Flume @ Red Hill Auditorium
w/ Channel Tres, Toro y Moi
Friday, November 11, 2022
Not even a remarkably cold November night could hinder a sold-out crowd from piling into Red Hill Auditorium, wearing shockingly minimal clothing despite the freezing cold air. A sea of goosebumps and gurners arrived, and the shocking $10 price of a can of export was an early talking point.
Toro y Moi opened up the night with a nostalgic set list of 90s and early 2000s dance music bangers. The likes of Venga Boys and Alice DJ remixes brought ample cheese.
Next up was Channel Tres who sashayed onto the stage, blinding in sequins, white long gloves, back-up dancers and fabulousness – dropping what sounded like nonstop RuPaul’s Drag Race anthems in a velvety smooth, sexy, deep tone. It was high energy soul-train meets disco, somehow meets trap, as Tres delivered hard. He was vibing every second and oozing joy, which was contagious to the crowd, with all eyes entranced by his synthy, over-the-top magic. A truly unique artist doing a genre of his own, Tres was the highlight of the night.
Fresh off the release of his fourth studio album Palaces, Flume entered the stage garbed in a race car driver’s suit. Loud car engine sounds ricocheted across the amphitheatre as a multi-coloured tyre appeared on the large screen behind him, then the wheel started spinning as the revving engine became more intense. The high-octane introduction then morphed into Flume’s opening song, Holdin On. The crowd was in, with everyone singing and invested, but unfortunately the night failed to deliver from there.
While Flume is arguably one of Australia’s favourite musical exports and undeniably a genius musical producer, that didn’t transfer to an enthralling live performance. The stage displayed a large white arch constructed behind him which had visually stunning graphics displayed on it, however Flume himself was not very pleasurable to watch. He stood between two decks, occasionally twiddling the knobs, pressing a button or telling the crowd to raise their hands or jump at what felt like mismatched times, it felt extremely low energy and almost awkward. He remained standing in the one spot, moving or playing very little, with minimal crowd interaction. It seemed as though it was almost all pre-recorded.
Perth local artist KUČKA joined Flume onstage providing vocals for a few of her collaborations and was a very welcome addition. She brought some much-needed energy, dancing and traversing the stage, breathing life into to the party. Each time she came onto the stage it significantly lifted the vibe of the show.
The set list consisted of a valiant effort of 27 songs. Older crowd favourites such as The Difference, Never Be Like You and Hyperreal were laced with new tracks from Palaces. However, though Flume skilfully and seamlessly transitioned through such a huge catalogue it felt as though it was a set list of song intros. The crowd’s desire to dance was palpable but it wasn’t easy for them to do so. Resigned to occasional swaying, it seemed as though most were left still waiting for a beat to drop. Flume ended the night with Rushing Back which was well received with its beautifully haunting ethereal sounds leaving the audience calm.
Overall, Flume at Red Hill was an underwhelming, subdued affair. The set was enjoyable audibly but not much to watch. Channel Tres was the saving grace for the evening, especially for those experiencing his truly unique style, and live show, for the first time.
SARA WHITE
Photo by Nicola Robb Photography
