Psychedelic Bliss: Pond Takes Amsterdam by Storm With Their Latest Album

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – With nine albums already under their belt, the Australian psychedelic rock band Pond has built up an impressive discography. With their latest album Stung!, which was released last June, they once again showcase their versatility. Currently, they are on their European tour, and tonight, Paradiso, Amsterdam, was next.

The support act was Barbagallo, the project of French musician Julien Barbagallo. He is best known as the drummer for Tame Impala, but he has also released several albums of his own. Barbagallo creates colorful and danceable French-language pop with hints of genres like prog rock and chanson. With tracks from his latest album, such as the catchy “Je Dis Merci” and “Così è La Vita,” he effortlessly got the crowd moving. It’s a great example of how you don’t always need to understand the language or know what the songs are about—sometimes the music speaks for itself. Worth a listen if you ask me!

After a slight delay due to some technical issues, Pond took the stage and started with “Daisy,” quickly followed by the tracks “(I’m) Stung” and “Neon River,” both from their latest album Stung!. The pace was intense, almost as if the band wanted to make up for the lost time. But absolutely without any loss of quality – from the very start, they gave it their all and immediately took the audience along with them.

The set alternated between hits from earlier albums like “America’s Cup”, “Sweep Me Off My Feet”, and ‘Human Touch,’ and new tracks such as “Black Lung” and “So Lo”. Of the newer songs, the epic “Edge Of The World Pt. 3” stood out for me. Live, its build-up took on an entirely new dimension. Another unforgettable moment was “Paint Me Silver”, with the crowd singing along passionately. Frontman Nick Allbrook, constantly moving across the stage, waving his microphone, had everyone in the room dancing. It is impossible to stay still with Pond’s infectious energy.

For the grand finale, the band pulled out one of their oldest tracks, “Don’t Look At The Sun Or You’ll Go Blind,” from their first album, Psychedelic Mango. As the final chords rang out, Nick dove into the crowd for a brief crowd-surfing moment, while everyone jumped around in pure excitement.

A few dates remain on the European tour before the band starts their U.S. tour in November. Click here for more info.

Setlist
Daisy
(I’m) Stung
Neon River
America’s Cup
Black Lung
So Lo
Sweep Me Off My Feet
Constant Picnic
Aloneaflameaflower
Edge Of The World Pt.3
Human Touch
Paint Me Silver
Giant Tortoise
Toast

Hang A Cross On Me
Don’t Look At The Sun Or You’ll Go Blind

Show Date 7/10/2024