LIVE FROM THE PIT: Empire Of The Sun, Balu Brigada and Skyscraper
- Ben Blissett
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
In the midst of one of the hottest weeks in Britain, it’s quite ironic that EMPIRE OF THE SUN would be headlining the legendary Alexandra Palace for three nights, with a show of extravagance, gravitas and style. Covered in sweat but nonetheless feeling the vibes, the ten thousand strong crowd of Ally Pally were treated not only to the talent of this band but the effort of their production design.
Starting off the night were SKYSCRAPER who with the lighting of incense, took the audience on an ethereal ride through their psychedelic sound. With plenty of cool reverb and a sound that genuinely makes you want to start floating, these guys were a great little start. Adorned in what seemed like wrestling gear, the singer had a pretty incredible voice, with lots of falsetto and lots of projection to really carry the music to the next level. Although there is currently nowhere to listen to this band's music, we definitely recommend looking out for any official releases, as any fan of the headliner would love them.
After them were BALU BRIGADA, who were ultimately held back by the sound mixing here; but that didn’t mean their energy was anything but incredible, a short and sweet setlist was all they needed to hype the crowd up, giving what i can only describe as a crash course of the bangers and greatness of BALU BRIGADA. It was honestly really great to see them get so much crowd participation too with plenty of jumping, swinging of arms and singing along, these two Kiwis were really proving themselves at this set.
This isn’t the first time the band have opened for such a big headliner with their 2025 UK stint being on the Clancy Tour for TWENTY ONE PILOTS, where just like at this show, they had a sound and energy you simply can’t resist.
Finally EMPIRE OF THE SUN graced the stage with such an insane elegance and beauty; from the outset, the entrance of singer Luke Steele was something to behold, his insane outfit and presence set the standard for the rest of the evening, opening with a new song named Desire, equipped with plenty of smoke and one killer light show it made a statement of this bands flamboyance and vibrance. As the set continued on, Steele came down from the stage to sing with fans, making for a really wholesome moment that really hyped the crowd up for the rest of the set. The moment that truly shone throughout the whole night was when the song We Are The People rolled around, hands were in the air as confetti rained all throughout Alexandra Palace to that chorus everyone knows.
As the night went on each song had a moment that really outdid the one before; At one point Steele had the dancers behind him with giant wings to create a really beautiful blackbird dance with changing his red suit for black one, only ever adding to the incredible wardrobe of the band in this show. You would think with how layered and textured EMPIRE OF THE SUN’s music is a modicum of that would be lost live, but that is absolutely not the case here, everything from the sets, to the outfits, to the lights, the energy, the talent on this stage it made for one hell of show that fills you with such an insane sense of joy and community.
Words and photos: Ben Blissett
Comments