Byron Bay Bluesfest Day Two - Friday 15th 2022
PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
REVIEW BY: YASMIN MORRIS (Yazmindi), MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH & THERESA WILSON
Day two saw the grounds of Bluesfest a little bit more muddy, the footwear from everyone varied from bare feet, to sandals to the good old trusty gumboots. The sky could not decide on what it was doing, opening up, showering down on us in short bursts or gently falling on us sporadically. People mostly came prepared with ponchos, or rain coats or ran towards some of the food or stage tents to shelter from the drizzle. One of the biggest days to shoot and review. The team filled with coffee ran from stage to stage and tried to keep up with Day Twos epic line up of acts.
Vika and Linda’s set was a little late due to the traffic delays for all the new arrivals to Bluesfest, due to this influx of new bodies, and camping folks to the site. As the legendary sisters ran on to the stage you could tell they were a little flustered by the delay and told us they were in the clothes that they had worn to the event making it a priority to get to the stage over getting changed, but despite that they looked absolutely stunning and no one would have noticed. The second that they opened their mouths to sing not a single person in the audience recalled the delayed start at all. Their harmonies and the individually powerful voices of these sisters wafted over the crowd melting everyone into the happiest of states.
Multi talented Indigenous Australian rapper, record label owner, comedy writer, actor, and author Briggs, rocked the house down at Mojo tent and got us all in the festive Friday afternoon spirit. His performance was full of passion with punchy lyrics and big energy while being a proud kid from Shepparton, he has come a long way with major success but hasn’t lost touch with his roots. From the crowd's response, it is obvious that he continues to inspire many Australians by being an advocate for a better future for all, which put a smile on my face after being in his presence. When Troy Cassar-daley joined him onstage for a song, it made the show even better with the complimentary blend of country and hip hop.
I could hear Kim Churchills crisp acoustic folk rock and blues tunes dance in the air as I made my way to the Jambalaya stage. This was a blissful sight watching families and young children happily dancing together to positive music that soothes the soul. A perfect afternoon set that suited the Bluesfest relaxed vibe, being a solo one man band with lovely chats in between songs, Kim was an invigorating and talented act to watch.
High energy, infectious riff and groove based blue-billy-grass-rockin'-roots band 19-Twenty rocked the night away when they jumped on stage at 9:30pm Friday night. These lads were absolutely electric! Many punters stayed in the Jambalaya stage during the headliner acts because this band had them on the edge of their seats wanting more. The band had 3 shows over the weekend, definitely a crowd favourite and will most likely play on the main stage in no time…
The Angels are legends in their own rights, the have made a name for themselves from the early day pub scenes to playing to massive crowds on huge stage. They are a staple in the Aussie diet and any time “Am I ever Gonna See Your Face Again” comes on we all vocally add the “No Way, Get Fucked, Fuck Off” and from my research even The Angels themselves could not work out where it came from. They did say perhaps it came from a blue light disco when a DJ apparently got the crowd to do the chant but I do like that the mystery may never be resolved. This raucous hard rock band are among the longest-lasting bands to have emerged from the Australian pub circuit. Having made their mark on generations since the mid-1970’s. The crowd at Bluefest not only lost their minds when this track came on but the people but the people from the barrier to the front of the crowd right to the back of the packed tent were bouncing around and eating up the incredible live performance from the rock stars watching Dave Gleeson’s seemingly never ending energy darting around the stage made the crowd keep up with him for the entire set.
Australia Rock royalty The Living End were greeted to an absolutely packed marquee. The crowd were amped as the day turned into night. Double J live attended and were live recording the session for the people who could not make it to the festival. Chris Cheney’s high energy and spectacular finger plucking genius melted the faces and souls of everyone present to catch these top rate musicians and long standing fan favourites as he rushed all over the stage. Scott Owen’s following their high energy as he climbed all over his double bass with the theatrics and adrenalin fuelled balancing act which traditionally pulls the crowd into even more of a frenzy. This band is not only extremely talented but as performers their energy, enthusiasm and happiness leaked out into the bodies that were non stop bouncing, singing to the band, to each other and they were probably the biggest highlight of the entire festival.
Tex Perkins the Man in Black, one of Australia’s Rock n Roll outlaws walked onto the Delta stage as the American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. As a Bluesfest only performance he proceeded with a band in toe to delight his fans with an hours’ worth of covers, that of which he did a fantastic job in paying homage to the late Johnny Cash who passed away in September 2003.
L.A.B formed by drummer, producer Brad Kora after his split from much-loved New Zealand band Kora hit the stage with full fire in their bellies. Their eclectic mix of reggae, electronic, funk and rock sent out a groove that could be felt amongst the masses as everyone lost their inhibitions and danced like no one was watching. A sure crowd favourite and their most popular track ‘In the Air’ resonated on into the atmosphere. L.A.B have released an album every year since their first album debut in 2017 proving themselves to be one of New Zealand’s hardest-working acts, with no signs of slowing down.
Sydney rock band Hoodoo Gurus gave us a taste of what it was like to be a young impressionable human living in the early 80s. David Faulkner looking very much at home front and centre in his silver suit jacket. This was Hoodoo Gurus first ever Bluesfest and the crowd was very much delighted to see them play some of their best tracks such as ‘What’s my Scene’, ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘1000 Miles Away’.
Midnight Oil, were a huge draw card for the majority of the audience as they absolutely packed the tent and were spilling out all around the outside of the tent covering almost every inch surrounding the stage. Peter Garrett's iconic dance moves in real life definitely lived up to expectations. Almost everyone in the crowd was singing along to their famous songs and a lot of people had fresh T-Shirts that they bought from the merch stand. The long staying band kicked off a two-hour show stopping performance as a part of their World tour ‘Resist’. The show was electric as they gave everyone under the big top a full scope into their newly released album and as we edged every closer to midnight the crowd were quick to rise and sing along to some of their older anthems like ‘Beds are Burning’ and ‘Power and the Passion’. Midnight Oil have said that this tour will be their last, taking it to the World stages in June beginning in the U.S.A before Europe and New Zealand so if you’ve never seen them, now may be your last chance.
PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
Round Mountain Girls
Garrett Kato
Vika & Linda
The Church
Briggs
The Angels
The Living End
Tex Perkins
Hoodoo Gurus
Uncaged Festival Hordern Pavilion Sydney 23rd April 2022
28 DAYS
BANKS ARCADE
BODYJAR
DEAD CITY RUINS
EL COLOSSO
I BUILT THE SKY
MAGIC DIRT
MOLLY & THE KRELLS
SHIHAD
TEX PERKINS
THE BLACK CARDINALS
THE GETAWAY PLAN
THE HARD-ONS
THE MEANIES
TWELVE FOOT NINJA
YOU AM I
Byron Bay Bluesfest Day One - Thursday 14th 2022
PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
REVIEW BY: YASMIN MORRIS (Yazmindi) & MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
A well deserved beautiful sunny day in Byron Bay was happening (before the mud fest) as punters slowly arrived for Day One of Bluesfest, getting their bearings of the site and walking around looking at what delicious local food and clothing stalls they would try over the weekend. As the local Byron Bay newspaper Echo wrote, ‘long lost friends, familiar strangers, reunited after two years of estranged times. Arriving to a sea of friendly smiling faces, the air felt decidedly electric with excitement for making the most of this well-earned moment in time.’ This was definitely the attitude in the air as it was already planning out to be a wonderful long weekend of live music that we have all desperately been missing.
Spinifex Gum are an Aussie musical collective. They are based in Cairns and it is a collaboration of an Indigenous ensemble including the Marliya Choir, Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill of the Melbourne band The Cat Empire, Lyn Williams, and Deborah Brown. They share the (emotionally fuelled) stories of the the Yindjibarndi people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The group took to the stage in matching outfits, and choreography with the screen lit up with different snippets and scenes to go along side their songs. There were small breaks between each song as the voices of elders spoke of their stories. The entire performance was emotionally charged and had me in tears along with many others. Their harmonies and synchronised movements on the stage were mezmerising and captivating from start to finish.
After a stellar guitar performance from front man Paul George, the 4 piece local electronic and world music group from Gold Coast, Tijuana Cartel drew us in and the entire tent was silent. You could hear a pin drop. The suspense was a long, endearing and highly enjoyable 5 minute build up of flamenco guitar while Paul casually sat on his chair being one with his guitar. When the pulsing beat finally dropped with bongos, bass, synth and trumpet, he arose from the chair dancing side to side and the crowd went wild! The Mojo tent was pumping! Without a pause, each song melted into another keeping the crowd engaged. Alongside a mesmerizing light show, this was a great warm up for the crowd who were about to be hit with the final show of The Cat Empire.
The original line-up has now been celebrated and they definitely went out with a bang here at Bluesfest! It’s been 21 years since the group's very first show together (May 2001) and it’s now time for them to venture off on their own musical journeys leaving Felix and Ollie to steer the group in the next direction. Performing a 1hr 40min set with a 15 minute encore, you could tell the boys were having the time of their life performing their classic well loved songs in which the sea of people knew every word too alongside their newer songs from recent albums. It was a nice blend of keeping it current and going back in time to the songs we grew up too. The crowd was moving and grooving! At one point the entire tent was jumping up and down in time together. The emotions were flowing as Felix continuously thanked their team, manager and the devoted fans who have been supporting their music since they started in Melbourne during the late 90’s. It was the sweatiest happiest mosh when Harry sang his classic ‘The Wine Song’ that is always a fun crowd pleaser. We're eagerly awaiting to see what the Cats do next!
PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
Spinifex Gum
Tijuana Cartel
Cat Empire
CROWDED HOUSE AT AWARE SUPER THEATRE SYDNEY 12TH APRIL 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
NOTES BY: MELISSA POOLMAN
On November 24, 1996 on the hallowed grounds of the Sydney Opera House approximately 150,000 people showed up on the forecourt to create an ever lasting memory for those who attended the event.
Unfortunately 13 year old me was unable to attend as I probably had my head burried in video games not realising I would miss out on a monumentus occasion until well into my 20’s when instead of just humming and singing along to the main stayers in the music diet of Crowded House’s biggest hits, I opened up a little more and dug a bit deeper, only then could I fathom the impact this band had on the music industry and so many people all around the world.
As us photographers positioned ourselves in the sound desk the show started with a slow piano solo that wafted over the crowd which not only kept everyone in suspense but it lulled them into an excellent mindframe as the band all slowly made their way on the stage to the cheering, yelling and clapping of each person in the building. The voices in the audience soon went into complete silence as the band went straight into Weather With You; obvioulsy that silence was short lived as everyone joined together to sing especially loud during the chours “Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you, Everywhere you go, always take the weather” bounced off the walls and right up to the celing way above our heads.
Throughout the song Neil use the gigantic stage they were all sprawled over to interact with every single member of the band and the crowd in front of his eyes, even from the position I was standing you could see the giant smile and the twinkle in his eye as he trapsed all over the stage both Liam and Nick joined in fully taking in what I feel was like a glorious feeling to be yet again standing in front of a huge sold out crowd, doing what they were all put on this big rolling ball; and doing it well. Neil stopped singing, making the crowd join in for the chorus, momentarily to just absorb what I can only image to be a continued moving moment to hear what you created being sung back to you but so many people, sometimes I do not know how musicians of this level can handle the complimentary aspects of their “jobs”.
The brilliance of musicians who love what they do, and that have been doing this for such a long time either go two ways. They just play song to song, say a few things here and there, but do not really engage the crowd but when it comes to Crowded House it is as though the never shook off the enthusiasm that they had in the very beginning of their careers (and obviously for the younger members in the band now). It all just has continued to flow into what it is today, and this also showcases what a showman is. Not just a bunch of people who can play wicked music, the personalities shine right out into the venue and you can tell that they really f*cking LOVE what they do, and they still APPRECIATE the reaction from their audiences even after all these years. They spent a lot of the evening joking, engaging and making everyone feel like they were included in the show, and that they were the show? I do not know how else to explain it but that is the best way to descibe it.
Fall At Your Feet was met with equal energy from everyone and you could tell that this would be the level people would be at for the entire 2 hour + evening. As they moved on into Don’t Stop Now and on to Playing With Fire support act (and legends in their own right) Middle Kids joined the band on stage and they stuck around for To The Island before they walked of Neil joked “Don’t think they took into account someone from New Zeland” as he said “Muddle Kuds” to which everyone had a bit of a giggle, as we do Aussie make fun of the NZ accents, NZ people make fun of our Aussie accents. Which is still beautiful as its been done for so long the majority of us know its all a big joke but we still love each other.
Moving on to Pineapple Head all the guitar wielding members slayed entirely with Liam being an obvious stand out with a short but delicous lick they didn’t miss a beat heading directly into Show Me The Way and this was an indictation of the whole show, constant smooth transitions and a beautifully planned out setlist. Which again made its way perfectly into When You Come which Neil pointed out this was the motion of the ocean times when you’re in the sheets with that special someone! Of course Liam (Neil’s son) was a little (jokingly) squeemish about this as who wants to really think about your parents doing it? After the song ended Liam said “I didn’t even think about that until right now…”
Neil pointed out that he loved the Aware Super Theatre a lot. He even more loved the fact that he could easily see every single one of us. Especially when people were getting up out of their seats to walk about the million stairs. “This venue wow, I really like it, you’re all there” he gestured with both hands to all of us “It’s big, its massive, you really have to choose your moment to go for a beer or use the toilet coz we can just watch you” everyone laughed at this but he then followed up with “It’s a lot of stairs as well! So take your time. Someone might let you sit on their lap on the way up… The AWARE arena…” he said as he put both hands to his head. Nick then joked about being SUPER aware, a joke which continued and was intertwined into songs during their set.
All eyes where on Neil as the stage darkened and a beam of light shone down on him as he introduced the 12th song of their 24 song set 4 Seasons during the song Neil said “I wanna hear you sing” and he started playing a few chords as the whole band stood silent and all he sang was “Blood….” and the whole crowd took over continuing the song singing perfectly together. “What about Tim’s part now…?” everyone giggled as we went around again trying to sing higher, we tried, we failed but we still sounded pretty beautiful.
As mentioned before as the ongoing joke of sneaking in “Super Aware” was snuck into Sister Madly and the band by this stage was really relaxed on stage and slipping into their infectious personalities to what I can liken a bunch of friends just jamming together in a garage living in the moment together, they were aware we were all there but they were all just being themselves and thriving on the love of their art.
As the “Stealth Ninjas” as Neil dubbed them came on stage once more to do another guitar swapsie people throughout the crowd as I scanned their faces; they were all beaming. People got up and were dancing; people dancing in seats. Throwing arms around one another. I had thought as a concert photographer and reviewer I would never see any of this again.
As we were rounding into the tail end of the show (I say this even though there were still another 8 songs to go by this point!). The masses broke out once again with sheer and utter enthusiasm joining the band in singing along to World Where You Live which was magic as a lot of the time even the most dedicated fans seem to lose steam from long sets, but I did not see that happening at all.
Out of nowhere while the stage was silent as Stealth Ninjas were scurrying about Nick randomly broke into song. I think I missed a bit of it but it kinda went like “Why don’t you try me, try me, so long that I been waiting for you to come right in. Now that we are together. Let my love run over” the crowd was clapping along and attempting an encoure for that performance which we sadly were denied. Even with Neil joining in with us clapping along. He joked "I have never seen Nick do that before" Nick replied “It’s a song I have been working on and I am trying to get it on the next album, just breaking it in”
As we rounded the corner towards the end of the night with Don’t Dream, Whatever You Want, Locked Out and Distant. All of which were matched by the crowd. The band waved to the crowd and walked off the stage. To continued applause, screams from the crowd and whistles from all over the room trying to get the band to come back out.
Of course we were (THANKFULLY) treated to an encoure. Once on stage Neil said to Nick “Why are you taking so long to set up you only have four strings”. If Neil ever decides to quit music I would encourage him to comve into comedy.
The finale couldn’t have been more perfect if it tried, it covered a lot of the people’s favourites. I would have taken more notes but at this point I was just as consumed and delighted by the band that all I can tell you was that it put me in the best of moods, I felt everyone around me living in the moment, sining their hearts out and having such a huge appreciation not only for music being back in our lives but the fact that we all got to experience the raw talent, professionalism of extremely talented people going off right in front of our eyes. We sang and dance to Something So Strong, we moved as one to It’s Only Natural, we absorbed Goodnight Everyone, I do not know about everyone else, but I sat in silence just taking in Into Temptation, I think reserving Better Be Home Soon for the last number was a wonderful choice as all of our voices mixed in together singing that track from start to finish. When I was younger I was OBSESSED with Kasey Chambers version of this song, but as much as I loved that one, there is nothing better than the original, and to hear it live is nothing but an extremely magnificent highlight in my life and I am so grateful, to the bands, to the promoters, the publicists and all the people involved in putting this night together. Alas it is now 5am, I am done editing photos, I am done with my review and I will be going to bed with the utter magical high, and soul energising feeling thanks to the epically amazing, the spectacularly brilliant Crowded House. 100/10 and would highly recommend anyone (even if you “only know a few songs”) to get along to a show in the future if you can. You will not regret it.
We all gave them a standing ovation the band came together and bowed to the crowd.
Perfect ending to a perfect night.
Something For Kate - Echolalia + The Modern Medieval Tour - Enmore Theatre 8th April 2022
REVIEW BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
PHOTOS BY: MONIKA OBERSCHEVEN-SMITH
When you are a live music photographer getting to shoot a band you have been a fan of since they began is always exciting and generally can be overwhelming. You want to do the band as much justice as they have brought happiness, comfort and shower/car singing into your life.
To be saddled with the task of reviewing on top of that all can either go one of two ways, you write an epic piece noting every song and every moment that occurred in the evening or you completely get distracted and live in the moment. I pretty much did the latter as I sit here on my couch trying to recall the spectacular evening with Something For Kate at the Enmore Theatre. I feel (to my mind) that it is one of the greatest compliments to a band, as a writer, to get so lost in a show you are just present and on the same level as everyone else in the room eating up what Something For Kate was throwing into our eyes and our ears.
The show was split into two sections focusing on Echolalia from Something For Kate’s 2001 release which was a staple diet in the 18 year old Monika era. Back in those days I had a 5 cd changer stereo system and Something For Kate was always in there including Elsewhere for 8 Minutes.
As for the show at Enmore Theatre, the rain came and went as puddles filled the streets of Newtown. People lined up early for doors, which at the time I was a little confused by as it was a seated event but once I meandered into the warmth of the theatre, I soon saw the massive lineup at the merch stand. Which gave me warm fuzzies to know how people still were so passionate about snapping up goodies from bands due to the love, rarity and to have a memory to hold on to long after the stage lights had faded.
As this was a seated show there were some restrictions on shooting so planning to get there early let me assess the best spots to shoot from without interrupting the punters who packed the sold out show’s view of the band and the stage.
Personally for myself the stand outs for the Echolalia set was Three Dimensions and Monsters, probably like a lot of the people in the room who were singing at the top of their lungs, dancing in the aisles and in their seats.
Paul Dempsey addressed the crowd several times as he does (his conversational skills are why he is one of the greatest front men ever, he has this charismatic and comedic style whenever he addresses the audience). “I know it is a seated event, but you can get up and dance if you want. There are two sets, so you can get up now or get up later. Up to you!”
Dempsey also added “So we’re the support band, we’re Something For Kate, opening up for Something For Kate”
For the second set there was a quick wardrobe change and a movement into the 2020 release The Modern Medieval + more! Again, I could not have been more ecstatic to hear Captain (Million Miles an Hour) from Elsewhere for 8 Minutes. That was the song I would sing as loud as possible as a 14-year-old in my bedroom pretending I was at a concert, had I known many, many, many, many, many, many years later I would be at their show photographing and reviewing it, the angsty teen me would not have believed you one bit and probably slammed a door in your face.
Chucking in cheeky cover to their set of David Bowie’s Heroes' just added fuel and excitement to the already totally happy and satisfied crowd.
Finishing off their well-rounded sets the band stood arm in arm bowing to the crowd and getting the most deserved standing ovation of any band that had stepped foot into the Enmore Theatre.
Halloween Hysteria at Mansfield Tavern April 2nd 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: BRAD FRY
The postponed Halloween Hysteria festival kicked off at the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane on the second of April. An absolutely packed list of performers set to do their thing at “Brisbanes LOUDEST Halloween fest”. The Mansfield tavern was a great venue for the festival providing ample room for all the ghosts and ghouls that came to party. Three indoor stages met punters (The Rebel FM stage, The Faction Stage and The Sounds of The Underground Stage) and they were all primed and set to fire late into the night. The venues walls were adorned with skeletons and witches and if you wanted your face painted in Halloween makeup there was an option for that too (I felt my 45 year old mug needed no enhancement to meet the brief so I declined). Cracking weather and a hard working and dedicated crew made the festival thoroughly enjoyable for all that attended. These are the bands my beady eyes had the pleasure of seeing.
Appearing at their first Queensland show since 2019, Victorian based punk rockers Something Something Explosion kicked off the action on the Rebel FM stage in great style setting the mood for the day with high energy and great stage presence. Front woman Grace wasted no time in getting the crowd moving with her Gibson guitar driven sound (a Joan Jett melody maker if I’m not mistaken). Backing up Grace were Shorty on bass and Chad on drums. The uber tight rhythm section of the trio laid down a solid foundation that allowed the band’s punk rock heart to shine through.
Brisbane’s own Wildheart were first up on the Faction stage and the five piece were ON from the jump! I was instantly grabbed by the intensity in front man Axel Best’s eyes. The band ground out their brand of melodic hardcore to the appreciative crowd who seemed entranced by the power and passion this band conjure up. Full disclosure, this was my first Wildheart experience and I am absolutely a fan! After the first song and I was hooked. Wildheart are the real deal and it showed in their music and performance.
The first band to signal the start of proceedings on the Sounds of the underground stage were, fittingly, We Set Signals. Engaging and at home on the stage, the Brissy boys drew in the crowd who were having as much fun as the band themselves. When front man Nicholas Wilson told the crowd to put their hands up he was met with a sea of arms and choral responses to the bands lyrics. Shand the bassist was a focal point of the show with his energy and passion on display and contagious for all those in attendance both on and off the stage.
“Dirty fake punk rock from Brisbane Australia” is how the Flangipanis describe themselves but there was nothing fake about their performance on the Triple M stage. Down regular drummer Josh the band called on their friend Andrè to handle skin duties and he performed the job admirably. Tight punk rock from the rhythm section, full power vocals and guitar from front woman Jodie (aswell as some feminine hygiene advice to boot) made for an enjoyable set. As a side note, I have read that in Thailand if a police office does something wrong, they are given a hello kitty arm band but can never tell anybody what they did to be punished. The fact that guitarist Josh had a hello kitty guitar makes you wonder what he did wrong, but then again maybe somethings are best left to the imagination… The Flangipanis walk it like they talk it and that’s why we love them.
The New South Welshmen, These New South Whales, were next up on the Tripple M stage. When not making TV shows and podcasts the boys are churning out punk rock like only they can do. Frontman Jamie delivers his vocals with a passion and honesty that can’t be faked. The guys seem to have the balance right between all that the do and they wear their punk influences on their sleeves with pride. Entertaining and engaged with the crowd, you could tell that the stage is a comfortable place for the guys as they looked and sounded every bit the punk legends they are.
Before Bare Bones took to The Faction stage I knew we were in for a good show. My guitar nerd self notice the two EVH (Eddie VanHalen) amp heads sitting atop the amp cabinets. Combined with a beautiful Jim Root (Slipknot) Fender Jazzmaster guitar and classic black beauty Gibson Les Paul. I collected my thoughts, wiped the drool from my chin and got into photo mode. As the music kicked off, front man Tom Kennedy paced the stage adding to the suspense. He gripped the mic and let out his ferocious vocals with power and commitment. Got riffs? These guys most certainly do. The riffs flew from from both left and right hand sides of the stage as if pulled forward by the vocals in a slipstream of sonic force. The drumming crashed over your head and tied the guitars and vocals into an impressive package that left a lasting impression. Missing their bass player, the Sydney boys dominated the stage and were a welcome addition to the days antics.
“I want to see a wall of death” roared Melbourne band Gavemind’s front man. The crowed obliged as quickly as the older photographer beside me lost some colour from his face (before retreating quickly the the side of the crowd). Bathed is stage smoke the band hit the ground running with a dual seven string guitar attack backed by hard hitting drums. Well know to the crowd that gathered, the bands lyrics were echoed back to them with as equal a passion as they were delivered. Frontman Bailey Schembri was drawn to the adoring fans, climbing down into the photo pit to get up close and personal and performing with a choir of the faithful. Well received by the crowd and much loved by the fans, with continued performances like this one the future looks bright for the Gravemind boys.
