Live Review: The Belligerents

A sea of music lovers sporting their favourite patterned button-ups and "Love Is Love" T-shirts loudly welcome The Belligerents to the hometown finale of their national Science Fiction album tour.

Cinematic strings make way for a one-two punch from their debut album, Sorry To Say and Before I Am. Geometric patterns and intoxicating colours thrown from a projector saturate the band, seemingly throwing The Zoo into a psychedelic wormhole of reverberated melodies, fuzzy guitar riffs and arpeggiated synthesisers.

Delving into their popular back catalog, the dreamscape of Looking At You inspires frontman Lewis Stephenson into showcasing his energetic-zombie dance moves - all the while happily shaking a tambourine. The song's build is infectious and made even more interesting by the projector spraying an increasingly warped and evil-looking version of Stephenson's head behind the quintet.

The Tame Impala-esque Gemini grows into a psych-rock dancefloor filler, before Flash creates a festival vibe as dozens jump atop their respective partner's shoulders and Stephenson rips into a charming recorder solo - yes, that instrument from primary school!

The enjoyably silly stage antics of Stephenson and bassist Konstantin Kersting reach new heights in the raucous album title track, Science Fiction, complete with visuals of an out-of-control astronaut. Lyrically, it's a stupid song, but god it's a fun chorus to scream along to!

Stephenson once again showcases his best interpretive dance moves in Yes Man, with his sassy shapes combining with the retro synthesiser tones making The Zoo feel more like a late-'80s nightclub.

Saving their fan-favourites for last, Caroline and In My Way throw the adoring crowd into complete euphoria as all attempt to unleash their best falsettos. Both the stage and mosh become a mass of bouncing bodies, and iPhones shoot up to capture another, slightly shrill, Stephenson recorder solo.

The Belligerents have ridden the popular psych-rock wave for a couple of years now and their debut album sees the band finally carve their own sound in the Aussie indie-rock and psych landscape. While at times Stephenson's vocals don't quite hit the mark, and Andy Balzat's vintage synths often overpowered James Griffin's guitar work, The Belligerents are still easily one of the most entertaining and fun bands hailing from Brisbane at present.