Hands Like Houses - The Lotus Tour

Hands Like Houses brought the Lotus Tour to a packed Princess Theatre in Woolloongabba on Saturday night, with the run of shows building serious anticipation for their new EP Lotus, due out next month. Sister venue to The Tivoli, the Princess Theatre continues to prove itself as one of the most underrated live music rooms in Brisbane, and on nights like this it is hard to argue otherwise. 

Adding to the feel of the night, Hands Like Houses had actively chosen the local supports for each stop of the tour, giving the lineup a more personal and considered edge. From the second doors opened, the space felt alive. The crowd poured in early and stayed loud, the kind of atmosphere that does not need time to build. By the time the lights dropped, it felt like everything was ready to explode.

Nervous Light opened and came out swinging. There was no slow start, just straight into it with a raw, urgent set that snapped the room into focus. People pushed forward, heads started moving, and the first signs of chaos were not far behind. For an opening slot, it hit hard and set a pace that the rest of the night had to match.

The Local Romance kept things rolling, bringing a more melodic edge without losing any of that energy. Their set had a natural lift to it, pulling more people in with each song. It felt effortless but still drove forward, striking a balance that kept the crowd engaged and moving. By the time they wrapped up, the room was packed tight and fully locked in.

Dream On Dreamer stepped out to one of the biggest reactions of the night so far, and they made it count straight away. 'Let It In' hit hard as an opener, instantly lifting the energy again and pulling the crowd right into it. 'Surrender' and 'Love' followed and kept that momentum building, with the room already starting to sing back louder with each track.

As their set pushed on, 'Don’t Lose Your Heart' and 'Hear Me Out' turned into full crowd moments, voices cutting through everything as the entire room got involved. 'All My Life' slotted in seamlessly and showed off where the band is heading, without losing that connection to the older material. The closing run through 'Feel So Empty', 'Stay' and 'Runaway' did not let up, finishing on a high that felt more like a headline set than a support slot.

Hands Like Houses hit the stage to a huge reaction, opening with 'Lótus' and immediately taking control of the room. It was tight, loud and confident from the first note. 'Love and Affection' and 'Perspectives' followed quickly, keeping the pressure on and giving the crowd no chance to reset.

Mid set was where things really took off. 'ICU' stood out as a defining moment, with Josh stepping into the pit and performing from within the crowd, turning it into something chaotic and completely immersive.

Throughout the set, he kept a constant stream of banter going, bouncing off the crowd between songs and turning moments into something more than just transitions. At times it felt like half concert, half comedy show, but it only added to the connection and kept the room engaged. A quick drum interlude gave just enough breathing room before launching back into 'Flowers', 'No Parallels' and 'Hollow', pushing the energy straight back up. The 'Wicked Game' cover slowed things down just enough to shift the mood, showing a different side before building everything back up again.

The final stretch felt massive. 'Warning Signs' with Dream On Dreamer joining them on stage brought one of the loudest reactions of the night, a moment that felt genuine and shared across the whole room. From there, 'Colourblind', 'The Water' and 'I Am' kept everything moving before closing on 'Heaven', which landed as a perfect finish. Loud, full and completely in sync between band and crowd.

It was one of those nights where everything clicked. Every band delivered, the crowd showed up from the start, and Hands Like Houses turned it into something bigger than just another tour stop. With Lotus just around the corner, this felt like a band building real momentum again, and a Brisbane crowd that was right there with them every second of the way.

Thank you to Hands Like Houses, Bigmouth PR and The Princess Theatre for having us along.

Review by Jack Carruthers for Music Kingdom Australia