The Neighbourhood | Margaret Court Arena | Melbourne | 10th July

A barren and busy few weeks began rolling by, beginning to merge into one. I’d lost track of what month we were in and hadn’t even realised the date. It was July 10th, opening night for The Neighbourhood to play in Melbourne. I had blinked, and the night was suddenly looming, bringing the perfect energy to get all dolled up and ready with the girls for the night ahead.

We made our way to Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, which was where we were going to be calling home for the evening, as it was hosting The Neighbourhood’s “The World Tour” Melbourne shows in promotion of their newest album, ‘((((ultraSOUND))))+’. The highly anticipated show wouldn’t have been complete without an incredibly gifted opener. Noise Department, or Noise Dept. as he is more commonly tagged, showcased his very specific synthesis of genres and sounds, creating the ideal atmosphere for the unbounded production we were in for later on.

Bright beams of light and electric sounds brought Noise Dept. to the stage, taking hold of Margaret Court Arena immediately. Noise Dept. is the unreal brainchild of musician and instrumentalist Raj Jain. He has made many contributions not only to his own masterpieces over the years, but also to the work of Suki Waterhouse and The Neighbourhood themselves, truly showcasing his well rounded talent.

Being the supporting act for the Australian leg of The Neighbourhood’s “The World Tour” must be a truly incredible experience, particularly alongside his own works of art and his many previous contributions to the band. He went on to return later in the night, coming back out and continuing to perform an array of songs with The Neighbourhood throughout the evening, which I can only imagine made it all the more special for everyone involved.

Raj Jain’s perspectives through his music seem to be shaped by a fusion of genres and reflective multicultural influences, creating the well blended audio composition we hear today. The overall vibe of his craftsmanship is perfectly paired with that of The Neighbourhood. He played songs such as ‘Real World’, which was released almost exactly a year ago, as well as the more recent release ‘Given’, which was only just released on the 26th of June. I reckon it is set to become a standout song.

The fans continued piling in, with time running thin before the next showcase began. A female voice took hold of the now heavily captivated audience, with fans screaming eagerly in excitement as Iris, an automated voice, lingered and introduced herself to the arena. Iris then began to politely introduce the dearest fans to a few of her beloved friends as the band began to take the stage.

The Neighbourhood assumed their positions, with the band itself consisting of vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, bassist Mikey Margott, and Brandon Fried on the acoustic drum kit. ‘)))))ultraSOUND(((((’ is their newest creative masterpiece, released on the 20th of February this year. It is thought to be something of a comeback album for the band after a six year hiatus between it and their previous album, ‘Chip Chrome & The Mono Tones’.

They opened with ‘Hula Girl’, which had very quickly risen to become a fan favourite from the newest album, containing a unique blend of backbeats and metaphors morphed into a truly memorable tune.

The Neighbourhood themselves formed back in 2011, with all but one current member being original to the true roots of the band, stemming from Newbury Park, California. A large part of their early rise to fame and recognition can be accredited to a song from their platinum selling debut album, ‘I Love You’, from 2013. The song ‘Sweater Weather’ still sits in the number one spot among the band’s top songs on Spotify many years later, with over 4.5 billion streams.

Over the years, as both the band and Jesse grew within their music, the moody and intimate feel of the songs began to include more raw and multifaceted lyrics. More of these unfiltered emotions can now be seen in songs such as ‘Middle of Somewhere’, which is featured on ‘Chip Chrome & The Mono Tones’.

Throughout the almost two hour performance, an array of songs from throughout the years was on display, with each moment savoured by the crowd. Jesse can not only be credited for his incredible vocals, but he also brought out his acoustic guitar and tambourines for the more ballad driven and yearning portion of the night, adding authenticity and a raw feel to songs such as ‘Pretty Boy’ and ‘Reflections’.

The screams then took over the arena as the intro to ‘Void’ began, with ‘Nervous’ being played shortly afterwards. The crowd grew even louder when ‘Softcore’ began, as it was the last official song of the night. Overall, it made it completely understandable why both Melbourne nights of the tour sold out so quickly.

The Neighbourhood truly are a unique indie rock band that have contributed so much depth and saturation to the alternative rock scene over the years. Noise Dept. is definitely going to be one to keep your eyes on, as this seems to be just the beginning for Raj Jain’s electric solo project. The inconceivable vocals are one of a kind and truly need to be heard live at one of his shows.

As for The Neighbourhood, there are still plenty of opportunities to grab tickets, as the ‘)))))ultraSOUND(((((’ world tour continues through the United Kingdom and Europe, before a few final shows wrap things up back in the States over the coming months.