Pond Wraps North American Record Release Tour at Belasco in Los Angeles

Nick Allbrook of Pond goes crowd surfing - Photos by Notes From Vivace
Nick Allbrook of Pond goes crowd surfing - Photos by Notes From Vivace

Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE

LOS ANGELES – Pond concluded their “Stung!” North American Record Release Tour on a Thursday night at Los Angeles venue The Belasco. It was a 14-stop tour that numerically aligns with the 14 songs on the album. Is the Australian psychedelic rock band into numerology? If they are, their fans were pleased it did not carry over to the setlist, which was a 15 songs tour de force.

The band walked onto the stage to loud applause and kicked it off with the almost title track of the new album “(I’m) Stung.” The flute took brief center stage for the beautifully unpredictable “Neon River” that switches from calm to frazzled with ease.

Pond wrapped the ‘Stung!’ tour – Photos by Notes From Vivace

The crowd clearly enjoyed themselves throughout the night. Lead singer Nick Allbrook said mid-set, “If you turn around and look at the back of your body, there’s a big muscle, the biggest muscle you’ve f*cking got. And it’s time, if you feel comfortable, to shake it.” That only added additional encouragement for the crowd to celebrate the night. For the song “Sweep Me Off My Feet,” fans danced wildly to the chorus of the song. “Fire in the Water” had a mother and her young child dancing with abandonment up on the balcony.

The psychedelic metal “Black Lung” had the crowd in a head banging mood. “Aloneaflameaflower” got some “F*ck Yeah” screams from the audience. When it came to the final encore of the night “Don’t Look At The Sun (Or You’ll Go Blind),” there was something in the air on stage left because that part of the audience (every single one of them) was jumping in clear euphoria. The stage left audience may have actually pumped up the emotions of the band as they started to jump around, as well, to end the night.

Pond – Photos by Notes From Vivace

The audience’s enjoyment was obviously driven by the finely crafted music that is not “beholden to shifting expectations of cool,” but at the same time is clearly hip. The band does not hold to a single direction of music. “Paint Me Silver” has a divine earworm sound which differs from the metal of “Black Lung.” “Toast” has 80s keyboard playing.

Allbrook’s stage performance must be mentioned as adding to the audience’s enjoyment. Be it the simple messing his hair up during “American Cup” to the flexibility shown during “So Lo” or the classic crowd surfing during “Giant Tortoise / Torn Asunder,” he is the classic showman.

Pond put on a show that delighted the body and soul of their fan base, effortlessly blending musical elements from across genres into their psychedelic roots.

Fazerdaze – Photos by Notes From Vivace

Amelia Rahayu Murray’s project Fazerdaze opened the night with quiet poetry. The New Zealand based singer-songwriter was greeted with screams of “Fazerdaze” as she walked out on stage. She was joined on stage by band mate Dave Rowlands. Under the dark lights, a set of tenderness was played with a setlist mainly drawn from her 2024 album Soft Power. Thanks were given to Pond for letting join the tour as this was their first extensive tour across America. As the set ended, Rowlands took a photo and Murray blew a kiss to the crowd.

Fan comment of the night heard as crowds were walking home, “That guy’s so double jointed. How many calories do you think he burned?”

Fazerdaze – All photos by Notes From Vivace

Pond setlist: (I’m) Stung, Neon River, America’s Cup, Sweep Me Off My Feet, So Lo, Fire in the Water, Daisy, Black Lung, Human Touch, Aloneaflameaflower, Paint Me Silver, Giant Tortoise / Torn Asunder, Toast. Encores: Fantastic Explosion Of Time, Don’t Look At The Sun (Or You’ll Go Blind).

Fazerdaze setlist: Break!, Winter, Soft Power, A Thousand Years, Purple_02, Cherry Pie, Bigger.