HEADLINER: HILLTOP HOODS
SUPPORTS: DJ TOTAL ECLIPSE / TRIALS / MAVERICK SABRE
DATE: MARCH 13TH 2026
VENUE: BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
REVIEWER: HAYLEY TREADWELL – REAL WOMAN REAL REVIEW
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW TREADWELL – ANDREW TREADWELL PHOTOGRAPHY
A Friday night gig in Brisbane is always a lot of fun, and last night we saw one of Australia’s greats: Hilltop Hoods.
One of the things I always notice at gigs is the number of people decked out in merch. I myself was rocking a shirt from the last tour, but there were Never Coming Home shirts everywhere! I also love that these guys have kids’ shirts available, even though I had a stark reminder last night that my 11-year-old son is now wearing a men’s small gig shirt…
Having him with us last night was an absolute highlight. Our kids have grown up exposed to a lot of different music, but I’m so proud of their love for home-grown Australian music.
From the engaging and fun opener Trials (one half of A.B. Original), who had the crowd pumped right from the start, through to Maverick Sabre’s funky beats and unique voice, and then the incredible set DJ Total Eclipse gave the crowd, we had a whole party happening in Brisbane before our headliners even took the stage — and we loved every moment.
I also want to take a moment to talk about something Trials spoke about while delivering music from his soul to ours: his passion for helping women and children in domestic violence situations. He urged the audience to donate to fullstop.org.au, and I second that sentiment. If you can, this is an amazing organisation to contribute to.
Now, on with the show!
And truly, Hilltop Hoods don’t just put on a show — they are the show.
For over 30 years, MC Suffa and MC Pressure have been staples in Australian music, and it was wonderful to see how their music has woven through generations. Parents who sang along to their songs as teenagers are now bringing their own kids and teenagers along. And those kids know all the words and are having just as much fun as their parents, enjoying a night down nostalgia lane. People were dancing from the front to the back, left to right — the Entertainment Centre was alive.
The Australian rappers opened with “Leave Me Lonely” the moment they hit the stage, with the crowd losing their minds at the beloved track. Cannons fired and confetti rained down on the crowd, kicking the party we’d already been having up to a whole new level — the Hilltop Hoods level. Suffa and Pressure bring so much energy, and the crowd rises to meet them with every song.
We got two more fan favourites with “Chase That Feeling” and the iconic “Nosebleed Section” before hearing the first track from their new album, the title track “Fall From the Light”. You could tell the crowd loved hearing the new material just as much as the guys enjoyed performing it.
Then the cheers went wild as Hilltop Hoods announced that Montaigne would be joining them on stage to perform their hit song “1955”. What a moment! The last time I saw HTH, I wished Montaigne had been there for this part, so having it happen last night was incredible. My son was just as excited as I was, and the crowd clearly felt the same.
As Hilltop Hoods continued through an array of songs spanning their catalogue, there weren’t too many moments where they weren’t sharing the stage and shining the light on another artist. Nyassa supported them with backing vocals as she did in 2019 and 2022, while Marlon Motlop, Maverick Sabre, and Adrian Eagle added their voices to various tracks. Illy joined them for “Exit Sign”, and Trials returned to the stage during “Cosby Sweater”.
These guys clearly love sharing the stage with other passionate artists — especially people they’ve collaborated with. With the current state of the Australian music industry, it’s great to see artists of their stature giving space to others who might not have had the same level of success yet, but who absolutely know how to put on a show.
Highlights of the night included Pressure accidentally calling the crowd Melbourne, breaking one of the band’s rules about not messing up on stage — and paying the price by dropping down and giving the Brisbane crowd 10 push-ups. Confetti raining down during both the first and last songs was another highlight (always a guilty pleasure of mine), but the biggest highlight was the energy Brisbane gave back to the guys on stage.
These guys have been delivering high-energy sets for more than 30 years, and they don’t miss a beat. Clever lyrics, punchy live performances, and production that was truly out of this world — lights and lasers bringing the entire arena to life.
And while we’re talking about lights, I’ve seen stadiums light up with phone torches before, but the lights went up incredibly quickly when Pressure asked the crowd to light things up as he went into “Through the Dark”. The fans clearly understood the emotion behind the song, and those lights stayed high from beginning to end.
“Never Coming Home” and “Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom” closed out the set before the crowd shouted “Hilltop!” over and over again until the rappers returned to the stage with “Still Standing” and everybody’s favourite, “Cosby Sweater”.
After a quick photo with all the artists who had shared the stage, and the Brisbane crowd behind them, night one of the Never Coming Home Tour came to a close — leaving anticipation for night two high.
I will never tire of seeing these guys live, and I know many die-hard fans who were there last night and will be back again tonight for the party all over again. Either way, if you get the chance to see Hilltop Hoods on this tour, it’s one heck of a good time.
Thank you to Hilltop Hoods and all the incredible artists who opened and shared the stage in Brisbane — we had a fantastic night partying with you.
And our gratitude to the beautiful people at TEG Live and On The Map PR. We couldn’t do what we do without your support.
Until the next gig, Hayley
