Words by Jaz Wilkins
Renowned musician and philanthropist, Jacob Collier, finally brought his long-awaited Djesse World Tour to Australian shores this December. Collier, known for his perfect pitch and chaotic musician endeavours that both define and defy the rules for modern pop music. The sold-out performance took place at The Fortitude Music Hall in the heart of Brisbane’s iconic Fortitude Valley, drawing in fans and listeners from around the country to watch the once-in-a-lifetime performance that Collier is highly regarded for. We at Loudspeaker Collective would like to thank Frontier Touring for the opportunity to cover the show. It was an absolute blast from start to finish!
December 9th was a hot Spring night defined by the electric energy and excitement that hung in the air. The line-up for the show was unlike anything I’d seen in the valley, with the line wrapping around to the back of the venue and continuing almost two streets down from the entrance. The anticipation was unmatched as excited concert-goers held their place in line for hours, hoping to secure a spot up close and personal with Collier himself. As 7pm hit, the venue filled with people, packing it to the brim akin to a can of sardines. Attendees spread out, some checking out the limited-edition Aussie tour merchandise, others opting to head straight inside to the bar to get a buzz going in anticipation of the night ahead.
As 9pm hit, the house lights dimmed and the venue shook as the audience roared. Before long, Collier ran out onto the stage, colourful crocs and wild outfit in tow before jumping into the first track “100,000 Voices”, the first track off of Djesse Vol. 4 with parts of the song utilising recordings of audience choirs from throughout Collier’s 2022 and 2023 tours. Quickly afterwards, the following song “WELLLL” was the revealed to be the next track on the nights setlist. “WELLLL” brought a chaotic edge filled with fun early on in the set with Collier running from each instrument to multiple different parts of the stage, truly warming the audience up for an insanely exciting night ahead. The night shifted into conversation between Jacob and his audience between songs, making the show feel partly like a live Q’n’A with one of your closest friends despite Collier being one of the biggest names in his niche. As the night progressed, Collier played multiple of his hit tracks as well as plenty of deep cuts, including “Wherever I Go” and “Little Blue”, both tracks from the 2024 release Djesse Vol, 4. The most incredible and enlightening part of the night was when Collier split the audience into three sections and had each row sing a different note, essentially turning the audience into a professional choir. This part stuck out to me the most of all of the songs that were played, because it beautifully showcased how effortlessly easy making music out of anything, including audiences of people from all different musical backgrounds, comes to Collier.
All in all, the night itself was filled with the musical magic and wonder that only Jacob Collier could manifest. Fans had been waiting years for Collier to broach Australian shores again, and his performance on December 9th showed everyone just how worthwhile the wait was. We can’t wait to see the future of Jacob’s career, and look forwarding to covering his next show on Australian soil!
Photo Credit: Thomas Vu
Loudspeaker Collective 