Icelandic blues-rock band, KALEO, have just wrapped up their final shows around Australia as part of their Payback World Tour. The band formed back in 2012 with members Jökull Júlíusson (professionally known as JJ), David Antonsson, and Daniel Kristjansson. The members had been best friends since elementary school and had begun playing music together at the ages of 17 before adding guitarist Rubin Pollock into the mix in late 2012. The members had chosen the name Kaleo, which means “the voice” in Hawaiian and began their career playing shows around Iceland. This eventually led to a few highly praised shows at the 2012 Iceland Airwaves festival, which was their first major public appearance. They gained nationwide notoriety for their cover of the Icelandic hit song Vor í Vaglaskógi, landing them on the radio around the country and eventually being signed to Sena, Iceland’s main record label. Fast forward to today, the band has multiple groundbreaking hits and shows worldwide, cultivating a large and dedicated following of people who love their music.
I had the amazing opportunity to cover their show on February 16th in Brisbane thanks to KALEO’s management, who I am very thankful to for allowing me to cover the show.
The show began as the clock struck 9pm and excited fans braced themselves against the barricade waiting for the members to walk out on stage. One by one, they trickled out and took their places at their instruments as JJ walked out onto the stage, causing an eruption of applause from the audience. The band opened with their single USA Today from their upcoming album MIXED EMOTIONS which is set for a release on May 9th of 2025. The song set the tone as JJ’s voice echoed throughout the venue with the song spreading a message of change and retaliation against the current atrocities happening within the USA to do with the mass shootings and loose gun laws in the country, a bold and confronting choice for an opening song that was embraced wholeheartedly by the crowd.
The band followed up with their second song off the night, being the hit single from their 2021 album Surface Sounds titled Break My Baby. The familiar guitar riff and vocal melody boomed throughout the concert hall, seamlessly transitioning from the heavy political undertones into a raw and vocally powerful track that resonated with the audience, who sang along with JJ’s catchy vocal melody that makes the song instantly recognisable. His rough and gritty vocal style weaved in effortlessly with the instrumentation from the rest of the members, showcasing their dynamic chemistry as a band.
The set continued on as the band played hit after hit, including singles such as Skinny and Lonely Cowboy. During the songs, each member had a chance to shine on their instruments, with everything from guitar solo’s to the harmonicist having a musical battle with the guitarist right in center stage. The band took a moment to perform their cover of Vor í Vaglaskógi as a way to pay tribute to their home country and show some love to the song that started their journey to where they are today. JJ also took a moment between songs while the band members tuned their instruments to talk with the audience, he mentioned that although the band had been to Australia previously, this show was their very first performance in Brisbane, eliciting high praise from the crowd with each member attending being honoured to be a part of their first ever show in Queensland.
For me, the highlights of the night were Hot Blood and as they were the songs that initially drew me to KALEO and made me a fan. At 14, I would wander my high school halls with these tracks blasting through my earbuds, and hearing them live was a true full-circle moment. JJ’s voice, just as raw and powerful as in the studio recordings, soared effortlessly through the venue, leaving an unforgettable impression.
KALEO’s live show was more than just a concert, the night in itself was an experience that reinforced their ability to captivate their audience with their emotive storytelling combined with their indie blues-rock sound and compelling stage presence that makes the crowd fall in love with their music all over again. KALEO’s 2025 album will set the tone for a new era of their music, and I know fans all over the world are excited for this new chapter in their musical journey.
GALLERY
All photos: © Jaz Wilkins