Don Broco, Redhook, Future Static @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 8/9/2025
It might have been a Monday night but the opportunity to see Don Broco who are on a path to global domination was to good to pass up. As far as as line ups go this was a sheer masterstroke having bands of the calibre of Redhook and Future Static along for the ride offering fans plenty of value for money with their hard earned. It was a lively and enthusiastic crowd who were thinking the same thing wanting plenty of great music to make the rest of the week more tolerable. Don Broco are a force on the rise and you only have to look as far as what they are doing in the UK and Europe to see how massive they have become with four albums Priorities (2012), Automatic (2015), Technology (2018), Amazing Things (2021) already in the can with another on the way.
Future Static played an absolute ball tearer proving that they can match it with the best of them. It is great to see that they had their own cheer squad here having played here regularly over the last twelve winning the hearts and minds of fans here. For me having last seen them play at Froth & Fury last year they have really stepped things up and it’s pleasing to see that growth and belief in what they are doing. No doubt, their moment is coming. Their set might have been short but it was loaded with killer songs opening with Chemical Lobotomy and ploughing through Plated Gold and The Hour Glass. Daddy Yankee cover Gasolina was a cool addition finishing on Venenosa and the epic set closer Roach Queen. A nod and wink to Future Static who captured the essence of what was needed on a Monday night.
Gee whiz Redhook don’t any any introduction either and were a stellar inclusion on this triple bill. It won’t be long before they’re headlining these big shows in their own right. There’s plenty to like with how Redhook go about it fusing elements of rock/ pop/ punk/ metal and everything else in between as well as bringing their own theatrics to this production. It was high energy from start to end led by dynamic front woman Emmy Mack. An absolute dynamo who had more energy and vibrancy that all the fans combined. There was plenty of firepower in opener Bomb.com which carried through on Dr. Frankenstein. The bubble machine was cranking on Hot Tub and Future Static’s Amariah Cook returned to the stage to join in Hexx. The saxophone on Soju added a nice twist as did the teaser of Careless Whisper which the crowd was egging on guitarist Craig Wilkinson to do. Plenty of theatrics to keep it even more interesting on Psych vs Psych with Emmy sporting a straight jacket channelling some inner Alice Cooper vibes. Encouraging some “bad decisions” for a Monday night encouraging a “wall of bad decisions” it was Bad Decisions that brought their set to an end. So far, pretty darn good and the stage had been well and truly warmed.
I’ve been waiting a while for Don Broco to play in Australia let alone for their first time in Adelaide and they did not disappoint. It was loud, it was bombastic and it was fantastic! My ears paid the ultimate price but we did experience something quite incredible. Cold outside, hot inside with the temperature on the rise. Fitting in with the whole Adelaide vibe singer Rob Damiani came cruising out in an Adelaide Crows guernsey before making their presence felt with Everybody. Hells bells! Pretty followed and with Damiani suggesting “there’s the potential for this room to go off” there was the old school room split for a wall of death on Cellophane. Even Damiani remarked that after a chilled weekend “you wouldn’t be expecting this!” Damiani’s voice has taken quite a hammering taking sips of honey at various stages during their set. It was pretty much full throttle or not at all for Don Broco. One of the true highlights is the vocal dynamic between front man Rob Damiani and drummer Matt Donnelly which was great to watch.
There was no let up as they kept bowling over the likes of Come Out To LA, Gumshield, Uber and One True Price. With Damiani’s voice getting quite hoarse it was a case of “squirt me up” as a crew topped him up with honey to continue on. Also commenting that they never have felt more at home asking the crowd “will you have us?” Old song Superlove was great even with Damiani claiming that he forgot the lyrics in the second verse and nobody picked it saying “I got away with it”. Big tick for Endorphins then there was the cliched shoey with Leila the wrestler before finishing their set with the brand new next level energy banger Hype Man. When you are this good you don’t need an encore and despite how hoarse Damiani’s voice was they returned for one more which was the anthemic T-Shirt Song and reinforcing the message that “this connection is real”. The encore might have been one less compared to the Eastern states but nevertheless this will be one of those “remember when Don Broco played Lion Arts Factory?” it was that good.
Live Review By Rob Lyon