LIVE REVIEW: Ocean Alley lift off with 'Love Balloon' tour

Ocean Alley - Photographed by Charlie Hardy

A night soaked in sweet nostalgia, Ocean Alley’s Love Balloon tour came in to land at the Brisbane Showgrounds on January the 30th, 2026, leaving a glowing crowd in its wake. 

Programmed as a festival in itself, the night featured indie royalty from Ruby Fields, Nothing but Thieves and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, before the beloved Aussie headliners took to the stage. 

Whilst we just missed Ruby Field’s set, the crowd was already buzzed in the aftermath of her characteristically honest, gritty sound as we poured in the gates. Rainbow Kitten Surprise had just taken their place onstage, and the evening had a soft hazy glow to it. Every face was washed with contentment and a softly sparkling excitement - I have to say this was without a doubt one of the most wholesome, happy-to-be-there crowds I’ve been immersed in for a hot minute.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise were (unsurprisingly of course) explosive on stage! 'Cocaine Jesus', 'When it Lands' and 'Espionage' soundtracked sunset, and the band met us with such a delightfully energetic stage presence. Also unsurprisingly, the crowd knew Every. Single. Word. to 'Freefall', and it was a collectively ecstatic experience. Before long, they had us jumping with the mosh friends we’d just made (btw, highly recommend bringing a bubble wand to a gig - it really does improve the crowd experience every time without fail). 

Next up was Nothing But Thieves. Starting the set out with the classic ‘How we feeling?’ call, the resounding cheer and hands in the air left no question at the energy building in the space. I cannot lie I headbanged more than I anticipated and honestly I had a ball. They got the crowd moving hard and really brought us onside - the band was so tight live and it all felt so real. It was the kind of set where you didn’t need to know all the songs or words by any means to have an absolutely fantastic time regardless (can confirm that was my experience). I’ve definitely added more than a couple of their songs to my playlist since (shoutout to my brother’s friend who kept telling me the names of the songs so I could scribble them into my notes between dancing).

Naturally, a real highlight was 'Amsterdam' - an absolute throwback tune that still hits ridiculously hard - another energetically eruptive track to which the crowd knew every word.

There was something nostalgic about the entire night actually, particularly the way the lineup was curated - like hundreds of the people around me were seeing their favourite artists live for the first time all in one night and, naturally, adoring it. I also really got around the way it all felt a little more festival orientated than your usual support slots - I kept thinking how it’s such a lovely, uplifting way to cross-connect audiences.

Then it was time! As Ocean Alley took to the stage the energy was palpable and the nostalgia was peaking. I had only seen them once before - at my first ever festival: Splendour in the Grass at age 16 - around the same time ‘Confidence’ made number 1 in the Triple J Hottest 100. I’d been at the festival with my then high-school boyfriend (in love, and ecstatic to be there). I remember their set as absolute and utter bliss - youth in a bottle. I still recall it vividly as one of the first times I found myself drenched in that familiar flood of complete euphoria that only live music can conjure.

So over 5 years later, hearing the classic psychedelic guitar tones we know and love ringing out across the Brisbane Showgrounds, I was taken right back to that feeling. Again, I was struck with the wholesome diversity of the crowd - there was everyone from kids on parents shoulders to the classic surfer trope (many a blonde mullet I cannot lie).

In particular, there was this little girl with headphones on her dad’s shoulders beside me with the absolute biggest smile. I couldn’t help thinking I’d accidentally witnessed a core memory being made, as I caught her beaming face turning upward to yell ‘Dad that's my favourite song!!’ 

Honestly the whole production just felt so incredibly tight, all the way from the grainy film-style retro projections on the big screen down to the sound and front of house mix. 

Musically, it was filled with real showmanship too. The stage was packed - it looked like a good 8 of them up there at least. The set was loaded with indulgent moments; a concoction of soaring saxophone lines and any number of guitar solos.

The track list was laid out so effectively too - interspersing the newer stuff with the old classics every couple of songs (which I cannot lie I knew a little better). With each classic track I found myself increasingly pleasantly surprised to remember just how many bangers they really do have!!

Initially, I came in expecting only to be peaking in excitement for 'Confidence' and 'Knees' (my old favs). That was until til they played 'Baby Come Back', 'Yellow Mellow', 'Lemonworld', 'Double Vision'… the songs I loved as a teen went on and on, and it seemed I knew every word. I was stoked - it honestly felt like I was 16 again, boogying my little heart out to the songs that soundtracked my high school. That said, all the old hype aside, the new tracks were hitting just as hard - by the end of the set they felt just as classic as the originals.

Honestly, all in all it was just one of those really damn good nights. We grooved hard, bubbles were blown into the sunset, the crowd was a whole other level of chill - and it all just felt reminiscent of the best parts of 2018 festivals. I gotta say, Australia’s widespread love of Ocean Alley is well and truly well-deserved, and after The Love Balloon tour, I can decidedly say that they're always worth catching live, time and time again.