Photography by Dan Soderstrom
The New Zealand pop mavens took their adoring audience on a journey.
Easily the biggest act to come out of New Zealand this decade, second only to Lorde, pop duo Broods have only recently released their third studio album Don’t Feed the Pop Monster – their most ‘party-ready’ effort to date. Their fantastic show at The Forum brought the party to the fans and proved that Broods have opened a new, exciting chapter in their pop repertoire.
The four-piece band, primarily consisting of songwriting duo and close siblings Georgia and Caleb Nott, entered the blue-lit stage to the throbbing bass of album opener ‘Sucker’ as white spotlights flashed across the venue in criss-crossing formations. Each member of the band was positioned horizontally across the stage, allowing for equal viewing for all. This was a blessing – the drummer’s ferocious thumping was a sight to behold, especially when unexpected fills were added to the mix.
They played last year’s mash-up ‘Eyes A Mess’ early on – a clever entanglement of local lad Gotye’s lesser know tracks ‘Eyes Wide Open’ and ‘Hearts a Mess’ culminating in a thrilling dance tune. The audience weren’t the only ones getting their groove on, Georgia really showed off her moves, getting down to the catchy synth-riff of ‘Are You Home’ and the infectious beat of ‘Hospitalized’.
The setlist was filled with new tracks from their latest album, which worked a treat as the band explored their extensive range of pop inflections. Yet there was a stark absence of tracks from their first two albums and the absence of beloved songs ‘Never Gonna Change’ and ‘Mother & Father’ was sorely felt. Despite the void this created, fans were quick to embrace the new tracks, continuing to dance the night away.
Softer tracks where Georgia donned an acoustic guitar, such as ‘Dust’ and ‘Falling Apart’, really shone, with the latter exhibiting her eloquent vocal ability. ‘Bridges’, the song that shot Broods to stardom in the first place, garnered the biggest singalong while ‘Free’, from 2016’s Consciousness, began with an a cappella chorus paving the way for the crowd to join in on the action.
Capping off the show were some of Broods’ fanciest tracks; like ‘Peach’, which maximised Georgia’s ability to groove about the stage. The band then returned for an encore performance of ‘Couldn’t Believe’, ending the night on an epic high-note that left their audience bouncing out of the venue and into the night.
Highlight: The infectious dancing brought on by ‘Couldn’t Believe’.
Lowlight: Lack of first album hits.
Crowd favourite: ‘Bridges’.
