1
0
Ocean Alley
Supported by Nothing But Thieves, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Ruby Fields
Brisbane Showgrounds
30th of January, 2026
Under a clear, moon lit sky, The Brisbane Showgrounds felt momentarily suspended from the rest of the city, hosting four incredibly talented bands. Starting late in the afternoon, the sun set over the stage to light the crowd in an aptly lit orange hue.
To celebrate the release of their album ‘Love Balloon’, Ocean Alley are on a run of dates around Australia and New Zealand. Inviting their friends Nothing But Thieves, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Ruby Fields to Brisbane leg of the tour, we were treated to an absolutely incredible night. These mini-festival, four-established act line-ups need to happen more.
Ruby Fields set the tone early, her sharp-edged pop and self-assured stage presence cutting cleanly. It’s easy to see the confidence she’s built over the years, and why she is so loved in Aus. Released last year, ’92 Purebred’ was a huge favourite of the set. She played some new stuff too, look out for it later this year.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise brought a different kind of magic. Their genre-hopping, emotionally charged set landed somewhere between joyous chaos and communal therapy. Songs bloomed and collapsed in all the right places, and the audience responded in kind — arms around shoulders, lyrics shouted skyward, strangers briefly becoming a choir.
Nothing But Thieves followed, delivering the kind of cathartic, chest-rattling set that has become their calling card. It was my first time seeing them play and I’d heard rumours.. Conor Mason’s voice, wow. It soared effortlessly, slicing through the night with both fragility and force, while the band’s darker, more cinematic moments felt amplified in the outdoor setting. For a festival style crowd, the focus was impressive — thousands locked in, singing, swaying, fully present.
By the time Ocean Alley took the stage, the night had fully exhaled. Bathed in moonlight, the Byron Bay outfit leaned into their sun-drenched psych-rock groove, offering warmth rather than spectacle. Coming off another successful Triple J Hottest 100, it was a headlining set built on feel — unhurried, confident, and deeply satisfying. Tracks rolled into one another like waves, the crowd moving as a single, contented mass.
Brisbane, the weather, the moon, the music.
Don’t miss this one.
Photos and Words from Tim Ludlow (Astray Photography)