It was time for Sydney band Arse to take to the sounds of the underground stage and after a sound check the power trio got to work. They are a no fuss honest band that conjure the spirit of a punk era past. Drums, bass (with a chain for a strap) guitar, vocals and frenetic energy. Lyrics that relate to everyday life draw you in to the music and give you and outlet for any frustrations you have. Exquisite musical ability wrapped up in an unassuming package. It’s a beautiful thing. Now to explain why Arse Band is in my search history.
I caught Loser on the Faction Stage. These guys were smiles all round as the set up for their set. A sound check from the boys and the show was underway. The popular Melbourne trio pumped out their trademark punk rock to the cheers of the Halloween Hysteria crowd. Bathed in light the stage drew the punters attention as they were presented with a hook filled set. I got a real sense of joy from the guys as they entertained the crowd from go to whoa. They aren’t trying to be anything they’re not which makes them everything that they are.
Stepson earns my MVP award for the day. After some technical difficulties with their intro track (and being down their frontman) the guys stilled killed it. Nicholas Farr took on vocal duties due to Brock Conry being sick and the Blood Knuckles singer was absolutely up to the task! The guys were joined by Robert Southern on guitar helping fill the gap left by Farr. The guys were at their Hardcore best for their home crowd and to say they weren’t a crowd favourite would be a lie. The boys are a tight unit and appeared to be more like brothers than band mates as they poured out their hearts into their performance. I just wanted more and more from the guys and I felt that from the crowd as the set powered on.
A wild show, frantic music and overalls, this is Fangz! “This is best fucking night of my life” announced Jameel over the microphone and after the Fangz set I’m sure the crowd were feeling the same. Josh owned the Faction stage from the first song. He was on it, off it, on the barrier and even out in the crowd. He got the crowd to all get down low with him and then jump up with him at a key point in the song. Sam cracked out riff after riff from below his crown of dreadlocks. Woodie on the drums held down the rhythm as light and smoke made it tough to see him but thankfully his mohawk help him stand out. I absolutely loved what the guys put down and found myself smiling throughout the show.
Redhook took to the stage bathed in red and blue lights. Front woman Emmy moved around the stage effortlessly and had the crowd in the palm of her hand from the moment her vocals hit their eager ears. The Sydney based band know how to entertain! From the tight rhythms to their engaging stage craft, they a force to be reckoned with. At one point Redhook were joined on stage by The Dead Love guitarist Stevie Knight as Craig took on Saxophone duties. Ned and Alex work so well together as a rhythm section that it allows Craig and Emmy to dance ethereally on top like a breeze over the ocean. More Redhook is going to be needed going forward because now I know what I have been missing!
What can you say about Spiderbait that hasn’t been said already. The trio strolled onstage with a vibe that said thank you. They were humble, grateful and amazing. A barefoot Kram put down his wine and spoke as though you were sitting across a table from him and not standing in a sea of eager fans. The miles on Damian Whitty’s SG were more than evident but like a good wine, it’s sound has only gotten better with time. Janet surveyed the other members of the band with a smile that was one of contentment. They built up their set softly, steadily drawing the crowd closer and closer before cranking into some of their most beloved and popular songs. At one point a lady in the crowd became overwhelmed and the band stopped to make sure she was ok. They got her out, let her go backstage and were going to sling her some merch... all class. It was surreal to see Spiderbait and an honour to shoot them.
Water. The elixir of life. As I waited in the photo pit for King Parrot to start their set, I noticed how many bottles of water were being bought out and put near the fold back speakers. Having never been to a King parrot show I thought to myself “these guys must drink a lot of water during their set”. It was only after a spin kick from frontman Matthew Young and the band kicked into gear it became obvious as to why so much water….to throw on the crowd and as a consequence us! The performance was brutal from the first song to the last. Masters of stage presence the band had the crowd swarming in no time. Water poured from the stage and beer and bourbon (probably other drinks too but those two were all I tasted as it rained on me). Stage divers came and went all amongst the whirlwind stage action. Once it was over it was like we had all been dumped by a wave, we were soaked, shocked and left wanting more!
Clowns closed out the day on the Triple M Stage. What a band! These guys came to party! Such an energetic set that it’s hard to know where to look. Stevie Williams is a front man’s front man. He has it all from the vocal chops to the stage presence, although, he spent as much time with the crowd as he did the band which only adds to their love for him and the whole band. The set was packed with the bands most loved songs, the crowd sung and it only proved to push the band harder. Such stellar music from these guys that I don’t know where else you could put them in a festival line-up other than to close it out. They are simply amazing!!
A fantastic day spent at the Mansfield Tavern for Halloween Hysteria. Every band bought their A game and the venue was perfect, with plenty of room and facilities for all that attended. The stage crews had the bands and their gear on and off for their sets fast and the sound and lighting guys were fantastic. The security team were onto anything out of hand but they let all the punters have their fun. Big love to Joey and his team at Hysteria Magazine for all the hard work and to Rawing In The Pit Media for sending me along. It was a hell of a way to spend the day!
MADE IN THE '90S FESTIVAL: Coolio, Next, All-4-One, Zhané and H3rizon Hosted by Q Parker - Kicks Off This Week
With the easing of restrictions and the return of live music, Delta Bravo Presents is proud to present the first international tour featuring US based R&B artists since the start of the pandemic. The Made In The '90s Festival was announced two months shy of the pandemic and has encountered multiple delays but fans will be pleased to know that the shows are finally here this weekend.
Taking in the East Coast of Australia with shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the show features a who's who of R&B royalty with some of the biggest hit makers, Grammy Winners and iconic contemporary R&B acts of all time appearing on Australian stages. Led by the Grammy winning Coolio (‘Gangsters Paradise’) who has been enjoying some downtime in Melbourne ahead of the shows and popping up literally everywhere, the show also features trio Next (‘Too Close’), Grammy Winners; All-4-One (‘I Swear’) and Renee Neufville, the voice of hit makers Zhané (‘Hey Mr DJ’). The show is hosted by Q Parker of Grammy winning group, 112 and rounded out by local starlets, H3rizon and old school DJ's.
It has been a long time coming but international artists are finally back on Australian shores and R&B is back on our stages. This show is a must for any fan of contemporary or old school R&B and the ultimate party to shake off those pandemic cobwebs.
Made In The 90’s Tour Dates
Fri 1 April - Brisbane, Eatons Hill
Sat 2 April - Melbourne, Festival Hall
Sun 3 April - Sydney, Big Top Luna Park
Tickets at madeinthe90s.com.au
Full Tilt Festival Melbourne 26th March 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: TAYLOR DYLKO
NOTES/REVIEW FOR Thornhill and Clowns by: Ollie Midson
After being rescheduled and waiting for over a year, the ticket holders for Full Tilt festival Melbourne finally got to come down to a successful day at Reunion Park in Burnley, on Saturday the 26th March. This new festival announced in 2021, originally set out for Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Had everybody buzzing with the headliners being Northlane and In Hearts Wake. Showcasing a variety of the immense talent Australia’s punk, metal and rock music scene has to offer.
Catholic Guilt Photo By Taylor Dylko
The weather could not have been more perfect for the first ever Full Tilt event. To kick off the nice sunny day we had Melbourne’s own alt rock Catholic Guilt. These guys drew a solid crowd and set a very uplifting standard for how the rest of the day was due to unfold. With the help from Edelle Merson from Excuse for an Exit, and their candid and down to earth lyrics, it was hard not to get swept up in the moment and move your head to the beat as they performed tracks off their latest EP “This Is What Honesty Sounds Like” and a plethora of past singles and EPs.
Void Of Vision Photo By Taylor Dylko
Void of Vision did not come to mess around. The main stage was a sea of black eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Melbourne based metalcore band. Performance is no foreign concept to these boys as their energy was barely contained, with front man Jack Bergin connecting with the audience, and bouncing off all ends of the stage. Fill-in drummer Adam Pinzone from The Beautiful Monument and Cherry, laid down a solid foundation for the frenzied crowd, as they swept everyone up in circle pit after circle pit culminating in a crushing wall of death to Hyperdaze track Decay.
Fresh off the release of their latest single Dominatrix, just over a month ago. The song’s performance was all-powerful and the audience that came to watch did not hesitate to run wild and get rowdy. Besides Decay and Dominatrix, the song that really brought the heat was the popular track Ghost In The Machine. There is nothing more satisfying then hearing “I'm fucking dead inside, and no one can see” from a mass of people. Must I say the creepy backdrop montages of The Simpsons on the big screen were a great touch to have behind the band as well. Void of Vision set the bar very high for the rest of the bands yet to play. Catch them on tour with Holding Absence and Bloom around Australia in May.
Drown This City Photo By Taylor Dylko
Melbourne’s Drown This City drew a generous size crowd as they kicked off in the smaller, but no less intense, second stage as they finally were able to perform songs from their 2021 EP Colours We Won’t Know, with Gemini being one of the band’s strongest tracks of the day. Frontwoman Alex Reade commands the crowd from where she and bassist/vocalist Toby Thomas trade vocal blows, setting the pit ablaze. Finishing off with the track Third Law, they asked for a group photo with the crowd.
Make Them Suffer Photo By Taylor Dylko
To say this band were one of the most anticipated sets of Full Tilt is an understatement. The crowd roared in celebration as Perth Metalcore giants Make Them Suffer took to the stage as a four piece, performing their first show in two years, and their first show without former keyboardist/vocalist Booka Nile. Hollowed Heart had the band smash out of the gates with crushing riffs, mind boggling drum patterns and front man Sean Harmanis setting the pit on fire. You could tell the boys have been itching to play for a long time as their collective energy was at an all-time high. Contraband had its live debut with the crowd opening up an enormous pit and singing along with Harmanis, culminating in a counted down devastating wall of death in Blood Moon, and pit after pit on closing track Widower. Huge smiles were seen coming from dedicated fans as they made their way over the heads of the crowd, with the tremendous work from the security guards helping with a safe landing. A truly impressive return for Make Them Suffer.
Antagonist A.D. Photo By Taylor Dylko
New Zealand’s Antagonist A.D brought the heat, both literally and figuratively, as the temperature soared above the festival and the tent filled with more and more bodies eager to catch their immensely heavy show. Vocalist Sam Crocker stalked the stage from left to right and held a very intimidating presence as he commanded the pit to “wake the fuck up”, as they ran circles around the tent pillar. The connection was there as Crocker walked into the crowd screaming to “get in close” as they played Through Fire. They weren’t here to mess around, and the crowd loved every second of it. Antagonist finished their set off with an inspiring speech about the privilege of being on stage and playing for Full Tilt, thanking the spectators and fans, and communicating that their space is a community of love. Concluding their set with their most responsive track No Justice.
Tassie rockers Luca Brasi had amassed a big turnout for their set and gave a much more calming, groovy and feel good atmosphere after the intensity of Antagonist AD. Providing a lighter but no less rocking and uplifting energy filled with some of the loudest sing-alongs of the whole festival. The crowd had a lot of love for the band and they gave it right back, noticeable that the whole band was enjoying themselves. Anything Near Conviction was an amazing closer for the band as their audience erupted into chorus and did all the work for them, sounding truly angelic.
Psycroptic Photo By Taylor Dylko
Another band from Tassie! Death Metal titans Psycroptic continued this emerging trend of Full Tilt bands providing a good hit of nostalgia with their music as their particular brand of face melting riffs, blistering drumming and commanding vocals. They brought back the hefty energy and opened up plenty of circle pits with older and younger spectators alike celebrating their music and kicking it off in the crowd. The audience grew bigger throughout their set as they went on playing. A special highlight of this set was a wheelchair bound punter having a crowd surf, and its scenes like this that provide an immense feeling of pride and love for the community within the Australian heavy music scene. Psycroptic are a classic top tier heavy metal band.
Slowly Slowly Photo By Taylor Dylko
Slowly Slowly have seen a strong and steady rise in success over the last few years of their career. Following their latest single ‘Nothing On’ this month. Their set was packed with music enthusiasts, good vibes, catchy tunes and a rabid fan base who rushed to the front and hung on frontman Ben Stewart’s every word. Opener Creature of Habit pt. 2 saw the crowd break into song and nearly overtook the band in volume as the words “olly olly oxen free - not sorry!” rang through the tent. This only grew louder as the boys played their hit track Jellyfish. It was definitely a moment to remember, you could feel the connection between the band and fans. Smiles from ear to ear all around. The closing song Race Car Blues, off their album of the same name saw the band off in rapturous fashion, with Stewart jumping off the stage to sing and crowd surf with their fan base, which Slowly Slowly has recruited over the past 7 years.
