The Dare Tour stopped in at Brisbane this weekend. Melbournites, Northeast Party House are out and about strutting their follow up album to Any Given Weekend. In some ways the sophomore album is even more crucial than the debut. If you’ve made a debut you already have a fan base, but the sophomore album is your chance to prove you can wow fans again. Can they?

Their new album, Dare embodies the same rock synth mantras of their early work in some songs. The title track is certainly mellower. Your House perhaps brings the fun side of NEPH’s core philosophy back to the crowd.

You could feel the relief through the crowd that NEPH weren’t the kind of band to only whore out their new album throwing the hits that drew their fans to them in the first place out the window. The moshpit surged to Youth Allowance, and the raw energy of Embezzler remains even after five years.

For Yu is definitely the dance track on the album. Think sneakers and collared shirt dance track, not black t-shirts and boots. Surprisingly, Calypso Beach, from the new album, didn’t get a feature in the set list despite being another of the fan favourites for its synths and dreamy lyrics.

It was an all ages event too – though weirdly not many underagers turned up. The Triffid had the can-drink and drink-nots segregated. Over 18s in the mosh, Under 18s on the balcony. The most frustrating part was due to liquor licensing, no Over 18s could go upstairs even though there were ample seats left. That’s a Triffid thing though, not a NEPH thing. Overall, the Triffid’s unique air hangar converted to rock cave is always a great time whoever the band may be that night. Northeast Party House head back down south now but the night was a great time to sing it out and sweat it out to some great synth rock tunes.

- Meredith McLean