Live Review: Alt-J, Asgeir, Mansionair

The great grass cereal bowl of Brisbane’s Riverstage fills with an audience ranging from the alternative to the curious, as the mellow electronic Sydney trio Mansionair open proceedings to the delight of the ever-swelling masses.

Icelandic prodigy Asgeir spellbinds and intrigues with his falsetto wail glowing like the Northern lights above his deep beats. Sound issues tarnish the first half of his set but by the time he delivers King And Cross the balance is good and he is at the height of his mystical powers.

The clear night is punctuated by intermittent puffs of blue-grey smoke, caught in the floodlights as they rise from the landscape of countless heads.

Alt-J appear without a word, looming in silhouette against a blue jellyfish of light smothering the stage. The familiar introduction to Hunger Of The Pine is drawn out as the band pause, statue-like, before diving headlong into their enthralling repertoire.

The thunderous bass of Fitzpleasure sends a wall of vibration through the ocean of swaying bodies, the stage washed in pink and purple with lightning strobes cutting through the haze.

Exquisite lighting design accentuates the scorching Left Hand Free with smouldering pulsating glows and flashes. As Bloodflood Pt II morphs through changing moods the backdrop evolves from sizzling orange lava to a cool blue glacier.

Two beams of white light illuminate the sources of the Gregorian style harmony that introduces Tessellate, which generates a roar of approval with its opening chords. Psychedelic patterns rotate across the backdrop throughout Taro and white bars of light appear in sync with synth chords as if triggered by the fingers of keyboard-alchemist Gus Unger-Hamilton.

No time is wasted on chit-chat, the mighty art rock innovators roll out their arsenal of tunes in an impressive display of force. Band leader Joe Newman remains mostly static, occasionally raising a two armed salute, obediently mirrored by his followers. The sonic power generated by four musicians and a tapestry of samples is staggering.

After a moment’s respite the band return to the stage with their flowing electronic interpretation of Bill Withers’ Lovely Day. The night is drawn to a close with Breezeblocks, sending the chemically altered audience into a mania.

The musicianship is flawless, the harmonies sparsely beautiful and the acoustics superb. Alt-J draw you in, whisper in your ear then wash you away on an awesome wave of light and sound.