Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Pond, the beloved band from Western Australia, ended their North American tour in Los Angeles at The Bellwether. The band was out in support of their 2026 album “Terrestrials.”
Pond says their latest collection “twitches with the desperation of people and planet on the blink, but ultimately bets on the beauty of both to prevail.” And that beauty was evident at The Bellwether as the band and their fans enthusiastically embraced each other.
Pond’s live shows are highlighted by lead singer Nicholas Allbrook’s consistently dynamic stage performance.
Pond opened up their set by playing the first two songs from “Terrestrials” and Allbrook was ready to claim his spot as one of the most crowd-interacting performers out there. The speed monster “Casuarina” had him climbing atop the photo pit barricade. Those near enough to the stage pushed ever closer to support his well-known crowd surf.
The longing-for-romantic-connection tune “Sweep Me Off My Feet” had the audience singing along to the eponymous lyrics. The fan interaction did not end with “Casuarina.” For “Daisy,” Allbrook went to the other end of the stage – wanting to give proper attention to those on both sides of the venue. This time, instead of crowd surfing, he jumped onto the floor. The audience made room for him, encircling him. Those around him leaped for joy throughout his time among them.
Though about a third of Pond’s setlist was dedicated to the new album, that did not prevent the band from digging deep into their catalog. The band flashed back twice to their 2013 “Hobo Rocket” album. “Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide?” was a grinder. “Giant Tortoise” was a head banger. Both had the crowd loudly cheering at their conclusions.
Allbrook’s ability to contort his body is something to witness. One has to wonder if he has a gymnastics background. His ability to re-balance himself often seems to defy the laws of gravity.
A Pond show would not be complete without the earworm “Paint Me Silver,” and its album title track, “The Weather,” the instrumental portion of which had everyone in awe.
The band ended with the dreamy “Toast.” But of course, that was not the end of the set.
After hearing the roars for an encore, the band came back onto the stage to play two final songs. One of those was the title track of the new album, “Terrestrials,” a psychedelic song to remind us that we all belong to planet Earth. Pond wrapped the tour with a rocking version of MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams.”
Opening up the night was synth-guitarist Josh da Costa. He had reason to celebrate the night, as well. His set included songs from his 2026 debut album “New Wave Graveyard.”
If folks were interested, he had some albums for sale hidden away in his vehicle. He has a quick wit. When someone in the crowd yelled out, “That hair,” he responded with, “I washed it for you.”
Da Costa had the story of the night. He flew in from Montreal that very day. His seatmate happened to be in the tech world. Out of nowhere, in the middle of the flight, another individual showed up and took an empty seat between Da Costa and the tech guy. The rest of the flight was spent with the two of them working on coding.
Though it’s hard to match the enthusiasm of Pond, Tommy Newport was a perfect hype band. He got up to the microphone and said with a vibrancy that caught everyone’s attention, “Hello, LA.”
He also had an amusing moment that got him laughing. As he roamed across the stage, he nearly tripped on the numerous wires near his microphone stand. One could hear him chuckle as he sang through the near accident. His song “Aberdeen” had a sweeping grandeur to it.
Pond Setlist: Skyworks, Casuarina, Black Lung, America’s Cup, Sweep Me Off My Feet, Through The Heather, Two Hands, Daisy, Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide?, Human Touch, Paint Me Silver, The Weather, Giant Tortoise, Toast. Encore: Terrestrials, Kick Out the James (MC5 cover).
Tommy Newport Setlist: Walk Out, Nancy Dancing, Mister Domino, Secret Place, Sugar On My Tongue, Following The Feeling, Jonny’s Habit, Sunset For The Dead, Aberdeen, Tangerine.
Josh Da Costa Setlist: Sky Girl, Cordelia, 96 Year Old Girl, Tissues, Shireen, Proving Me Right.
Check out ‘Terrestrials’ here:
