LIVE REVIEW: Mallrat Brings Magic to The Tivoli: In The Round

Friday the 5th of September marked the opening of Brisbane Festival, the first weekend of Spring, and Mallrat's hometown exclusive show. This night was magical in more ways than the advertised byline of "a special performance...one night only" would prepare you for. With the stage set up in the center of The Tivoli for their 'In The Round' series, audiences gathered around all sides in eager anticipation of the show ahead, a sea of merch shirts and loyal fans awaiting the return of the Princess of Brisbane.

The crowd began piling in as Sissy started her DJ set, proving that the tumultuous BIGSOUND week did not dampen the spirit of the Valley. The energy was high as the room filled up and the lights began to dim, as Australia's hottest new duo took the stage for their debut show. 2charm☆ is a brand new project that is bringing dance pop back to the Aussie masses, complete with choreography and a catalogue of unreleased hits. The crowd was ablaze as 2charm☆ broke into their debut single 'boyfriend', released that day, accompanied by their ever-addictive TikTok dance. The level of work that has been put into both the 2charm☆ project and live set is clearly evident, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.

The headline set was welcomed by a cheering crowd of adoring fans, with Mallrat cycling through the tracklist of her latest studio release, Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right. Singles such as 'Hocus Pocus' and 'Hideaway' provided a truly electrifying live experience, with Grace (Mallrat) taking the time to engage with fans at every point of the barricade. The audience proved themselves to be die-hard fans as they echoed every word of album cuts, including 'The Worst Thing I Would Ever Do' and 'Virtue', and they were rewarded for their attentive fan behaviour when Mallrat performed 'Make Time' and 'Drive Me Round', two tracks that have been absent from setlists for some time.

A true treat came when Mallrat gave a live performance of her recent Apple music cover of Lana Del Ray's 'Radio', before ending the set with a wink and performance of 'Charlie' and 'Rockstar'. After a brief pause, the band came back into the round to finish the night with an encore of Mallrat's staple song, 'Groceries'.

In my honestly humble opinion as a major Mallrat fan, I believe that every Mallrat live show is a truly magical experience. Whether its the artist to audience connection, the way that every lyrical experience is elevated through live performance, or the glint in Grace's eye when she sees the crowd singing and dancing along, the Princess of Brisbane embeds pure and sparkling joy into every set.