RUFUS' stage set up at Flemington was grand, their fans were numerous, and a delightful live show paired nicely with the cityscape as its background.
The massive crowd flooded into Flemington Racecourse, enjoying the sounds of Luke Alessi and Jon Hopkins before the beloved trio appeared. As usual for a concert of this size, their hordes of fans claimed their spots at the stage early, eagerly waiting for the main act.
With the sun setting behind them, one of the joys of a summer concert, RUFUS played powerhouse hit after hit. Kicking things off with Make it Happen to set the tone, crowd favourites like Underwater followed. They’re a group that have released hits incredibly consistently, sticking to a proven formula since day-dot. Once the sky darkened, the technicolour begun, and Melbourne got a real taste of RUFUS’ acclaimed live act as they sent the night off with Innerbloom.
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It was a mix of new material and greatest hits – to be able to say that at a band’s prime is an interesting note in itself – that blended effortlessly, courtesy of Tyrone Lindqvist’s patented vocal offerings.
With a two-year absence from their home soil, the local fans that filled Flemington had noticeably missed the Australian favourite’s presence. For every single song, the crowd sang the lyrics straight back at them. That whole RUFUS tone of heartache and jubilation is just made for the live experience.
What’s more, Flemington put on a great stage set up to allow for anyone to enjoy the performance near or far – a very necessary expertise given the massive amount of people in attendance. There was also, to borrow a phrase, a real no dick head policy – perhaps a rareity for a mainstream electronic gig. Everyone enjoyed their time and there was an impressive mix of young people and older folks.
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