On a rainy Friday night in Brisbane’s Woolloongabba, excitement was building for the long-awaited reunion of Australian indie outfit Cloud Control — a return seven years in the making. Formed in the mid-2000s in the Blue Mountains and breaking through with their acclaimed debut Bliss Release in 2010, the band had been on hiatus since 2018. Flash forward to 2025, and the drought is over: Alister Wright, Heidi Lenffer, Ulrich Lenffer, and Jeremy Kelshaw have reunited to perform that very album in full. As part of another sold-out instalment of Brisbane’s Open Season festival, the enormous line snaking around the Princess Theatre made it clear that despite the cold weather, this was a hot ticket.
As punters swarmed to the barrier, they were greeted by Brisbane’s own Platonic Sex, who opened the evening with a fuzz-soaked alt-rock set. Comprised of Bridget Brandolini (guitar, vocals), Jane Millroy (guitar), Ryan Hammermeister (drums), and Mikki Hain (bass), the four-piece delivered an electrifying contrast to the headliners. Their sound was loud and punchy but never noisy, landing at the intersection of gritty, runaway distortion and catchy melodic flourishes. Each member had their moment, while Brandolini’s nuanced vocals and socially conscious song writing held everything together.
The band hit their stride on “Easy”, a track released just hours earlier. Standout “Devil’s Advocate” entranced the crowd with its snarling vocal delivery and biting lines like “I think you oughta think about begging for redemption,” while “Impress You” showcased Millroy’s fuzz-drenched solo in an electrifying climax. The playfully upbeat “Melon” closed the set with a final burst of distortion, its cacophony ringing out over a clearly won-over crowd. Despite their contrast with the headliners, Platonic Sex’s delivery and energy made a lasting impression.
Like a baton passed between generations, the transition from youthful opener to veteran headliner felt seamless as one generation’s angst and rebellion gave way to another’s warm nostalgic presence. As Cloud Control took to the stage bathed in a colourful array of lights, the at-capacity crowd erupted. Packed shoulder to shoulder, the room pulsed with excitement. The mix was pristine, each instrument shining through, and the crowd was clearly locked in with the kind of rare appreciation.
Opening with a handful of non-album cuts to ease the crowd in, Cloud Control kicked things off with “Dojo Rising.” Wright’s vocals cut through immediately, soaring across the packed theatre, while the band’s pinpoint precision elevated the song’s build to its euphoric chorus. The crowd needed no invitation to shout back the line, “Give it to me easy, give it to me hard, just want to get lit,” in full voice.
The opening set continued with “Rainbow City” and “The Smoke, the Feeling,” accompanied by an engulfing multi-coloured lighting setup and that coated the stage in a theatric, ambient shimmer. The band’s entrance landed, proven by the huge response to Wright’s wry greeting: “How we doing, Brisbane?”.
That momentum carried into a cheeky, “Well, well, well… it’s good to be back,” before Wright and Heidi Lenffer paused for an Acknowledgement of Country. Assuring us they’d “get to the album”, the band launched into “Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why)”. Their layered harmonies blended seamlessly, and the mix rang clear and powerful throughout the venue. Jeremy Kelshaw’s infectiously animated presence darted across the stage, while the rest of the band remained relatively fixed. For newcomers such as myself, the opening was a wonderful introduction to the band. For long time fans, it must have felt like reuniting with old friends.
Early set piece “There’s Nothing in the Water We Can’t Fight” earned a rapturous applause as the opening notes rang out. Following the tracks “Ghost Story” and “Gold Canary”, Wright admitted whil looking out amongst the maddening crowd that “this is quite overwhelming, thank you”.
“Just for Now” basked in the more folky elements the band are capable of, taking an acoustic turn with tambourine flourishes. One of the more intimate moments, “Hollow Drums” saw Alister take up residency beneath a spotlight with his nylon acoustic guitar. Heidi’s vocals joined with angelic harmonies, grinding the tempo of previous song “The Rolling Stones” to a halt. Despite a missed lyric, the moment was a standout break in the otherwise breakneck speed of the set.
Continuing track by track, the band closed the Bliss Release segment with “My Fear #2” and “Beast of Love”. With a short departure and deafening cries for the bands return, the silhouettes returned from behind the stage. As if saying sorry and making up for lost time, the band knocked out a generous five-song encore of later material to the crowds joy.
Despite a broken bass string which Kelshaw ensured “hasn’t happened since 2013!”, the encore want along without a hitch. “Among Promises,” “Panopticon,” “Scar,” and “Treetops” all made welcome appearances, before the band closed the night with “Dream Cave,” the sprawling title track from their 2013 sophomore record. As the final dreamy refrain echoed through the theatre, Cloud Control reminded us that great chemistry and great song writing never lose their spark.
Seven years might have passed, but Friday night didn’t feel like a comeback or a consolation price. It felt like a continuation. Cloud Control’s return wasn’t a cheap nostalgia trip or the beginning of a never ending retirement tour, it was a celebration of something enduring. The joy on stage, the connection in the crowd, and the vitality in the music all pointed to a band not just looking back, but a quietly confident assessment of the music that earned the band a spot on the very stage they stand. If this reunion is the start of a new chapter, then Brisbane witnessed page one, and it was glorious. If it’s to be the end as we know it, it was a perfect way to close the book.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Reviewer attended 30th May.
Cloud Control are continuing their tour across Australia. For further information and to purchase tickets, head here.
Friday 6 June — The River, Margaret River TICKETS
Saturday 7 June — Freo Social, Fremantle TICKETS
Friday 20 June — Enmore Theatre, Sydney TICKETS
Open Season continues from May into July. Find the full program, info & tickets HERE
More info & tickets: openseason.live
