I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into Confidence Man at the Triffid on Friday night. The legend of attending a gig from the Brisbane locals is something like this - one part myth, one part rave, one part sweat and ten parts party, and I can testify that that is an accurate description of attending a gig by said group. 

Love Delux played to a mostly empty room, but this didn't stop the opening act (who is shrouded in mystery) from packing a punch with their cool retro beats. The smooth beats brought to mind feelings of sun, sweat, steam and spritz, and some sort on unknown quality that invigorated a familiar feeling. 

Taking you back with their afro-beats and 80's inspiration (and to the last CM gig), Broadway Sounds had stepped away from the DJ decks to play their own original music, which was a mix of drums, synths and sax, which was incredibly easy to boogie too, although I didn't want to use up all my energy just yet with the main attraction still to come. The dance floor was already wild though, with a conga line snaking through the crowd and people getting down left, right and centre. Their brand of psych pop went hand in hand with Confidence Man's making them the perfect act to support such an out there outfit.

With only three songs to their name, I was wondering how Confidence Man would manage to fill a 45 minute set, but they sure did that (and more). A dramatic enterence hyped up the crowd, and two figures emerged from behind the curtain, dressed all in black (including black veils hiding their faces) , and sat at their respective stations. They were Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie,the drummer and producer/synth-player of Confidence Man, who brought the infectious, bubblegum beats to the stage. the stobe lights flashed and the music had almost reached a peak, when the two front people - Janet Planet and Sugar Bones came to the stage to the uptempo rave beats of first single Bubblegum. The crowd instantly went wild, taking bountiful snapchats of the duos matching white pajama outfits, and dorky, choreographed dance moves. Their filler tracks for the night were all single worthy, and a couple of outfit changes ensued before reaching their final song Better Sit Down Boy. Of course it wasn't over yet - they came back to play Boyfriend (Repeat), and the highlight of the night was the craziness that came about after Janet Planet instructed the entire crowd to 'get down', then counted them back into full dance mood. 

I left that Friday night gig a changed woman. A sweaty, tired, bruised woman, but a changed woman all the same. Going to see Confidence Man is more than just going to see a gig - it's going to see a spirtual experience. 

Olivia Shoesmith