Let it be said: you’re not often present when lightning and thunder synchronise in a split second crack that fractures the very fabric of the atmosphere; usually it’s something within our subconscious that determines where the storm is and thankful that it’s not overhead.

I wouldn’t bring it up, save for a chance encounter that lead me to Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Tuesday night: Empire Of The Sun were finally back in town playing for the first time since supporting Smashing Pumpkins in 2019, and on a night of such meteorological magnitude, the band were literally electrifying.

Blue light emitting from sky held phones silhouette the duo who emerge from a dystopian futurescape before the belting kick punches you right in the gut, a broad-brimmed Luke Steele launches into what can only be described as alternative electro-pop from the year 2050, telemessaged through a fax machine.

Reflective humanoid dancers cower from the stage about twenty minutes in as a digital mentor taunts the Emperor, saved only by dual-neck-guitar wielding coneheads who play ‘We are the people’, a trigger release, and the crowd goes wild.

Whoever designed the costumes should be rewarded with rose petals tossed delicately on the very ground they walk on, fanned by banana fronds and lauded over by three cherubs playing the harp. Someone should have called the police because show was well and truly stolen.

Wardrobe changes with every new song brought something fresh to the stage, a real eclectic mix of organic and synthetic media from wooden masks to helmets that felt inspired by Robocop.

From over the shoulder of a 50-year-old bloke I watch a Google search: “Empire Of The Sun – where are they now?”.

They’re on the stage in front of you dickhead.

But it’s a good question. Why is this band, who soundtracked generations (resonating primarily with pre-millennial culture) playing the Enmore? Is this band a relic of the past? “Sorta tacky” as described by a friend as I commentated the event through the group chat, fearing they’ve become somewhat of an A-list support act.

Living for the old fella – white ponytail. Mutton chops, smashed on tins of Newtowner with his misso front-right, having the absolute vibe of his life alongside millennial stans and clearly a new wave of retro-pop fanatics who, just like me, couldn’t stand still to save our life. That’s the electrifying (and everlasting) effect of Empire Of The Sun.

If you have the chance to catch their second night, you’re in for a real treat.