Peach Pit’s Electric Return to Brisbane, Australia for Magpie World Tour
Words & photos by Carly Villiers | View the full concert gallery here
March 2nd, 2025 — Peach Pit’s Australian leg of the “Magpie” tour brought a long-awaited return to Brisbane at the Fortitude Music Hall. Following their debut visit to Australia in 2023 with electric sets in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, the band exclaimed on Instagram that this time, “We’re not doing anymore goddamn shoeys, you freaks!”
As the lights dimmed, the Vancouver based indie-pop group took their places. A slow yet intense riff began as lead singer Neil Smith stood centre stage, arms raised in peace signs, taking in the crowd that filled the hall in front of him. The show was kicked off with their latest 2024 album's title track “Magpie”. This nostalgic song perfectly captures the essence of growth, paired with the energetic rhythms that have become synonymous with Peach Pit’s signature style.
Their setlist graced long-time fans with classic tracks such as “Drop the Guillotine”, “Shampoo Bottles”, “Being So Normal” and even “Alrighty Aphrodite”. Alongside newer pieces such as “Am I Your Girl?”, “Yasmina”, and “Every Little Thing”, being played around the world for the first time since their release.
Lead guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy was such a captivating sight to witness again. He swept across stage thrashing each riff, legs kicking high - it was clear his presence as a performer gets crowds roaring. Peter Wilton (bass) and Mikey Pascuzzi (drums) played their parts seamlessly, with pure intent and liveliness. Multi-instrumentalist Dougal Bain McLean, added more layers to the live set with his experience in guitar, synth, keys, percussion and even the violin.
A really special part of the show was their cover of the late band Her's iconic song “What Once Was”. Neil explained his battle with sobriety in 2018, and his regret for staying in one night, missing their set at a festival in the UK, convinced he’d be able to see them another time. Her’s tragically lost their lives that following year at the hands of a drunk driver.
They explained how they were worried they “couldn’t do the song justice”, but hoped their rendition would provide a testament to the great band that Her’s was. It was a memorable experience to witness a band in the same scene deliver such a performance, and it was prevalent that emotions in the room were high.
After an intense call from the crowd for an encore, Neil returned to stage alone to perform an acoustic version of self-titled track “Peach Pit”. The intimacy of the song reflected Neil’s ability to connect with the audience, engaging in funny anecdotes and delving into stories behind lyrics throughout their set.
I left the show with even more of an appreciation for the group, their authenticity and energy is rare to come by. But to be honest, they really are just some chill Canadian dudes, keen to thrash out some funky tunes.
