Brisbane indie-pop favourites Cub Sport have just kicked off their massive world tour in support of their sophomore studio album “Bats”. These run of dates see them playing sold out shows across the country as well as a 21 date tour of North America and 3 European shows before returning to Australia to open for Vance Joy on his arena tour in September. A pretty impressive feat for an independent band. With the end of the Australian leg quickly approaching the four piece returned home to Brisbane for two massive sold out shows at The Triffid.
Opening the show was indie-pop newcomer Eves Karydas who burst onto the stage with a setlist of euphoric and emotional tracks. You may actually be well acquainted with her previous musical project Eves The Behavior which saw her extensively tour Australia, play some massive festivals and receive some big Triple J airplay. She kicked off her set with some heavily pop infused new tracks including clear standout “Honest” before throwing it back to her old project with fan favourite “Electrical”. She then played new single “Further Than The Planes Fly” before finishing her set with “Couch” and the big singalong single “There For You”. Her new sound is a lot more mainstream indie-pop inclined compared to her previous project and has a wider demographic potential. Her vocals are still a little bit sultry with an angelic delivery with songs like “There For You” offering an almost Lana Del Rey vibe. Her stage presence could be a little stronger but for her first run of dates for this new project it was a very strong start.
With the venue at full capacity Cub Sport walked out onto the stage to a massive applause as lead singer Tim Nelson took centre stage under a big white spotlight to sing angelic opener “O Lord”. The big anthem was the perfect song to kick the show off with its powerful message of equality and being true to yourself which embodies the whole raw sentiment of their latest album. Record favourites “Hawaiian Party”, “Look After Me”, “Banyo Blue” and “Good Guys Go” were early standouts whilst “Only Friend” and “I Cant Save You” were little throwback gems that had the longterm fans ecstatic. One of the most special moments in the night happened during “Solo III” when lead singer Tim Nelson shared a little harmonising moment with fellow band member and fiance Bolan. It was very cute, genuine and warmed your heart. Title track “Bats” followed by “Chasin”, “Temporarily” and “Come Mess Me Up” perfectly closed out the show with their big singalong moments and little dancing encouragements. They returned to the stage one last time for a performance of their Triple J Like A Version cover of Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” which had the crowd grooving instantly. Over the years their stage presence has grown a lot and has seen them evolve into a very strong four piece who aren’t just great musicians but are also great storytellers. Their production was very vibey and on point with a neon Cub Sport sign and screens on the frame of the stage to help enhance the lighting and visual experience. They probably could’ve shifted their setlist slightly and scattered some of the singles to the start or middle of the set to help create momentum. But otherwise their storytelling really did carry these songs in the most genuine way and made the show feel super intimate.
Photographed by; The Raveyard Photography / Hannah Dodd
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