as the Teenage Joans kicked off the evening as we all joined in with ‘Coming Up From Hell’. I love this South Australian duo and have seen them many times live – always great performances – but there was something special in the air, and the Teenage Joans turned it on as Cahli Blakers wailed on her guitar.
They launched into fan favourites ‘Candy Apple’ as they dialled up the energy. They warned the crowd that, “we are going to get a bit country now – and we don’t care if you don’t like it” as they played their great ‘newish’ song ‘Bandit’. Then, they wound the crowd up with dynamic moves and songs that had the crowd singing along wildly with ‘Wine’ and ‘My Heart's Dead!’. Tahlia Borg said: “Are you warmed up now?” The crowd agreed.
The Teenage Joans closed out their short six song set with ‘5 Things I Can Taste’, and the crowd were starting to boil as fists pumped into the air. Then, it was over, as the crowd thanked the band and the Adelaide duo left the stage. The couple next to me who had been at the gig on the Friday night said that set from Teenage Joans was better than last night and they were so good last night. It was an excellent start!
The stage was cleared and rearranged as the Redland Bay boys, Beddy Rays, got ready to set the volume and heat in the venue up to a 100% boil. XXXX Beers and setlists were down on the ground. The Brisbane Lions scarf was laid over the speakers. And, the lights went dark, and it was on.
The Beddy Rays came onto the stage with the blow-up beer cans and launched straight into tearing up The Fort stage. Well, it got raucous real quick! From the opening songs ‘Wait A While’ and ‘Hold On’, the “Reddy Bay” boys brought the chaos to a ‘loving it’ Brisbane crowd. The rhythm section, the drums of Benny Wade and bass of Brad O'Connor, had the place bouncing.
With the declaration of “We luv ya, Brisbane” and the back screen showing the Brisbane Lions logo, along with the beers and: “There are only two get states – Queensland and being pissed.” The crowd agreed, and too many people practised “beers in the sunshine”! But for those of us who were into the music, the Beddy Rays had the crowd in the palm of their hands, and the party was on with ‘On My Own’, ‘Better Weather’ and ‘Sort It Out’ as the mosh bounced and thrashed around. It’s at this point, I thank the young men standing behind me for protecting me from the worst surges of the crowd.
Beddy Rays performed ‘Morning Light’ next, and then the band had some fun with the crowd. The singalongs obviously had not been enough as the dials were turned up to 11. There was a short burst of Toto’s ‘Hold The Line’, and then the microphone was turned to the crowd as the guitar riffs of AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’ were played, and the crowd sang the lyrics at full volume. Jackson Van Issum stopped and said: “Okay. This is Cold Chisel and Khe Sanh.” Well, the place went off! The roar and singing from the crowd were off the charts. It was brilliant! The mosh was pumping and thumping. I was doubting my barrier position choice. But I wouldn’t have missed this set.
Beddy Rays, then, returned to their set list with a “This is for Pauline Hanson,” as ‘Better in Blak’ had the crowd pumping. Then, ‘Handful’ followed before Lewis McKenna gave us the reason to drink “full cream” ‘Milk’. The ‘Sobercoaster’ had the mosh at full boil, and the first crowd surfer was up! Then, the band closed out their set with ‘Week On Repeat’, and bodies were dancing and falling everywhere.
The crowd at The Fort was hot and sweaty, and the main reason we were all gathered, Violent Soho, hadn’t even got out onto the stage. I made the hard decision to move along the barrier to a place of “safety?” as the stage was reset and a white curtain was placed up. This is an uncommon sight at The Fort. More security was down the front and would be needed. The singalong was ratcheted up with songs from the 1980s band Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three’s ‘The Roof Is On Fire’ and then Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’. And my new spot turned out to be just as wild!
Well, the lights went dark, and the curtain fell, and “F**k Yeah” blasted out from the crowd as Violent Soho appeared on stage with helicopter hair spinning, guitars and drums blazing. Violent Soho weren’t holding back! It was on! They raised the roof and took the crowd to hard rock heaven as they commenced their set with ‘How To Taste’, ‘Vacation Forever’ and ‘Lying On The Floor’. The crowd surged forward as the mosh went off, and the crowd surfing began.
At this stage, before I found myself on the floor, I decided to move around the venue. I had some air from the back doors as ‘Blanket’ blared out, and I watched the amazing backscreens frame the band. The view from the back was actually better, as you could take in the whole visual performance. Then, I got a chair, and some water, had a sit, and realised the view was perfect from that space as the songs ‘Viceroy’, ‘In The Aisle’ and the fantastic ‘Canada’ were delivered. In fact, ‘Canada’ was one of the set highlights!
I decided to head to the other side of the venue as Violent Soho asked how many people got to the Mansfield Pub gig. There were many hands and roars, and a few people in T-shirts stating that they “had survived the Violent Soho gig at Mansfield” walking and bouncing around. The band got stuck into performing ‘OK Cathedral’, ‘Kamikaze’ and ‘Saramona Said’. The mosh was shifting left to right. And, I could see legs in the air as crowd surfers made their way over the crowd to the barrier and into the arms of security, and some of them were escorted from the venue. Yikes!
Then, I took myself upstairs and headed to my “spot” (probably should have gone there from the start) but, oh well, bruises!!! Violent Soho, then, delivered the fan favourites, “the essential songs” from across their five records in ‘So Sentimental’, the great ‘Like Soda’, the fabulously funny ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’ and then the huge hit ‘Covered In Chrome’. Looking down from the mezzanine during ‘Covered In Chrome’ was a sight to behold as bodies were flying everywhere, and the chant of “Hell F**k Yeah” rang out. These songs were set highlights!
Violent Soho thanked the Brisbane crowd for coming to the end of tour and homecoming gig. The chant for the encore began as the band delivered the songs ‘Dope Calypso’ and ‘Tinderbox’, and completely finished off the crowd. The sweat covered bodies, and the tired and emotional, spilled out of The Fort and into Brunswick Street Mall. For those partying on, they trekked up the Mall and around the corner to the “unofficial” afterparty at the Crowbar.
What an amazing night of pure rock music!