After the huge turnout of Make Them Suffer 3 hours earlier Thornhill broke that record and were undoubtedly the most in demand act of the festival. The second stage tent had metalheads squished in like sardines and the entrance was closed off to prevent more people coming in, but that didn’t stop some of the Melbourne alt-metal band’s fans starting their own mosh pit outside and chanting “let us in!” As frontman Jacob Charlton said “it wouldn’t be a Thorny show without technical difficulties”, causing a 10 minute delay. But the issues didn’t stop the band from putting on one of the best shows of their career. Playing tracks like Views From The Sun, Lily and the Moon, and their new singles Hollywood, Arkangel and Casanova (from their second studio album Heroine set to be released on June 3rd 2022), the latter of which triggered a crushing wall of death. The audience was insanely responsive as they sung, crowd surfed, clapped and played with beach balls.
Butterfly single Reptile saw a welcome return and the pit exploded as the band performed the crushing tune before closing with Coven, leaving everyone on a high note and one of the top sets of the day so far. I believe it’s safe to say that Thornhill has earned their right to main stage for next time.
Frenzal Rhomb Photo By Taylor Dylko
Sydney’s punk band Frenzal Rhomb went off! The oldest band on the line-up who has been rocking stages for the last thirty years, their experience shined as they played to a sizeable crowd on the main stage. Frontman Jay Whalley swung his signature knee length braids around the stage as the band offered up their classic stylings of punk rock that was well in touch with the roots of the genre, giving listeners a new found sense of appreciation for where punk started, and how far it’s come today. Guitarist Lindsay McDougall was caught wearing female fronted band Something Something Explosion’s shirt. Having played shows with them previously, it’s nice to see a bigger band like Frenzal supporting young and upcoming bands such as Something Something Explosion.
Coming towards the end we had special guests Jarrod Goon, Cam Rust and Hanny J from clowns come jam out with Frenzal’s song Bird Attack, giving a rocking performance. Never Had So Much Fun had the crowd break into a loud chorus as they sung along with Jay. The phenomenal set drew to a close with the track Russell Crowe’s Band.
The Bennies Photo By Taylor Dylko
Whilst Thy Art was playing on main stage, over on second stage you found local ska-punk The Bennies. Despite the clash, The Bennies had quite the crowd, all the vibes were here as everyone was having a party. The five piece band were joined by a brass section punctuating all the best bits of their tracks, Mushroom Tea being a real stand out. Intercut between the songs, the band provided hilarious banter, crazy crowd engagement and just an overall fun time.
Thy Art Is Murder Photo By Taylor Dylko
(Intermission: Packed crowd, eagerly awaiting Thy Art Is Murder. Audience singing together to Chop Suey by System Of A Down as it plays over the speakers. Suspense in the air. They cut the song off and the lights fade)
Sydney juggernauts Thy Art is Murder made their return to the festival stage, with the help of a longtime friend. Due to family commitments, vocalist CJ McMahon was unable to make the festival, and last minute fill in Bobak Rafiee of Justice For The Damned took up the mantle and proved time and time again how much of an underrated presence he is in heavy music. These guys did not shy away from giving a killer show and the crowd went hard with brutal mosh pits. The set highlights were Purest Strain of Hate, Human Target, and closing track Reign of Darkness. Bobak pulled out all the stops and performed a punishingly heavy set while flanked by some intense wind turbines that blew a haze across the entire stage, adding to the theatricality of their performance. This was a special moment for the festival, and a set no one will soon forget.
Press Club Photo By Taylor Dylko
As night fell, indie rockers Press Club rose. These guys drew a more intimate and cozier crowd as their set clashed with In Hearts Wake, but nonetheless put on an impressive show for their loyal following. You found not only the front but the audience at the back having a boogie. This underrated band knew how to connect with their audience. Frontwoman Natalie Foster’s personality and charisma showed as she took ownership of that stage comfortably. Her voice had a very unique and pleasing quality as she lead her band through tracks like Headwreck, Suburbia and Late Teens. Ending the set with Suburbia, Foster climbed into the crowd and created an almost worship like circle, and as the chorus came back around the crowd went wild. Press Club was a very enjoyable experience with an uplifting sound and brought all the good vibes with them.
In Hearts Wake Photo By Taylor Dylko
Byron Bay metalcore act In Hearts Wake, stalked on stage accompanied by two percussionists in gas masks, as the sirens and Greta Thunberg samples of Crisis rang out over the crowd and set the pit off without relent, before being joined by vocalist Jake Taylor as they seamlessly transitioned into Worldwide Suicide. Passage off their fourth studio album Ark was a big sing-along highlight before the pit opened back up on tracks like Earthwalker, Refuge and Force of Life, when a giant wall of death broke out. Closing track Hellbringer was accompanied by Alex Reade from Drown This City, it was a solid sendoff but not before the entire crowd was asked to get down and jump up on the kick off, giving Slipknot a run for their money. It was an experience to witness the phenomenal energy that moment gave. In Hearts Wake made sure to remind everyone why they’re one of the best live bands in the country. And they sure know how to put on a show for a festival.
Closing out the second stage was crazy punk rockers Clowns, who didn’t hold back on their signature stage show which saw frontman Stevie Williams immediately turn things up to 11 by jumping into the crowd and participating in the circle pit as punters tripped up and over the microphone cable to the sounds of I Shaved My Legs For You. The circle pits didn’t stop coming as guitarists Jarrod Goon and Cam Rust melted faces with their fiery fretwork, conjuring up pit after pit after pit. Clowns are always a fun time, and their Full Tilt performance was the perfect way to close out Stage 2.
Northlane Photo By Taylor Dylko
The heat from the flames were hot, but not as hot as the set Northlane gave. After an extended wait due to technical difficulties and the whole tent cheering “Northlane”, the band returned to the festival stage in full force as a four piece for the first time and immediately launched into Clockwork, to rapturous applause and cheers from the crowd, before immediately launching into Alien opener Details Matter. Pummeling their rabid fans with the crushing combo of down-tuned riffs and Jon Deiley’s infectious synth production. Pyro and sparklers punctuated their set as they performed new tunes Echo Chamber, Plenty, and recently released Carbonized off their sixth studio album Obsidian (set to be released April 22nd 2022), setting the crowd off in a dance rave. Melbourne had the honor to be a part of the filming for Northlane’s upcoming music video for Plenty. Dispossession saw its emergence out of retirement for the show and the pit exploded in a celebration of how far Northlane have come since their humble beginnings in the late 00’s, before closing the night with Bloodline which was capped off with a confetti canon. Northlane returned for an encore of Talking Heads, for one last song for everybody to let loose, to which they did, putting everything they had left into the mosh. Watching bodies fly over the top of heads into the arms of the security guards. This iteration of Northlane is truly exciting and energizing, and the wait for Obsidian’s release is a painful one. Catch Northlane touring around Australia in June with Plini, Sleep Token and alt.
Overall this was a moment to remember. Full Tilt did a fantastic job being their first year running, despite coming out of a global pandemic. Providing a great line of talented Australian artists to play and food and drink to keep us going, you’d be crazy to overlook. Missed this one? Don’t fret, Full Tilt Festival will be back in July 2022. What bands would you like to see on the line-up?
FULL GALLERY
(In alphabetical order)
Antagonist A.D, Catholic Guilt, Drown This City & Frenzal Rhomb
In Hearts Wake, Luca Brasi, Make Them Suffer and Northlane
Press Club, Psycroptic and Slowly Slowly
The Bennies, Thy Art Is Murder and Void Of Vision
Fangz ‘Falling Is Pretty Normal’ Tour at Crowbar with Start Your Own Cult and Bellwether March 25th 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: JADE GUIDA
I always say pop punk is my guilty pleasure. If I am honest, I don’t feel that guilty about loving it. It is fun and light and nostalgic in a way that nothing else is for me. I always have really high expectations for pop punk bands. If I am going to listen to pop punk, I really do expect that it is good. I have to say, Bellwether was exceptional. They were fun and energetic with that nostalgic and bright sound you long for in a pop punk band. They got on stage and their enthusiasm and bubbled over the stage into the very eager audience.
BELLWETHER PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
There is an undeniable whimsical quality to Bellwether, something so intangible and enigmatic that I couldn’t help but want the set to go forever. I really wanted to just sit and watch them play for hours. There songs are fun, and they have done a brilliant job of breaking from the repetitive and overdone tropes that give pop punk the reputation for being overdone. This is a pop punk sound with a twist of genius writing. The other thing that really struck me was how fun they were to watch as a band considering how new they are to live shows. They had a confidence and enthusiasm that is incontestable and apparent to anyone in the room. Bellwether have arrived and on Friday night they announced that they are here and ready to take Sydney and the pop punk community, whether we are ready or not.
START YOUR OWN CULT PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
Start Your Own Cult. I have heard so much about this band, they had a lot to live up to. Not for a single second of the set did they disappoint. This band is an explosion from the first note. These are beyond capable musicians; you can see the technical skill when you watch them live. More than technical ability, they are fun and vibrant and collectively looked like they were having a lot of fun. They have this ability to spread a warm and inviting energy to the people watching them. I can’t believe its taken me this long to catch a set, they have positioned themselves as a must see band in Sydney and now I understand why. People were engrossed in the set, almost hypnotized.
START YOUR OWN CULT PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
This band is exceptional and with a unique sound. This band is everything you want and more. They are this beautiful dripping bar of pop, punk, heavy alternative. Whatever you like in the alternative space, this band can do it, they do it and they do it better than anything you have probably heard. This band brings it all to the table, kicks it off the table, leaves it on the floor and walks away- leaving you dazed and confused and desperate for more. The energy the bring to their performance is brilliant and captivating and they were a perfect addition to the night. Start Your Own Cult is fun and playful and a must-see band live.
FANGZ PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
What can I even say about Fangz set? You really had to be there. You did. I could not explain the chaos that was that set and do it justice. This band creates a party vibe. They are the party and the vibe and everyone who goes to a Fangz show goes to party. If you have heard the band, you know that they are consistent with their music. Fangz release bangers, solid pieces of music in every sense. Their tunes are well written, well produced and played live they are an absolute all-consuming experience.
FANGZ PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
Fangz is one of the first bands I every took photos of live, I think maybe three years ago. I went with my brand-new Canon 6D and left with it covered in beer and sweat and promised myself never again. I think I have applied for a Media pass for almost every show since. This band is addictive in every way. They are second to none in terms of performance and stage presence. They are light and funny and captivating beyond reason. You want to be around these 4 musicians in any way you can, even if it means you must use a stranger’s sweaty shirt on the barrier to wipe the beer of your three-thousand-dollar lens because you weren’t quick enough to dodge Jameel cracking beer over his head (Thank your sweaty drunk stranger).
There is a playfulness to Fangz that makes them impossible to ignore, they have this energy about them. They are also disgustingly nice people and ridiculously talented, they are a package of everything you want in a band. The night itself was chaos. I refuse to use any other word. I have seen crowds of thousands less rowdy than what I saw at Crowbar. That is the power of Fangz, they just pour gasoline in a room when they step on stage and then when they play, they light the match. To really demonstrate the anarchy, I want to relive some of the things I saw.
Someone knocked down in the mosh so many times he broke his belt which then ripped half his pants
A beach ball kicked into the ceiling fan so many times it broke
Someone also smashing a beer can over his head
Someone emerge from the darkness of the mosh with a split lip and a torn out piercing
FANGZ PHOTO BY JADE GUIDA
The energy was electric, so much so that I didn’t even last three songs in the photo pit. There was more beer on the floor, on me, on my things than I have ever consumed in my life. The front row moshers were going to sard at the barrier, I was genuinely worried they would tip it over. Fangz are a Sydney music institution, the quality of their music goes without saying. They are undeniably talented and driven and the passion and energy that their fan base brings to these shows is a testament to the time and effort this band has dedicated to making a powerful and fun music experience for Sydney music fans.
Bellwether
Start Your Own Cult
Fangz
Spacey Jane with Becca Hatch & RAT!hammock at Enmore Theatre 22nd March 2022
PHOTOS BY: JADE GUIDA
REVIEW BY: REINA COGAN
After a long hiatus from the live music scene, thanks to our old friend COVID, I headed to the iconic music destination, the Enmore Theatre, to see one of my all-time favourite bands, Spacey Jane. Hoping to prove the naysayers wrong and boast about Sydney’s resurrected music scene, I headed in ready to have my mind blown and my ears blasted. I was certainly not alone, with standout headlining act Spacey Jane, and supporting acts Becca Hatch and RAT!hammock, bringing in crowds from all over the city ready to see their favourite musicians light up the stage.
