Belle and Sebastian at the Palais Theatre
12 September 2026 in Melbourne, supported by Bananagun.
One thing I can tell you is that I am not the only Belle and Sebastian tragic. There are at least enough of us to fill the Palais Theatre, and probably more.
On this tour Belle and Sebastian were playing the album If you're feeling sinister in track order to celebrate its 30th anniversary, and then a second set of other songs.
The support act was Bananagun, a very apt choice as they are not dissimilar in musical vibe to Belle and Sebastian, only more 60's style psychedelic. They were good, and I'd go see them again, but as a tragic I was really there for the main act.
This show was fun. Like, really fun. The seated audience shifted mode shocklingly quickly to standing up and dancing in the gap between your flipped-up chair and the row in front. Evidently, everyone was already too keen.
The first set was wonderful. Highlights were Dylan in the movies and The boy done wrong again, neither of which would be in my top three songs on that album, but there were so good. The latter knocked my socks off (not literally) It was such a good version, driven by the cymbals of all things.
Look, I am just riding this high right now and can't be expected to make good sentences.
The second set had several picks from The life pursuit (an absolute favourite album) and Write about love, which I am listening to on CD right now and kicking myself for not playing more often. I blame the Norah Jones duet, I just can't handle that much adult contemporary, but I think I can deal with it now.
Another thing that was excellent about this show were the videos that played behind the band. They blended analogue nostalgia with life in 2026 beautifully. I don't remember ever seeing such good backgrounds.
The stage banter was also first class. It included a slide show of ridiculous Victoria number plate slogans, and a group fantasy of taking off together on the ferry to Tasmania, all 2,000 of us, where we all died of starvation because Belle and Sebastian are not good providers.
Late in the set when they played The boy with the Arab strap lots of audience members were let up on stage to dance, much like an episode of Young Talent Time. I thought, is this my generation doing its own version of a singalong of It's a long way to Tipperary? Are we old and cringey and wholesome now? If so, and this is what it is, I welcome it.
Sadly for Sky Hulk, the Palais does not allow cameras in so I am once again making do with a terrible phone photo. I promise to lift my game on that front.
