Never Coming Home: Hilltop Hoods Concert Review

After a four-year wait, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre is finally welcoming Aussie hip hop royalty, the Hilltop Hoods, back for two shows on their Never Coming Home tour in 2026! I’ve been keeping an eye on their socials for the weeks of the tour leading up to Brisbane’s dates, trying not to spoil too much of the stacked set list and featured guests for myself, but tonight is the night to see it live! Joining them to open up the tour, the band has brought DJ Total Eclipse, renowned Aussie producer Trials, and Irish singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre along with them for an unforgettable night!

This is what happened at Hilltop Hoods’ Never Coming Home show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on March 14^th, 2026.

TRIALS

After DJ Total Eclipse warmed up the early arrivals, all vying for their spot in the front row, Trials arrived amongst yellow and red stage lighting, with a bucket hat and a guitar to share some of the songs from his upcoming album, Hendle. With bouncy beats and inspiring lyrics, I’m excited to see more from this legendary Aussie producer’s solo work. With an impressive catalogue behind him as a member of The Funkoars and A.B. Original, as well as producing music for programs including Cleverman and The Warriors, it’s exciting to see his new solo material. Throughout the set, Trials made sure to preface music with the mission, encouraging a substance-free life and a world where men look out for women, uniting the crowd with his story and passionate vision for the world we can make together. This theme continued as Trials invited Birdz and Fred Leone to join him on stage for their iconic Bagi-la-m Bargan, which was incredible to see live and set a gorgeous tone for the evening. With his genuine kindness and inspirational music, I’m so keen to hear Hendle in full soon!

Fave song: Whistle While I Walk

HILLTOP HOODS

After Maverick Sabre’s beautiful set and another musical interlude by DJ Total Eclipse, we were treated to the dramatic introduction to the Never Coming Home set, as we watched a compilation of moments in the air and on the road that led the main act to arriving at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre tonight. We saw the Hilltop Hoods ‘fourth’ member, Armageddon, fall on screen, his landing coinciding with the arrival of MC Suffa, MC Pressure and DJ Debris. I was surprised that they opened with Leave My Lonely, rather than a track from their latest album, but it recontextualised the night. This wasn’t just about where they are now, but where they’ve been to get here, honouring those who have joined them on the journey.

The band were only ‘lonely’ on stage (barring their incredible backing band, with a brilliant horn section), for the first few songs of the set as they dipped back to Chase That Feeling and dedicated Nosebleed Section to their young, and young at heart, audience members! If you’ve ever managed to get that sweet front row spot for this song, I envy you tremendously until I cross it off my bucket list! The band invited their newest collaborator, Nyassa, to join them on stage for her featured tracks and to sing the backing vocals for a number of their hits! She arrived, donning a house-themed dress and armed with her spectacular vocals, for the title track of the new album, Fall From The Light. As they sang, a model of Armageddon, falling through the sky above us at the Entertainment Centre, descended above the end of the stage’s runway. His appearance throughout the show would signify the band’s new tracks.

I thought we might have a bit of a wait before our next guest artist of the night appeared, so imagine how stoked I was that we doubled it and passed it on to the next track as Montaigne appeared to join the Hoods and Nyassa for their iconic song, 1955. This was the song that set me on the path of both Hilltop Hoods AND Montaigne, so getting to see them live together, frolicking the length of the stage, had me kicking myself for not getting tickets to both Brisbane dates!

I try not to spoil too much of a show for myself beforehand, so seeing Marlon Motlop join the band for The Gift, with its invigorating beat and steady rhymes, was an absolute treat. If the night had you thinking, ‘I love it!’ then it was good to know Hilltop Hoods were on the same page, playing I Love It next, and warming up the stage with their abundant energy to prepare the crowd to welcome back our international guest, Maverick Sabre, to reunite on their 2014 tracks, Won’t Let You Down and Live and Let Go. I can’t recall seeing the former live previously and was blown out of the water with the monumental builds of Sabre’s voice alongside the running beats of the drums, which hit straight through to the soul.

It really was the Hilltop Hoods and Friends Show! tonight, with Sabre departing to make room immediately for Adrian Eagle, with Eagle’s vocals shining through in the chorus of Clark Griswold. I admire rappers so much, with the lung capacity and breath control that artists like Suffa and Pressure have to belt out their verses relentlessly, barely a break between each song. The energy that Hilltop Hoods and their band bring to the stage flows as smoothly as their rhymes do out to the crowd, and I wonder if they’re soaking up half as much from the audience, who were having the absolute time of their lives.

Add ‘seeing a Hilltop Hoods show for my birthday’ to the bucket list, now that I know they’re giving Illy away as a gift when they get him out on stage for Exit Sign. This was another moment I was waiting in anticipation, too good to be true! The boys were bounding around stage, with endless energy and enthusiasm! And it was good… too good…

Just to remind us what times we lived in, the ominous figure of Armageddon appeared again, unable to ward away the bad vibes descending upon the crowd as Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris united us in a sing-along of Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry Be Happy, which warped, as cruel as it was cool, into Don’t Happy, Be Worry. Overcoming these anxieties triumphantly, came the epic anthem Something Bigger Than This, followed up by the sense of achievement and resilience that comes with Higher. The story the show was telling was compelling and emotional, guided by the steady, yet exciting, rapping of Suffa and Pressure.

With the denouement now begun, we reached the poetic and heartwarming Through The Dark. The Hilltop Hoods made their powerful vow, and made me question why I haven’t heard more of their music on the big screen, with Never Coming Home. The storytelling in their music, lyrics and artwork has always been immersive, and their legacy as Australian artists, who never fail to put on a memorable show, is a testament to the excellence in music, let alone rap and hip hop. They propelled us to the badass conclusion of the show with Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom, reminding us who Hilltop Hoods are and why they’ve made it this far for this long.

But the legends would not disappear into myth yet (at least, not with a Perth show to go still!). They returned for Still Standing, then had to appease the masses with their extended set of Cosby Sweater, featuring Trials and Birdz. Fuck Bill Cosby, but froth this song; its stuck in the mainstream consciousness for a good reason and is nothing if not a damn good song from a damn fine band. Unfortunately, 20 songs just isn’t enough with a musical career spanning over thirty years, but we’ll take everything we can get for now! If you missed this one, it’s probably best not to think too much about it, lest the weight of regret bury you alive.

Fave song: Fall From The Light

SOUNDS GOOD?

I’m gonna try not to just redirect you back to Trials and Illy and make room for some artists and groups who weren’t fully represented tonight! So consider this five recommendations, instead of the standard three:

A.B. Original – Heyyyy, Trials forms HALF of the group, but I want to recognise Briggs as well. Together, they’re a formidable duo embedding their heavy rap with a hefty dose of social justice and empowerment as they raise awareness through the rhythm about Indigenous rights and welfare. Check out Briggs’ solo stuff too!

Drapht – Drapht has such a fun and distinct vocal delivery, with some incredibly catchy lyrics and iconic raps. He’s also collaborated with Hilltop Hoods before, so check out Don Quixote for a nice bridge if you’re somehow unfamiliar with Drapht still!

Seth Sentry – If you like Hilltop Hoods’ easy sense of flow and rhythm that doesn’t hold back on creating punchy musical moments, you might also like Seth Sentry’s rapping. He has some fun flair in his backing instruments which lends a cool vibe to each song.