From the moment I stepped into the historic theatre, the atmosphere was electric, and the good vibes were the only contagious thing in the room. As the smokey air and beaming lights filled the theatre, it sure felt good to be back in the heart of Sydney’s music scene.
Becca Hatch photo by Jade Guida
Kicking off the night, the unstoppable Becca Hatch took to the stage. Becca had the crowd hypnotized from the get-go with her soulful tones and funky dance moves. The crowd was absolutely enchanted by Becca’s voice, and they certainly weren’t afraid to let her know. There was a continuous sea of dancing fans as Becca belted out her top hits. Things really took off when Becca sang her Triple J Like A Version cover, 2560, with her fans singing along in awe of her insanely talented vocals.
Taking a break from her set, Becca didn’t forget her fans, checking in between each song and giving a bit shoutout to her fellow Western Sydney followers. A true test to her character.
Becca was soulful, smooth, and damn right groovy. She is definitely one to watch, and I would highly recommend seeing her live.
RAT!hammock photo by Jade Guida
Next up to hit the stage was Melbournian rock n rollers RAT! hammock. Talk about raising the energy in the room. This spirited band had no shortage of headbangers and belters. RAT!hammock had the crowd jumping around the dancefloor from start to finish. Watching this band live was truly amazing, their stage presence and the energy they shared as a band was inspiring. The crowd lost it when RAT!hammock played their top hits, Love You Til I Die and Blood To Bruise. An incredible band to keep an eye on if you love a good banger and epic guitar solos.
Spacey Jane photo by Jade Guida
By 9:30 pm the crowds had gathered, and the room was full to the brim. As we waited like sardines in a can, the crowd was ready and practically begging Spacey Jane to take the stage. I mean, they were literally chanting “Spacey Jane”. With a light show that will go down in history, Spacey Jane burst onto stage and the crowd was roaring with excitement. To kick things off Spacey Jane played their iconic banger, ‘Good For You’, and the crowd was sure pleased to hear it.
With every song Spacey Jane had the crowd absolutely hooked, which was no surprise. The energy from the crowd was incredible and the room was filled with pure joy. There was a constant sea of people singing along, dancing, cheering and smiling to see their favourite band back in town.
Spacey Jane photo by Jade Guida
Spacy Jane certainly knows how to put on a show, and we are so glad they do. Their on stage energy truly transcended time, as they danced around the stage vibing with each other and their fans. With our hands in the air, we soaked up their passion and excitement to be back on the stage performing.
Spacey Jane Wrapped up the show with the song we had all been waiting to hear, ‘Booster Seat’, and it was near impossible not to be dancing like an idiot and singing along. It’s not often you can say the crowd was singing louder than the band, but again, it’s no surprise this was the case with Spacey Jane. It was a truly epic show, and a privilege to watch such incredible performers take to the stage with such passion and energy. I can honestly say, Sydney live music, you are back baby.
Becca Hatch
RAT!hammock
Spacey Jane
Ed Barnes ‘Criticise the Poor’ at Frankie's Pizza 19th March 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: JADE GUIDA
Photo By Jade Guida
This release is a long time coming for Sydney Local musician Ed Barnes. Ed, at the very best of times is politically enthusiastic. Ed is brilliant at picking a part an idea or concept and mapping out the injustice. Given the political climate of the last two years, he has had a lot of ammunition. When Ed first lifted the veil on his debut single and revealed the gem the is “Criticise the Poor”, I had a real moment of appreciation for his ability to communicate the frustration of nation through music. Ed has taken the feeling of many Australians, the frustration, the betrayal, and the anger of our country and turned it in to a catchy, cathartic and well directed song. Personally, all my favorite musicians have something to say. I think that is one of the most admirable things about Ed as a musician, he has something to say and shows absolutely no signs keeping quiet. His release “Criticise the Poor” is poignant and eloquent. The nice thing about the song is that is honest and raw. Ed Barnes has something to say, and he wants to make sure you are listening. With his quick-witted lyrics and his ability to write a punchy tune Ed has cemented his song in the hearts of all those who have pulled the political veil back.
The accompanying video is something else. Really. I can barely explain it and don’t even want to ruin it for anyone who has checked it out. There is dancing. Not regular dancing. Peter Garret but more enthusiastic dancing. I know you think it’s not possible, but I assure you, it is. The video also features some rather direct jabs at PM Scott Morrison with some creative sign work displayed around the Sydney. It is a creative video, and I would expect nothing less from Ed Barnes. The video has a really 90s to 2000s feel, it has that typical handheld camcorder washed out colour palette and that almost nostalgic slow motion, wide angle shooting style.
I was lucky enough to catch Ed’s performance at Frankies on Saturday. This was an interesting show, it was a full band set and had quite a punk edge to the sound and feel. I was unsure how the songs would translate, which is probably a poor reflection on me. Everything Ed does, he gives his time and energy and so naturally it was brilliant. The crowd was engaged, dancing, I saw quite a few people singing along. The room was full. I think this is quite a sign of the impact of Ed as a person and musician. Ed is extremely likeable, even when presenting an unpalatable topic, I think this is his greatest power and why I admire him so much. Ed could sit on a balcony, stand on a stage, hand flyers out in front of a church or Scientology, or Hang a hundred signs directly targeting the injustice of our nations leader and still be the most likeable, well-spoken person in the room. Ed is Folk musician with his roots and heart in punk, I don’t think you could find a more honest and direct performer in New South Wales.
Bliss N Eso with Hammy and IIICONIC at Enmore Theatre 18th March 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: EMERALD VIOLET
Friday the 18th of March saw Australian hip hop royalty BLISS N ESO take to the Enmore Theatre in Sydney as part of their The Sun national tour and with them, they brought along Sydney local Hammy and Brisbane based rap artist IIICONIC for this special night. Despite the rain, the venue filled up quite quickly before the show even began as people made their way to the front to get a good spot up close for the night.
It was an all ages show so it saw the likes of many young, excited fans mixed with a lot of older fans as well.
First up the night was met with local Sydney rapper, Hammy who came onto the stage and brought the energy as he went through his set captivating the crowd and having them jumping up and down to the beat and having an amazing time. On top of having great energy and stage presence, his set was filled with some great hip-hop tracks that were infectious and had a great flow mixed with amusing lyricism. Even though his set was only around 20 minutes long it was one you couldn’t forget.
IIICONIC
IIICONIC’s DJ came onto the stage 10 minutes later and although there were a few technical difficulties, the crowd kept themselves entertained until everything was good to go. There were some great bangers that were played which had the crowd going off and got them warmed up before IIICONIC was announced to the stage, who ran out with force and put on one hell of a show. There was something so captivating about this artist that you couldn’t take your eyes off. He moved around the stage so easily and he rapped through his tracks so effortlessly and had the crowd screaming out in excitement. The atmosphere was incredible during the set as he interacted with the crowd every chance he got and had them fully engaged. The hands up in the air, the dancing, the jumping, were what I saw from everyone around as they were having the time of their lives as they listened to the fantastic, catchy tracks from IIICONIC.
BLISS N ESO
The room started to fill up completely and everyone was buzzing as they waited for the great BLISS N ESO to come out onto the stage. It felt like a long 20 minute wait between sets but finally it was happening, the lights dimmed and they all walked out onto the stage and the venue erupted with screams and yells from excited fans. The low light was flickering from colour to colour to help create a great atmosphere for the artists as they started their set. It’s no surprise that these guys are icons, with their amazing energy and really great tracks that flow well and have fun lyricism along with catchy choruses. The crowd were dancing and jumping as they were screaming back to the artist with such power. It was really amazing to see so many happy faces throughout the venue.
IIICONIC
BLISS N ESO
KING STREET CRAWL 2022
REVIEW & ALL PHOTOS BY: EMERALD VIOLET
After being pushed back and rescheduled three times due to COVID-19, people were rejoicing when restrictions were lifted and King Street Carnival was locked in to go ahead. But as the time got closer, with just under a week to go, there was the thought in our minds that we were finally out of the woods and it was happening until the severe weather in NSW hit and unfortunately the announcement that the festival had yet again been cancelled hit hard for everyone. With that being said, the event organisers worked super hard and worked closely with the artists to move everything back into venues and create an updated King Street Crawl program which wasn’t a disappointment in the slightest. The King Street Crawl saw 200+ acts over three days across multiple venues and let me tell you now, the vibes were so high during this weekend of great music. So many people came out during the weekend whether they stayed at one venue, or went to multiple it was great to see so many people out and about, enjoying live music again.
The event organisers did a spectacular job at putting on an unforgettable weekend that so many people could enjoy.
Even if you wanted to, it would be impossible to see every single artist that’s playing throughout the weekend. Here are some of the artists that I had the absolute pleasure of seeing.
Groovy rock & roll band Dead Witch always cast a spell on you through their music when performing, no matter what, they always perfectly captivate their audience and get everyone up and having a dance throughout their set. They show good chemistry between each other on stage and are always smiling and just having a good time themselves. Even though only 3/5 of the band could play on Saturday afternoon at The Union Hotel, they made it work and put on a really great show.
Down at The Duke, Johnny Hunter were getting ready to perform as they were one of the secret headliners during the weekend. The venue quickly became full as everyone waited patiently for the show to start. Johnny Hunter are one of those bands that are truly mesmerising, lead vocalist Nick Hutt has an incredible stage presence and knows how to engage with the audience. The vibes were great and there were a lot of dancing happening as the sweet sounds of Johnny Hunter filled the venue up and echoed all around.
Back at The Union, the venue was full to the brim with a line outside that started to form as Salarymen were on stage and playing their hearts out. The five piece brought their A-game and played a great and entertaining show to a huge crowd who enjoyed every second of the set.
Onwards to the next venue The Moshpit, Jess Finlayson (Raising Ravens) played solo and it was nothing but incredible. Her enthralling performance was loud, unapologetic, and powerful which was more than enough to put on a great solo show that certainly echoed through the tiny venue.
Sunday at the Marly saw Moody Beach kick off the day with a set of ambient pop tunes that drew people in and warmed them up, and refreshed them for the rest of the day. Moody Beach made you instantly happy that live music is back and had you appreciating every second of it.
More and more people slowly crept in as Private Function started setting up to play a not so secret headlining set. The vibes were high as the crowd made their way to the front in anticipation for the band to start. What. A. Set. Incredible to say the least. This band gives their all and puts so much energy and force into the performance which had the crowd going off hard, moshing around and yelling out lyrics, it was a wild and fun time.
Bakers Eddy and Towns both brought everyone back down to earth after a rowdy punk gig with their pop punk tracks that made you want to dance. Both of the sets were great and were enjoyed by the ever coming and going people that were running from one venue to another.
Last up at The Marly, The Buoys got ready to play to a packed out room that was full to the brim of an excited crowd. Just when you thought that everyone around must be tired after a huge weekend, The Buoys kicked off hard and fast with huge energy and created an amazing atmosphere that engulfed the sea of people who were singing and dancing their hearts out.
What's better than to have the Newtown streets booming with live music on every corner at different venues. Throughout the weekend, you could really feel the happiness from all the different people who were so grateful to have all this live music back. It really was a killer time and if you didn't get the chance to catch it this year, then I highly recommend catching it next year as you will always find a band or artist that you really enjoy.
Scene & Heard Festival - Wickham Park Newcastle - 13th March 2022
Images are copyrighted and remain the property of Monika Smith Photography
It felt very strange to be at another festival having only shot and reviewed one on Friday and now I stood outside the gates of Scene & Heard Festival at Wickham Park in Newcastle,
The last time I was shooting and reviewing at this festival was in 2019 with an equally matched line up to the rescheduled rescheduled festival. As we all congregated outside the gates, I knew that as always, the Scene & Heard team were one of the best organised festivals that I have been to. We got through the gates initially really easily, picked up our passes and were met with a bag check which was quick but really thorough; then smoothly made our way into the festival.
We picked a spot on the yellow line marked out the ground to keep the seated people away from the standing/moshing/dancing people, a vast difference to the festival a couple of days ago which I think is a really fantastic set up. The sun had dried out the damn ground pretty well, and we were met with dollops of clouds and a fierce burning sun. The weather could not have been even more perfect for the day ahead.
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The first band to hit the stage to the early arrivals to the festival were Caligula as they played people came closer from having explored around the grounds (probably checking where the loos were and what food/beverages were on offer). A few people already had some Red Bull cups, and Six Strings varieties in hand. As they all prepared for the day ahead. The band covered their old catalogues mixed with some new songs.
