Live Review: RÜFÜS DU SOL, Cassian

After recently becoming the first artist to be released on RÜFÜS DU SOL's new record label Rose Avenue, Cassian is an obvious choice of support on this tour. Rolling on from the trajectory set by the impressive Lafayette single, the polished tone of tonight's bangin' set makes it easy to see just why they chose to sign him.

For a while there it seemed like RÜFÜS were in town nearly every other month, but with this weekend's back-to-back shows at Riverstage marking their first here since 2016, it's safe to say they've now left us hanging for long enough to really build some anticipation. Since being away they've all but conquered the world and pimped up their name in the process. And while the Sydney three-piece have always taken us to great heights, tonight they prove to have broken beyond the stratosphere. Enter RÜFÜS DU SOL...

From the moment they take the stage, with opener Eyes, they deliver on all fronts. Through Like An Animal, Brighter and a surprising rendition of Treat You Better, their sound and visual production proves to be absolutely impeccable. An exquisite tension is created by each song as they walk a proverbial tightrope between vulnerability and strength, yet with each step there's a marked sense of progress. And just how well their sleek studio tracks translate into this live arena really has to be experienced to be believed, but even more inspiring still are the sneaky extensions into new material, from last year's Solace, which offer up their darkest and most exhilarating moments to date, including on the title track, New Sky and Underwater.

Yes there certainly seems to be something special flowing in the breeze tonight; it's the last night of the tour, but more than just that, it's the character of this majestic riverside venue that also makes for a singular experience. Though everybody seems to feel it coming, the band takes a moment to build the mounting tension a little more, telling us that their favourite times playing "this next song" were last time they played Riverstage, both last night and in 2016 – they then ask us to all hold up a light for their core piece, the slow, thumping Innerbloom, before saying goodbye for the moment on closer Another Life.

Encore opener Lost In My Mind journeys down the rabbit hole with another extended section offering untold delights and No Place poetically brings us home on the most celebratory of notes. A complete triumph for one of our brightest, this is a tour that will be spoken of with awe for some time to come.