Review: Luude at Metro City

Luude at Metro City
w/ PRIZEFIGHT, Foura, Charlie Shell
Saturday, June 13, 2026

Following a triumphant tour around the UK and Europe, Luude’s highly anticipated return home for a headline show prompted great excitement amongst Perth fans, eager to experience a new production setup that was already internationally acclaimed.

As part of the Australia and New Zealand Tour this winter, his own label, No Instruction, and triple j took over Metro City last weekend with support from the hugely talented Charlie Shell, Foura, and PRIZEFIGHT.

Originally planned to be at the Perth High Performance Centre in Mount Claremont, the venue Metro City still provided the perfect amphitheatre for the DJs to fill the space with their individual sounds. The multi-layered, tiered layout allowed for fans to be above and below the stage, creating a unique visual and listening experience.

It seemed that throughout the night, the nature of the venue complemented the music—as more and more fans filled the venue to capacity, the enthusiasm of the DJs increased, enhancing the overall experience.

Moreover, the venue’s effectiveness to direct the fans’ attention stageward, as well as the strength of the visual effects and strobe lighting, created an atmosphere that at times blew your socks off.

The lineup began with Melbourne-based producer PRIZEFIGHT sharing the decks, going B2B with fellow Aussie DJ Charlie Shell. Both of whom have exploded upon the DnB and deep house scenes with their variations on 140 beats and UKG, mixed with their impressive visual productions and high-energy-level sets.

The pair truly complimented one another, sharing the stage as though two friends were showcasing alongside one another, bouncing musical energy between them.

Whilst PRIZEFIGHT’s track selections were more DnB and at times had a trance sound to them, these were matched with Charlie Shell’s skippy house and funk, UKG style, like his new track with Waxx Off, Party People, which surprisingly bounced well together.

You would have thought that the two would maybe clash at points; however, the consistent blend of harder-hitting urban sounds with rhythmic house tunes made for a more than satisfactory listen.

Charlie Shell’s breakout success track of Hitz 4 The Hood, released in April of last year, was received brilliantly towards the end of their set by the Metro City fans, making it obvious as to why it has become a favourite, earning widespread DJ support and dancefloor traction nationwide.

They closed out the set with Adam Ellis’s remix of Love Shy, which was of note, as it set the tone superbly for the next act to come in.

Foura immediately set the tone of her set with her incredible energy and her high-tempo, heavy bass sounds that electrified the already buzzing fans.

At the beginning of her set, a hard DnB remix of JME’s Man Don’t Care caught the fans’ attention and set in motion her heavy but bouncy style.

The use of remixes throughout complemented her energy and allowed for the punters to share her energy.

Tracks including Zero’s Big Mad Banger and Dubplate Fly with Riko Dan, as well as others from the likes of Sub Focus and Flux Pavilion, not only added to her jungle and DnB sound but also propelled the energy of the venue.

The heavy kicks and rolling basslines alluded to her quick rise to popularity. A dynamic and active DJ with standout crowd interaction and a succinct ability to match their energy.

A flawless preceding set paved the way for the introduction of what the fans on the night had been looking forward to the most. As Luude entered onto the stage, he was met with deafening applause from not only his loyal home fans but also the keen neutrals who at that moment knew they were in for something rather special.

The selection of tracks was really well put together. Building the tempo throughout his set, the ARIA Award winner simultaneously plugged new and unreleased works alongside the pacey, rhythmic DnB sounds fans associate most with him. It was noticeable the time and effort of production had been put in to make that element absolutely right.

He played the songs that gained him so much original traction, including Down Under (feat. Colin Hay) and Big City Life, which were real highlights. But also the newest tracks, Ya Mind, a sampled remix of the house club classic Blow Ya Mind by Lock’N Load, as well as his other new single, Never Adds Up (feat. Inez), were particularly exceptional listens.

The new lighting rig that debuted on the UK and Europe tour shows was a sight to behold. Not only did it set an impressive backdrop to his performance but it was also central to an immersive feeling.

The 25-year-old has amassed over 1 billion streams across his catalogue on Spotify alone. It is with no doubt that Luude will build on his cemented position as one of Australia’s best drum and bass producers and will continue to rise as one of the most recognised international performers in the genre.

Overall, fans were treated. The Perth leg of this Australia and New Zealand tour was more special due to what it meant to the headline act.

The relationship between Luude and his home crowd was one of passion, clearly meaning a lot to him. His active energy was loved by the fans and made the night completely exclusive. It would be hoped that every night of his upcoming tour, the level of enthusiasm is maintained around the country, but this one was evidently special for him and for his fans.

To avoid any misunderstanding, the audience were looking forward to Luude coming on as the last act of the night, but the way in which the previous acts complimented him detracted nothing from the quality of their performances. Each of the four DJs complimented one another, and yet their styles were individual, unique and really enjoyable to listen to.

It was refreshing to see a showcase of the future of Australian drum and bass music production. It was also a pleasure to watch a Perth crowd, known for its love of all things from bassline to house, appreciate performances like that. The support for the acts on the night was indicative as to why Western Australia will only see further growth in the drum and bass, house and bassline genres, and that is for a very simple reason: the fans—they absolutely loved it.

JAMES HAMILTON

Photos by Michelle Honiarta