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Ashley Rothschild danced and moved around the stage as if he had never left it with all this time off and with the enthusiasm from his youth. The crowd met the bands energy as Caligula tend to have a few chilled-out tracks which you could see them moving together, bopping around and tapping their feet during their whole set/
"This song is about headaches, migraines and forgetting what you went to get out of the fridge" said Rothschild as I looked over at my friend Jess and we nodded because this, this was our life, so this was our song. The crowd kept building as the first of probably a ton of nostalgia from the 90s youth/20s resurfaced in our minds.
With the billowing smoke from the machines the band finished out a well-rounded set.
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By the time local lads The Porkers were ready to take the stage, the crowd up the front had at least doubled to check out the ska punky goodness from the long time legends. At this point the picnic rug and seated areas were filled with people camping out together watching the pit bounce around with anticipation.
The sun was at full force by this point but there was a nice cool breeze keeping the temperatures down for everyone. Which was perfectly timed as the crowd for this band were full of energy for the funky tunes blaring from the stage.
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The entire band mirrored the crowd's enthusiasm by giving just as much as they were getting back. Good ol’ Peter Porker swung the microphone around on its cord like a windmill and that was the level of chaos he kept up for all the set. Running all over the stage, hyping up the crowd and interacting with just about everyone which ramped everyone up even more. It was a mutual hype fest.
Standing area was getting full. Everyone is getting into the entire set. They have some great audience interacting. Tonnes of fun to watch. Everyone was letting go and living in the moment forgetting everything that is happening all over the world. A rare escape from reality.
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Richard Lewis Tumbleweed’s singer ambled on stage. I would describe him as the hippie that you would see in somewhere like Byron Bay or Nimbin that you know if you sat down and talked to you would get some ridiculously cool stories. In other words, he is pretty damn cool.
The crowd that had wandered off after The Porkers set had returned to the front of the stage to experience the stoner rock goodness. The band didn’t miss a beat, the highly experienced musicians who have been doing this for a long time seemed to have just fallen back into their tight set and playing.
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The whole set fell into the particular chilled out vibes of the band were you can’t really dance or mosh to it (you are welcome to try) but you kinda just nod your head which pulls your whole body into some sort of wave motion.
Pulling out some maracas Lewis sung into the mic as he shook them to match the beat (I have to point out that my friend thought he was holding a bag of oranges before she realised what was happening). All in all Tumbleweed’s set was a goodun.
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I think the last time I saw Frenzal Rhomb live was at a music festival in Gosford when I was in my 20s? Whenever it was it was ages ago for someone who binged on the band my whole teenage life. I missed their set at Download in Melbourne as I was serving them beers at the artist's bar. It is ridiculous to think that the band formed in 1991 and I am older than the band itself
The band walked out to We Build This City by Starship (I do prefer the Frenzal Rhomb version which I think was a B-side on a single?).
The band announced that the first song was off one of their first records that they said no one bought (again I have this album still alongside many other of my CDs). “Richer Than You” which made me not want to photograph but I couldn’t help but sing along instead of doing my job.
The crowd had massed to the front to see one of the biggest favourites on the bill.
"We prob don't need all these smoke machines were not the fucking Foo Fighters" Whalley said which was the quote of the day.
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Moving straight into another classic “Russel Crowe’s Band” is a fucking pile of shit. Which the crowd moshed and thrashed around like crazy to while scream yelling the lyrics back at the band.
The masters of putting on a good show the crowd was surging and the whole band was sucking in the energy from them to put on an equally as mental performance.
The crowd kept up the chaos as beer cans were being thrown up high into the air and crashing down into the crowd while a nice little mosh pit formed filled with ever so excited punters. As McDougall was lost in a cloud of Foo Fighter smoke, the band just continued to be phenomenal on the stage.
Finishing their set with the top favourites from the Aussie charts from back in the day from the album A Man’s Not A Camel; You Are Not My Friend & Never Had So Much Fun. Which you could hear almost every single person sing around to as the crowd got even more excited, and people on the outskirts even had their own mini mosh pits.
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Veteran Indie Rockers Ratcat were the next ones up to hit the stage. I had honestly never heard of this band before. Apparently, it took them a couple of songs to find their feet again (not in a bad way but someone in the crowd seemed to notice and point it out loudly to them) this made which made Simon Day and the rest of the band laugh perhaps this harsh criticism (as I did not even notice any flaw in their playing).
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The people who were in the seated area got up from their chairs and picnic rugs to start dancing to the tunes. The rest of the audience were bopping their heads and swaying to the beats. Everyone was chilling in the sun, having drinks and chilling out with their friends. The band dedicated the track Tingles to Karen for her birthday.
When the band started to play “Don’t Go Now” and then my brain clicked! I had heard the band before. The entire crowd seemed to jump on this track and everyone was dancing along. The band had definitely found their groove by this point and you could tell the high level of happiness to be back on stage.
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The momentum was kicking up a notch as the stage darkened with red lights and way too much smoke (a photographer's nightmare) with prog rock legends COG taking the stage with eerie UFOesque music while the mic checks were being completed.
Opening up with what sounded like tribal chanting which seemed to waft over the crowd as the drum kits could be felt slamming in your chest and right down to your toes. As the lights shifted to a more welcome hue of cyan COG threw into “Doors (Now And Then My Life Feels Like It's Going Nowhere)” the standing area was absolutely packed and the seated area was completely full as it seemed that most people had arrived around this point of the day, or had already extensively explored the grounds already and now were ready to settle in for the rest of the evening.
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The crowd were headbanging and singing along to the mellow start to the set but things picked up into their second song as things got a lot heavier which made the front row and beyond raise their hands in the hair and raise their fists. The people scattered around the back standing area were also headbanging and really getting into the set,
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"Really feels like we've all been separated for so long kept apart isolated and finally it seems like were being drawn back together" stated Flynn Gower in a rather fantastic way to their track Drawn Together. The band was putting on a phenomenal show which accompanied the epic atmosphere that the band had created. The sun started to drop in the sky which was welcome as it was scorching on the crowd all day long. Which was a great relief and a good accompanying end to their set.
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When Spiderbait took to the stage it was a little heartbreaking to hear Kram talk about the horrific experiences he and his family has been going through. The band had not seen each other in about a year. His house was flooded in the northern NSW floods and they had lost almost everything.
"I think like a lot of musicians we thought when covid hit we'd never be doing this again. Just seeing your faces again. Make some noise." Said Kram as he stood up pointing his sticks in the air and out to the crowd.
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He mentioned that they had initially taken over the slot from Regurgitator and they did not want to pull out disappointing fans. Despite all the heartache the music industry has suffered and the personal battles he used this opportunity to rile up the crowd and to use their energy to motivate him more because who wouldn’t need that kind of love and support with the absolute nightmare, we have all been through but more so those have been directly impacted by the floods and lockdowns.
The mosh pit at the front surged forward to the stage and moved together like a white squall. It seemed that the entire crowd had been waiting all day for this moment as Spiderbait to take the stage as every single person was singing, dancing and jumping around from the start of the set to the end.
The uber talented Janet English, what can be said about her? You could combine all the kind and complimentary words and you wouldn’t even get close to how fucking cool she is. She is one of the most talented musicians in Australia, if not the entire planet.
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While the band played a lot of new stuff (thanks Janet!) the crowd went off the hardest and sang the loudest for the oldies but the goodies Buy Me A Pony, Calypso, Black Betty. The sun had finally set and the lights on the stage were at full effect; which really made for a spectacular backdrop and added to an already magical set.
The band seemed to have been really appreciative of the crowd's energy and participation as the stood arm in arm at the front of the stage and bowed in gratitude to everyone in front of them.
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The end of the evening saw one of the biggest Australian bands of the 90’s Grinspoon rounding out the entire evening of goodness.
Everyone from all over the grounds had moved as close as they could to catch the last act of the day looking all keen to soak up the ending of the festival. Opening up with one of my favourite Grinners song DCX3 the whole crowd was out of control (in a great way!) singing loudly, moshing and going absolutely beserk.
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I was in particular jealous of Phil Jamieson’s pants as I had a similar pair but his was a bit cooler.
As usual he was bouncing all over the stage, jumping, kicking and being like a tornado ripping up everything in its path.
As he stood looking out at the sea of people swirling in front of him, he seemed to take a moment to be in the moment and soak it all up before addressing the crowd "Holy shit it is so good to see you motherfuckers thank you"
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Admittedly I was enjoying and soaking up the set myself too much to pay attention to take many notes! With them throwing out Just Ace which obviously every single person in the crowd scream sang to each other and the band. Hard Act To Follow, No Reason, Better Off Alone and 1000 Miles the whole set was a bit distracting and I was just living in the moment so much which says a lot about a live act when you are supposed to be writing a review of their whole set.
As the confetti canons exploded signaling the ending of the festival, once again Scene & Heard was unmatched and absolute perfection. The whole thing went off without a hitch and it was once again brilliantly organised with the set-up, the availability of food and beverages. I look forward to the next one already!
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CALIGULA
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THE PORKERS
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TUMBLEWEED
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FRENZAL RHOMB
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RATCAT
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COG
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SPIDERBAIT
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GRINSPOON
Under The Southern Stars Festival - Maitland Showgrounds - 11th March 2022
Under The Southern Stars like many festivals was rescheduled, rescheduled and rescheduled. I think people were a bit concerned with all the weather and water that this would be cancelled again but as luck had it the festival was going ahead.
The early bird crowd who lined up to enter at gates at UTSS were greeted by the sun cracking through the sparse clouds in the sky showing that beautiful blue sky after the Hunter Valley and most of NSW had been coping with the deluge of rain and flooding.
As we stomped through the muddy terrain and avoided the pools both small + giant scattered around the grounds of Maitland Showgrounds. Partons with chairs slung over their shoulders, bags on their backs and picnic rugs ready to go.
The entry to UTSS was really smooth with security at the ready for bag and ID checks.
Once we got into the grounds, we found one of the drier patches of grass and popped down our picnic rug as the patrons rushed to the front and set up their camping chairs up close to the stage.
Unfortunately, Electric Mary were not on the bill but to combat that the other bands set times were extended to make up for the lost set time.
ROSE TATTOO Images are copyrighted and remain the property of Monika Smith Photography
As Rose Tattoo walked on the stage the crowd erupted into utter elation at the sight and sound of a live music festival kicking off again. The roaring of the music screaming from the speakers made all of the people sitting down, jumping up and dancing around to the Aussie legends.
Angry Anderson hoisted his mic stand up in the air as if holding a trophy like he had won a grand prize as he walked around the stage with an absolute beaming smile on his face which amped up the crowd even more as they bounced around on the barrier, in their chairs and all throughout the crowd.
As their set went on the interaction of the crowd grew as a possible realisation kicked in that live music was most definitely back.
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Swinging back around into an absolute Aussie classic the whole crowd started to yell sing along with Angry “We Can’t Be Beaten”. The people threw their arms around each other's shoulder and bounced around. With a cheeky drum solo to bring it all together nicely.
Angry threw his arms wide open as if to give the crowd a big giant hug as a nice cool breeze made its way over the crowd cutting down on the absolute humidity that hung in their air from the combination of the soaked ground but the sun shining down on us.
Their last few songs sat well with the crowd including a little added dedication to Elvis Presely’s Blue Suede Shoes.
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The crowd had grown a fair bit as the Rose Tattoo set finished, just in time for San Francisco, California’s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as a psychedelic/ufo sound crept over the speakers accompanied them as they walked onto the stage the indie band was a little different style of band to the other acts on the bill but as a massive fan of their album Howl back in the day, I was pretty excited to photograph and review this band. Their sound transported us to somewhere a bit more atmospheric and electrified.
The lighting matched the flickering goodness of BRMC as the bands angsty psychedelic epic sounds bringing back those nostalgic 90’s teen vibes like a reminder of those Cruel Intentions or The Craft era.
As the sun beamed down on the stage as it hung high in the sky the band looked like Gods of rock basking in the sunshine. Hidden under a half scarf wrapped around his face as he sung into his mic it made it all feel really kind of spooky but to perfectly work with the vibe from this legendary band.
BRMC definitely have a much more chilled vibe as the crowd sat back eating food, having drinks and camped out in front of the stage. That didn’t stop the crowd from bobbing their heads while the swayed and enjoyed the sounds escaping from the speakers with the bass thumping in your chest and right down to your feet as the vocals danced in our ears.
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What I loved the most was to see Leah Shapiro behind the drumkit as the only female on the entire line up. Effortlessly drumming to absolute perfection.
