Pnau are back, and Friday night saw the Sydney duo deliver one of their finest shows at Melbourne’s Billboards nightclub. Touring the release of their third (self titled) album, Nick Littemore and Peter Mayes also brought Van She and Breakbot along for the ride. In the club the colourful crowd was mainly made up of fresh faces, who were all sporting the latest fashion trends. Observably the more pop orientated sounds of Pnau’s latest album attracted something of a younger clientele.
Upon arriving, Van She took to the stage. I am unsure exactly what their sound would be classified as, it could be described as rock infused electronica. Although I am not a huge fan of Van She, I think they have a lot of potential, and the crowd seemed to be enjoying their sounds. The track Cat & The Eye in particular was a massive crowd pleaser. Breakbot filled the gap between Van She and Pnau, and unfortunately that’s all I felt he did… The choice of music failed to capture attention, and at worst it came off as slightly repetitive. Nonetheless, the majority of the crowd seemed to be enjoying the music, and more importantly were completely geed up for Pnau.
Next up, Pnau took to the stage and blasted their biggest hit of the moment, Wild Strawberries. A massive strawberry danced alongside the band’s set up, with the song’s lyrics displayed on the giant screen behind the band. Opening with such a popular track could be considered risky, however they managed to maintain and keep the energy consistent throughout the set. Giant balloons were thrown into the crowd, making the overall experience a very colourful one. It was also good to hear some of their older sounds from album one and two coming out between recent works. Other big tracks for the night were Baby, With Your Forever, No More Violence, and Embrace with a guest female vocalist.
Pnau definitely know how to throw a party and have fun, and their live show is testament to this. I had a good night and it was clear that the majority of the crowd also really enjoyed themselves. Pnau’s energy made for lots of sing-a-long opportunities, and the giant balloons and onstage antics encouraged a sense of crowd interaction. Overall, it was a good night out. Pnau definitely are indeed back.
albiea says...
It was a great night. Throw in a bunch of great fans of the group and you are sure to have a good night. I know I did. I took photos of the event!