Live Review: RUFUS DU SOL, Willaris K

Willaris K kicked off with an energetic set of electronica beats. Positioned centrestage, he immediately got to work in making sure the crowd was warmed up for the main act. Patrons were milling around and enjoying the beats, while others had staked their position at the front – which was actually not necessary as the stage set for tonight was a sufficient height to allow most of the crowd to see. 

The young, the old and everyone in between turned out to see RUFUS DU SOL, and they were ready to dance. The lights cut and ominous intro music signalled their appearance, the band taking their positions and launching into Eyes to much crowd fanfare.

The crowd erupted into dance. It was immediately clear that no matter your dance style you were welcome to pop some moves to Like An Animal. Tyrone Lindqvist struggled to be heard over the singing of the crowd as the rest of the group showed off their slick production, following up the Bloom hit with another, Brighter, then throwing back to Sundream, the only Atlas track to make the new setlist. 

RUFUS DU SOL. Photos by Clare Hawley

It was evident that the show and setlist were well rehearsed. Every note and beat was perfectly in place, and the impressive light show looked fantastic in the Carriageworks space. However, given how grateful the trio was to be home, you couldn’t help but be a tad disappointed that they didn’t do anything special for this show. Nonetheless, they dedicated Treat You Better to all the special people in the crowd (friends and family). 

Innerbloom was a highlight, with the 11-minute odyssey sounding expansive and cathartic in the space, before they closed the set with Another Life. The trio returned for an encore of Solace tracks, and the crowd used up their last bit of energy to dance and then wildly applaud.

The set was simply joyous, with the crowd revelling in every song, showing why RUFUS DU SOL are one of Australia’s biggest electro exports to date and the definition of the Aussie electro sound.