The crowd continued to grow as we assumed some people had finished work and headed into the festival joining the already gathered crowd.
This set built as it went along. I appreciate the thought that went into their set list to build as they went instead of changing tempo throughout.
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All the crowd moved forward, especially those wearing their Stone Temple Pilot shirts to get towards the front of the stage. Soon you could only see a whole sea of people waiting for the rockers to make their way on stage.
The crowd was at its peak when they surged forward, people got out of their chairs as their clapping and chanting as the band took the stage. Jeff Gutt stared out into the crowd and said “You look beautiful!”/
Followed by "Australia, this is the first time I've ever stepped foot on a stage in Australia, be gentle!” with ample amounts of energy you would see him for the rest of the set run all over the stage with no sign of tiring.
The whole band looked like they're loving being back on the stage. As always STP as always have incredibly nice harmonising between the singer and the guitarist. With a fun vibrant energy from the crowd who are lapping up every note cascading over them.
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The crowd was at its most vocal once again sing yelling the lyrics back in the bands face while some of them threw horns up the band. Jeff Gutt hoisted his knee up on speaker to feed off the crowd's energy lapping up every second of it.
You can tell that the band knows what they are doing as they had a very polished set and you can tell from their years of experience have made for a tight and perfect set.
I don’t really know how to describe music. This has being stoned in the 70s vibe. I feel like I should be in a brown and orange room with lava lamps. Very seductive.
"That's a very beautiful sunset we have here very romantic. This is the first song I wrote with these guys so it has a very special place in my heart. It's called Meadow" said Gutt
As the song ended Gutt’s sunnies were thrown off stage as the sun disappears into the horizon.
Walked off stage before their set ended (cheeky set up encore?) Crowd was yelling for one more. They came back out "Good to be here we love you"
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As darkness fell across the paddock and the temperature dropped but it has not killed the vibe. With everyone wanting to take advantage of what has become a rare event. It was time for BUSH!
Gavin Rossdale was never going to stop from bouncing around the stage as he delivered some solid vocals.
"I can't believe we’re here you know, it's beautiful to be here, thanks for coming out" he beamed as he looked out at all the people after such a long time away from the stage.
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"I just can't believe we're here. It doesn't feel real even right before we came on stage i thought it's going to be cancelled!”
The last time BUSH came out 2017 been trying to come back ever since. They played “Blood River” as the crowd surged as one moving side to side, and jumping up and down.
The masses of energy were felt from the front of the stage all the way to the back of the paddock.
All I could hear from behind me as I shot was the crowd screaming and declaring their love for not only the band but in particular Rossdale.
You can feel the beat surge through your body as the song starts with 2 kicks then silence then 2 more kicks. Nothing beats that feeling of the music starting a concert and you get consumed by the sound. CONSUMED!
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The whole band were incredible together as Rossdale tied it all together solidly.
Glycerine saw Rossdale take the stage with a couple light to highlight the BUSH singer in a singalong with the crowd in a surreal moment to be able to have something that feels so intimate with a singer in concert at a festival with people. Experiencing the same moment in a location with mass people for something positive and uplifting. Food for the soul. Everyone was just present in the moment savouring an experience many of us felt that we may never happen again.
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Cheap Trick were all dressed like fucking legends. Robin Zander had some epic pants on that I 100% wanted to steal. Love that they're all dressed amazingly
The entire band looked the happiest of all the acts from all of the bands from the day and they looked ready to rock out. Rick Nielsen threw out some guitar pics to the crowd however most of them showered down on us photographers and I was confused for a second as to what fell all over my head. The crowd on the barrier tried to get security and the photographers to pick them up and I managed to hand one to someone.
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The band requested to turn on the lights so they could look out over all of the crowd, which made the crowd jump up, roar and wave their arms at the band to show that they were still full of energy and ready for Cheap Tricks set.
At this point most of the people who were in their camping chairs got up to sing and dance along to the beloved songs. Couples singing to each other in each other's arms. Pretty cute sight to see.
As the night slowly came to a close people faced in the giant puddles on their way in still rising in the high of the night. One woman even danced in giant puddle on the way out which was up to her knees as her friends screamed at her to get out or were buckled over laughing.
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100% would recommend anyone considering heading to any Under The Southern Stars that come up in the future, well organised, and a great day out for you and your mates!
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ROSE TATTOO
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BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
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BUSH
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CHEAP TRICK
DZ DEATHRAYS with NERVE & Smacked Youth at Cambridge Hotel 11th March 2022
REVIEW & PHOTOS BY: EMERALD VIOLET
After another set of lockdowns and and cancelled shows with rest fictions in full force the music scene was left quiet again for what felt like the longest time ever, but now back in full force DZ DEATHRAYS took to the stage at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, NSW on Friday the 11th of March to kick off their long awaited tour and put on one hell of show that certainly made up for those long and lonely nights we suffered without live music. Bringing along with them Newcastle locals Smacked Youth and Hip-Hop artist NERVE, it was one hell of a show to say the least.
To start off the night, Newcastle Punk Project Smacked Youth warmed up the crowd with the loud and heavy sounds that filled the whole room and had everyone head banging as they played through the set of punk tracks that were nothing but rad. The second last song on the set was none other than a cover of Newy Icon Silverchair’s “Freak” which had everyone moving and screaming the chorus out almost louder than the artist itself. It was the perfect start to the night and had everyone even more excited for the rest of the night.
As the venue started to fill up even more, NERVE took over the stage with a very engaging performance that kept the crowd pumped with the loud, bass driven hip-hop tracks that were punched out one after the other. Looking around the venue, everyone was having a fantastic time in the early hours of the show that was filled with great punk and hip-hop music.
What can I say about DZ straight away other than they know how to put on a good show. From the moment they walked out onto the stage they had a hold on the crowd and had them engaged from the starting minute. They played through the newer stuff off their last album which was released last year, while also playing those older songs that everyone knows and loves dearly. The energy that the band put out to the crowd was incredible not to mention that the crowd gave that energy back to the band double. There were lots of moshing, a few crowd surfers and a lot of dancing throughout the hour set that filled the room with incredible energy that we all love and crave from gigs that everyone has definitely missed a lot. The guitars were loud, the drums were hard and the lighting was perfect at setting the vibe for the set and helped create atmosphere. Being so entertained, the time flew by and the night felt like it ended so fast but it was a perfect night.
After a show like that, I don't think we will take live music for granted again, as we never know what’s around the corner in the world today. DZ Deathrays are a fun, and exciting band to watch live. The atmosphere, their stage presence, the lighting and the energy in that room was nothing but perfect and made for a great start to their tour as they get ready to play a stack of other shows throughout Aus and give that feeling to the other fans all around. Nothing but good vibes and high energy when it comes to DZ Deathrays’ live performances so make sure you catch them on their upcoming tour dates!
NERVE
DZ DEATHRAYS
Hard-Ons at Frankie’s Pizza on February 16th 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: ALEC SMART
Hard-Ons sizzle under ‘Clandestine Sausage’ alias at secret show
PHOTO BY: ALEC SMART
The Hard-Ons, Sydney’s beloved punk rock troopers, played a not-so-secret ‘secret’ show at Frankie’s Pizza in Sydney CBD on 16 February. Advertised as a one-venue ‘World Tour’, it was in fact a second concert after a previous word-of-mouth gig on 10 Dec 2021 at Link & Pin in Woy Woy launched the limited two-venue globetrotting.
Both featured new vocalist Tim Rogers, singer-guitarist with YouAmI, settling in to his role as front-man for the veteran band.
Rogers joins long term members Peter ‘Blackie’ Black (guitar), Ray Ahn (bass), and Murray Ruse (drums) to make up the quartet.
The two shows, under the alias Clandestine Sausage, were a warm-up with Rogers prior to the Hard-Ons official March-April east coast Australia tour promoting their new album, I’m Sorry Sir, That Riff’s Been Taken.
Released 8 Oct 2021, it is the band’s 13th studio album since Smell My Finger in 1986, but the first to feature Rogers on vocals, since he replaced original singer Keish de Silva in March 2021.
It is also their highest-charting album to date, reaching number four on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) official album charts.
As Rogers joked at the start of the show, “Number four is better than number one, because it is four times one!” The Frankie’s Pizza gig’s 17-song setlist included seven tracks from the new album.
Hard-Ons are Australia’s most commercially-successful independent band, with over 250,000 album sales during their 40-year career.
The new material follows their successful formula of blending fast, metal-inspired riffs with touches of psychedelia, surf melodies, Ramones-style hard rockers and the occasional punked-up ballad, played on Blackie’s distorted Gibson SG – a guitar made famous by Angus Young of ACDC. (Blackie began the night wearing an ACDC T-shirt).
Onstage, Rogers is a natural fit with the Hard-Ons, constantly moving, occasionally playing maracas. Unshaven and dressed-down in cut-off shorts and T-shirt, his only nod to his usual sartorial elegance was a peculiar pair of bright purple zip-up boots.
Almost all of the new Hard-Ons’ songs were written by Blackie, with Rogers contributing two sets of lyrics: Frequencies and The Laws of Gossip. Only the latter was performed at Frankie’s.
Rogers is credited anonymously as ‘TR’ on the new album, so it will be interesting to see whether he collaborates musically with Blackie, or contributes his own songs on any future Hard-Ons’ recordings.
Rogers has recorded 11 studio albums with YouAmI, founded in Dec 1989 and still active, plus eight solo albums and several other musical projects.
It is unlikely Keish de Silva will return to the band he co-founded after leaving under a cloud. From 1981 to the band’s initial break-up in 1994, then from its 1997 reformation until he quit in 2001, he both sang and played drums. In 2016, with Murray Ruse firmly in the drum stool, de Silva returned to full time vocal duties, recording and touring the album So I Could Have Them Destroyed (released Oct 2019) until his dismissal in early 2021.
The veteran multicultural group, whose three founder members were friends at Punchbowl Boys High School, began in 1981 under the name Dead Rats, then The Plebs, before settling on Hard-Ons in late 1982.
Because they were not yet of legal age to perform in licensed premises, their first shows were at school dances and house parties.
This reviewer remembers first seeing them in the basement of an Annandale house in early 1984. I clung to the drain pipes on the ceiling and hung above the band to better see them play, because the tiny space in which they performed was jam-packed with heaving teenagers.
Their first official advertised show was in the Vulcan Hotel in Ultimo on 20 June 1984, which this reviewer also attended. (Two years later, a band I was in opened for the Hard-Ons at the same venue).
PHOTOS BY: ALEC SMART
The Jungle Giants at Thebarton Theatre on 11th at February 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: SKYE SAMPSON
After a seriously long break between albums The Jungle Giants released their new album “Love Signs” and started touring around Australia.
The Jungle Giants bought along Lazywax and Bag Raiders. If you have not herd of The Jungle Giants, they have been in the Brisbane music scene since 2011 making the most infectious Electric indie rock music. In a city where we are still unable to dance this was a hard gig to be at.
Having the Lazywax as the first act open the electricity and base vibrated through your whole body. The duo had a tough job warming up the crown but they pulled it off. Heads were bopping arms in the air they managed to do the impossible in the city where you can't dance. After Lazywax came the ever-popular Bag Raiders, playing all his classics saving the best for last “shooting stars”.
The crowd could not contain themselves and just had to get up and dance to their favourite song.
The crowd quickly settled down before crowd control could say anything. With excitement in the air, it wasn’t long before the Jungle Giants opened with their first song “on your way down”, The Jungle Giants played almost all of their greatest hits. With Sam the lead singer interacting with the crowd the crowd went wild, the energy that the band put out to the crowd was amazing, you can feel the base through your body the lyrics touch your heart and a beat that made you get up and dance. The crowd had no control over there will to get up and dance.
The last song was too much and the crowd went crazy. Security just had to let them dance from the General admission area to the balcony they were all dancing. The Jungle giants closed with their song “love Signs” from their new album the crowd was not satisfied and wanted more time with the band. The Jungle Giants listed and came back for two more songs. “In her eyes” and the all-time classic favourite “heavy hearted”.
It was a huge successful night for The Jungle Giants if you want to see them play, they still have a few more stops on Their Australian tour including Sydney (11/3/22) Albury (19/3/22) as well as playing at the following festivals- yours & owls, out of the woods and Splendour in the grass.
Grapevine Gathering Festival Review & Photos on Saturday 22nd January 2022
REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: BRITTANY LONG
PHOTO BY: BRITTANY LONG
Set against the backdrop of the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley, eager punters flocked to the vineyards of Melbourne’s Rochford winery to welcome back live music in style with Grapevine Gathering. Melbourne turned on the weather and the heat, with temperatures hitting highs of 34 degrees, seeing an absolute scorcher. Did someone say BTV 2019 flashbacks anyone?
