Bad Neighbour - Gig Review 3rd May @ The Brightside, Bris QLD

Bad Neighbour 
‍The Brightside, Brisbane QLD 
‍May 3, 2025
‍Supports: A Swift Farewell and My Daydreams

If you live in Brisbane and are a fan of emo and sad rock, there is a 99% chance you have already heard of Bad Neighbour. These guys have been touring relentlessly following the release of their new album Millions, casting their achingly beautiful melodies over the city, state and country. 

I first ran into Bad Neighbour in 2022 when they delivered a killer set opening for Mom Jeans and Microwave. But over the last few years, the Meanjin emo outfit has only ascended in popularity, supporting Hot Mulligan, Free Throw, Tiny Moving Parts, Motion City Soundtrack and even played Good Things Festival last year. Bad Neighbour is a truly inescapable force, and no one is complaining. 

To wrap up this crazy touring streak the band played the AM//PM Emo Nights in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. I managed to catch their set at The Brightside in Brisbane on Saturday with support from My Daydreams and A Swift Farewell. As expected, they did not disappoint. 

There could not be a more fitting venue for an Emo Night than The Brightside. Upon entry I was met with an eerie hue of red lights that flowed smoothly through the hollowed-out church. The venue was decorated with a collection of balloons that depicted the phrase “glad to be sad”. Attendees took this phrase as inspiration for their outfits, with the crowd donning a sea of endless black. 

The murder of emos made their way to the floor as My Daydreams took to the stage. The Brisbane-based alternative rock twin duo hit the stage with an endearing ferocity. The twin’s cutesy Lolita-like outfits were contrasted by harrowing screams and chest-pounding drums which kept the crowd intensely engaged and entertained. The confessional alt rock outfit offered a cover of ‘Freak’ by Silverchair which had the audience pumping their fists and singing along, it was an excellent song choice for a crowd of 20-somethings ruminating on the melancholy of their teen years. 

The energy was successfully maintained as A Swift Farewell took to the stage. This Sydney-based pop-punk outfit appeared as if they should have been playing in a much larger venue. The stage presence of this quartet was entirely engaging, they were having the time of their lives up there, moving as a bouncing ball of eagerness. This energy had a clear and strong influence over the crowd as they broke into the first and only push-pit of the night, sending one another flying to a set of heartbreaking pop-punk bangers. 

Following this energetic set, Bad Neighbour finally took stage. ‘Paul Avery’ truly captured the audience’s attention. It’s an excellent song on its own but hearing it live provides an entirely new experience. Every time it’s played you can feel how it hypnotises the audience and pulls on their heartstrings with that painful chorus. One thing I love about Bad Neighbour and their music is how on the surface it appears pessimistic and ‘emo’, but as you dig deeper and hear them live, there is this golden strand of optimism that wraps its way around the sound. ‘Paul Avery’ leaves the audience yearning for lost loves, swept up in a bittersweet reflection disguised as heartbreak. 

This yearning energy was mirrored in the debut of a new, unreleased track titled - ‘Rush Apart’. This song provided a similar sound to the rest of the band’s discography with a painful and grating desire encompassing its sound. It’s great addition, and I keenly await its release as all listeners should. 

But don’t just take my word for it, take it from the guy sitting next to me who drunkenly wandered in from Magic Round. 

“This is soooo good,” he slurred, spilling drops of his beer on my leg as he lent over me to film the entirety of their set (with flash of course).

Surprisingly, this guy was one of many lost footy fans who wandered in and found themselves in a gathering of “weird emo kids”, but were bopping their heads to the music nonetheless. It was an interesting blend of worlds that was fun to observe. 

Eventually the band came to their most popular song ‘When the World Explodes’. To my shock, lead vocalist, Cooper Riley announced this would be their final time playing it live. I caught up with Cooper after the set and asked why the band would discontinue playing one of their most loved tracks. According to the frontman, the song "doesn’t represent their sound anymore", and they would like to make room for new music in the set. While I’m sure many are sad to see it go, I believe the band’s new music will offer a more than acceptable replacement to this popular track. 

Bad Neighbour’s set offered a perfect close to their relentless period of touring. From the debut of a new and poignant track to the last hurrah of a beloved old one, the Meanjin sad rock outfit provided a night of swirling angst and reminiscence. The AM//PM team could not have picked a more fitting band to headline these nights of gloomy nostalgia, this includes My Daydreams and A Swift Farewell who similarly provided a delightfully heartsick energy for former emo kids to rock out to. 

Review by Grace Cameron @gracicxo

Setlist 

Paul Avery 
20,000 Knife Fights 
Rush Apart 
Vomit (cover) 
And the Fleas 
In the Car
Heart Pumps Blood 
Millions 
Guns 
Slip Away 
When the World Explodes 
Lowway