T.Y PHOTO BY: BRITTANY LONG
Kicking off the day was Melbourne duo T.Y after a last minute lineup change, sponsored by KFC. Performing covers and original music off their recent EP release ‘Start Again’ they provided the soundtrack as festival goers trickled through the gates preparing for a day on the vino. Shoutout to the dedicated three fans dancing away in the front without a care in the world despite the unrelenting heat!
CREATURE FEAR PHOTO BY: BRITTANY LONG
By the time local Melbourne band Creature Fear took to the stage there was a growing crowd flooding in and patrons were jammed up against the barrier dancing away, wine in hand. Sharing music off their debut EP 17 minutes of Creature Fear including hit ‘Barely Alive’ and new music written during Covid lockdown they proved to be a hit with the crowd. Multi-talented frontwoman Jacqui Lumsden brought the energy showcasing an array of instrumental talents including vocals and a killer tambourine routine. This 5-piece are definitely an act to watch out for and seemed at home on the big stage!
REST FOR THE WICKED PHOTO BY: BRITTANY LONG
Next up was Rest for the Wicked who made their debut performing their first show ever and the crowd loved them! The new venture by frontman Ben Townsend known for his solo project Ivan Ooze, alongside Sydney-based multi-skilled songwriter and producer Tasker delivered the class, treating the crowd to raw original music that defies the usual genre barriers of pop. Newest releases 2021 singles ‘Bones’ and ‘Feel The Same Way’ were crowd favourites along with unreleased track Erased which was also enjoyed! I can’t wait to see more from these guys!
I enjoyed the sounds of CC Disco and the DJ set by Bag Raiders from afar, instead seeking a much needed reprieve from the unrelenting heat and escaping undercover to enjoy the offerings of the VIP bar and restaurant. I indulged in a mouthwatering woodfired pizza and some delicious refreshing passionfruit sorbet which was much needed.
M.Cs for the day, internet sensations The Inspired Unemployed kept the crowds spirits up between sets, delivering endless banter, DJ hits and crowd singalongs. Most notably to Train’s iconic hit ‘Drops of Jupiter’ and Madonna’s ‘Hung Up’. There was even a Bachelorette inspired skit, complete with red roses and a first dance!
THE VERONICAS PHOTOS BY: BRITTANY LONG
Aussie icons The Veronicas took to the stage in style with ‘Take Me On the Floor’ sharing hits from their impressive discography and performing songs that had famously provided the soundtrack for the lives of teen fans everywhere. Including classics ‘4ever’, ‘When It All Falls Apart’ and ‘Hook Me Up’. ‘Mother Mother’ was a treat for their dedicated die-hard fans, while in true Veronicas fashion no set is ever complete without the ‘national anthem’ and deliver they did. The twins’ request to ‘please rise for the national anthem’ was happily obliged as they belted out iconic track ‘Untouched’. The roar of the crowd was deafening as the punters went wild!
VERA BLUE PHOTOS BY: BRITTANY LONG
Electropop powerhouse Vera Blue dazzled in a White Label Noba neon green dress, opening with her newest work ‘Temper’ and ‘Would You Lie to Me’. She delighted with classics ‘Settle’, ‘Regular Touch’, ‘Mended’, ‘All the Pretty Girls’ and the inclusion of ‘Hold’ was also an emotional sentiment. Female empowerment track ‘Lady Powers’ which she dedicated to all the ladies in the crowd was a crowd favourite, and she finished in a blaze of glory with none other than dance number ‘Rushing Back’ written with long-time collaborator Flume.
THE JUNGLE GIANTS PHOTOS BY: BRITTANY LONG
As the sun began to set industry heavyweights The Jungle Giants took to the stage. The temperature finally began to ease but the music only got hotter as hit after hit was delivered. Fans were treated to ‘Treat You Right’ and a selection of tracks off their 2021 ARIA-nominated album Love Signs including ‘Heavy Hearted’. Hot off the press was the news of their album title track ‘Love Signs’ making Top 20 at #18 in Triple J’s 2021 Hottest 100 count, the excitement was palpable and this was a more than worthy inclusion to their already energetic set.
PEKING DUK PHOTOS BY: BRITTANY LONG
Last but definitely not least, headliners Peking Duk ft the gorgeous Micci brought the party. Accompanied with an array of streamers, CO2 cannons, confetti, pyrotechnics and an epic visual display! You name it, they had it! They delighted with an hour-long jam-packed set featuring 2021 single ‘Chemicals’ which was awarded #42 in the Triple J Hottest 100, their eighth year running in the Top 100. ‘Utopia’, ‘Stranger’ ‘Nothing To Love About Love’ and other classics ‘Say My Name’, ‘Fake Magic’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Wasted’ were also performed, alongside a myriad of other non-stop bangers that had the crowd dancing and singing the night away. Unreleased track ‘Honest’ ft Slayyyter was debuted and honestly it’s the dance anthem we’ve all been waiting for, I for one cannot wait for this track to be released! In an impressive feat ‘The Way You Are’ involved getting everyone in the crowd to crouch down and then jump up at the same time while ‘Take Me Over’, a personal favourite of mine, invited everyone to turn their phone torches on and take a moment to reflect and just appreciate the beauty that was live music and being back at a festival together. Finishing on a high with ‘High’ was the perfect end to the evening. Peking Duk always put on an unforgettable show and Grapevine Gathering was no exception, there’s a reason they have such a following and have built a dedicated worldwide fanbase over their decade long career.
Grapevine was a celebration, it was heart-warming to see punters together once more celebrating live music. However the glaring issue was the lack of availability of bottled drinking water, which given it was such a hot day was even more dangerous and a clear oversight that definitely needed to be addressed.
BEYOND THE CITY FESTIVAL - SIDNEY MYER BOWL & KINGS DOMAIN - 30TH-31ST DECEMBER
REVIEW BY: BEN LAMB
PHOTOS BY: PARIS GOROZIDIS
It’s great to see music happening in Melbourne again. With some of the world’s longest and strictest restrictions over the last couple of years, musos and industry workers have had a pretty tough slog.
But things are feeling good in the Melbourne music world, the scene is slowly getting back to normal. Over the 30th and 31st of December, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl became the new home of the annual Beyond the Valley festival, aptly re-titled Behind the City due to its temporary inner Melbourne home.
TELENOVA - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
After weeks of mid 20’s, Day 1 brought a balmy 32* day to the crowd, with acts Sophiegrophy and Telenova easing revelers into the day with their laid-back musical stylings.
BIG SKEEZ - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Then the main stage brought music from Big Skeez, who was a last-minute fill in for Big Twisty and FUNKNASTY. The rapper and his DJ served massive beats to the audience, and truly set the bar high for the rest of the day’s performers.
After a touching Welcome to Country, we were gifted with a set from Sycco, one of the best performers across the two days. Her recognizable tracks garnered a great deal of enthusiasm from the audience, these were tracks like ‘Time’s Up’, ‘My Ways’, and her amazing breakout single ‘Dribble’, each bringing a unique blend of rock, soul and electropop.
SYCCO - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Up next was Eves Karydas, her set started with some sound issues that occurred in Sycco’s set, but that didn’t stop the energy from the performer. It was a show full of her hits like, ‘Couch’, ‘Further Than The Planes Fly’ and ‘Complicated’.
EVE KARYDAS - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
A high point came with a performance of her viral Like A Version, which was a cover of Ruel's ‘Painkiller’ mashed up with Frank Ocean’s ‘Super Rich Kids’. This got an insane reaction from the crowd, an energy was in the air that Karydas clearly fed off, performing the rest of the set with a different type of vibe.
Audiences were then treated with a set from iconic rapper Allday, his energy bleeding into the crowd right out of the gate, who were holding onto his every word. His stage presence is reminiscent of artists years into their prime, he’s a consummate professional.
ALLDAY- PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Following up from Allday was Partiboi69, who was a last-minute fill in for Running Touch, (who had to pull out due to COVID) his set was definitely out there, and was one of the best of the day.
His fast and big beats brought a different vibe to the stage that was primarily vocalist and band/instrument based, perhaps he would’ve been better suited to one of the other stages dedicated to DJ’s.
MALLRAT - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Next up we got Mallrat, whose limited crowd interaction didn’t matter, the audience were singing along to every one of her hits like ‘Groceries’, ‘Charlie’, and even ‘UFO’, complete with a live Allday feature.
Following on from her was Spacey Jane, whose indescribable brand of rock got a huge reaction from the crowd, a ‘Booster Seat’ singalong was one of the highest points of audience participation on the day, making the world of live music exciting again.
SPACEY JANE - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Closing out Day 1 was the legendary Pnau, the iconic group performing hit after hit, with ‘Chameleon’ and ‘Go Bang’ being perfect for releasing the pent up energy patrons had over the last couple of years.
They were a perfect group to wrap up Thursday’s proceedings, while also priming patrons for the massive following day.
PNAU - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
The 38* start to Friday kept fans away for a little longer, with IJALE, KYE, and Alice Ivy hitting the stage first, each bringing their own unique flair to the festival, showing that today’s performers are of a different pedigree, these musos are coming to party.
Then we got another lovely Welcome to Country, followed by a phenomenal set by indie rockers King Stingray, and Aboriginal fronted group, who mix the best of Aussie rock with the wonder of Indigenous Australian culture.
Their music is truly something special, each song having an interesting point of difference. It was great to see some Aboriginal representation at the show. The frontman’s crowd work was great as well, for a crowd that potentially could’ve been waiting for a later act, he won them over, got them involved in singalongs, and most importantly, got everyone moving.
JAGUAR JONZE - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Following on from King Stingray was Jaguar Jonze, the alt rocker who, following on from Day 2’s trend, had massive stage presence and was great at crowd work.
They closed their set with their Like a Version cover of Nirvana’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’, which got a massive crowd reaction, and sent the day into overdrive.
After a few rock orientated bands, it was time to move into the electronic world with Boo Seeka, who had insane energy from the second the pair walked out on stage. They were equipped with a limited set of instrumentation, but their power, vocals and fast paced music made up for it.
BOO SEEKA - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Then after that was brother and sister duo Lastlings, whose unique blend of electropop with folk elements showed everyone why they are the next best thing in Aussie music.
LASTLING - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Now it was time for everyone’s favourite Aussie rockers, Ball Park Music. So far, the energy from the audience hadn’t been as big as it was for the Brisbane based indie stalwarts.
BALL PARK MUSIC - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
They played songs from early in their career like ‘It’s Nice to Be Alive’ and ‘Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You”, to songs from their recent album like ‘Day and Age’ and ‘Spark Up’, each song getting a bigger reaction than the last.
Front man Sam Cromack was truly born for the job, his energy was picked up by the crowd, and he made you want to keep watching.
Next up was the amazing Cosmo’s Midnight, performing the first time with a full band, which gave a new life to a lot of their music, these were hits like ‘History’, and ‘Get to Know’.
COSMO’S MIDNIGHT - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Then the highlight of any of the days was next, the mammoth performers known as Lime Cordiale. These Northern Beaches boys are a well oiled machine, straight from the start of the set, their stage show was impeccable, there was a grand entrance and big bows, just increasing the excitement for what was to come.
LIME CORDIALE - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
It was hit after hit after hit, beginning with ‘On Our Own’, they went through songs new and old, ‘Reality Check Please’, ‘Robbery’, and ‘No Plans To Make Plans’, complete with Louis’ Kazoo solo that got the audience crazy. The song was also complete with a chorus singalong that was the best feeling in the world. They also featured their catchy cover of The Divinyls ‘I Touch Myself’,’.
Then for the midnight countdown, we got to see Hayden James, who played hits like ‘Just Friends’, and put a smile on everyone’s face.
HAYDEN JAMES - PHOTO BY PARIS GOROZIDIS
Then closing out the Beyond the City festival, Hot Dub Time Machine brought massive beats to the audience and left us all feeling happy with the world of music in Australia.
It was a great two days, bring on 2022!
PHOTOS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
ALL PHOTOS BY AND REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF PARIS GOROZIDIS
ALLDAY
BALL PARK MUSIC
BIG SKEEZ
BOO SEEKA
Cosmo’s Midnight
EVES KARYDES
HAYDEN JAMES
JAGUAR JONZE
LASTLINGS
LIME CORDIALE
MALLRAT
PNAU
SPACEY JANE
SYCCO
TELENOVA
