Set over three stages within the sleepy hidden, bush-draped venue that is Hardy’s Bay Club, today’s festival is a showcase for young local artists.
Harry Klijn kicks off with a raggedy rendition of Land Down Under...Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know hits home with its slow lazy amble…and I kinda like that strained vox thing and the simple guitar...
Miniq are two girls (Bell & Dom) and a guitar. Original, Fine China, showcases those melodic vox, along with some nice harmonies…Space Cowboy dishes up even more of those same lush harmonies. Beautifully raw.
Dom later clarified that they were in fact sisters. Explains those sibling harmonies! The Zutons’ Valerie (more recently made famous by Amy Winehouse) is stripped bare and smooth as silk, paying homage more to the original than the cover. A fresh find.
Red Rakham crank up the volume on the main stage. A three piece comprising guitar bass and a sit down singer/ percussionist.
Under the Bridge comes off kinda slow and deliberate, whilst one of their originals is more your jagged guitar and rumbling bass, with high pitched vox. Kinda hard to pigeon hole their sound.
Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams is more of a raw jam, ahead of another original song about school. Creedences’ Have You Ever Seen The Rain makes it outa the bag… mistakes and all. But hey, these guys are very young and they’re having fun. And that’s what it’s all about.
The Music Industry Panel is up next and yours truly gets a guernsey. A nice diverse bunch of music folk, happy to talk about getting into the industry and offering tips to young up and coming bands. A great initiative.
Unfortunately I missed Josh & Liv Zaia on the pergola stage, but by all accounts they were very entertaining.
Him and Her dish up some cruisy acoustic throes and throw in a mogadon rendition of Billie Jean. Some beautiful harmonies.
Niamh Watson is only fifteen and sounds years above her young age. Silky vox. Gorgeously sad originals ... an almost Buckley feel at times...Smokey moods...a very talented singer/songwriter.
Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy is an out of the box inclusion, but sounds great. A girl and a guitar never sounded so good. Closing song, Dark Soul is available on Spotify.
Jardean’s modus operandi is a guitar and a drum machine and he kicks off with Free’s ‘It’s all Right Now…’Bowie’s Heroes gets a slow husky workover and Rodriguez’s Sugarman continues the old school nods. Original, Mango Skies, gives more of an insight into the Jordean ilk with its more placid lazy wafts.
Lachlan Edwards hails from Newcastle and dishes up dreamy guitar riffs...lazy airs...with a rootsy, almost Mason Jennings feel at times. As he switches between acoustic and electric, there are some moments of vocal genius, and there’s no denying those inherent guitar skills.
Visions of surf soundtracks. New single One Day is available on all good digital platforms.
Rosie and the Quest are a totally different ilk, with a more moody, smokey, even jazzy indulgence. Airs of Twin Peaks. A slick slab of confident trippy soundscapes….ebbs high and low…smooth, polished jazz club throes.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Little Quirks, and tonight they’re in four-piece mode with cousin/bro Alex on board with bass.
Opening with a cranking version of Mumford’s Learn Me Right, it's new original, Cover My Eyes, that instantly impresses with its four way vocal delivery. Punchy as all hell. Wow!
I Told You So kicks butt and there is an undeniable energy tonight that just sweeps you up in its wake. Runaway’s sultry tones and harmonies...another newbie in Life Wouldn’t Be…gorgeous through and through.
The awesome Unwinding… beautifully cranked ahead of The Beatles’ Seen a Face…and as I have said before, LQs can make even the Beatles sound half decent. Another new original, Where We Hide, kicks off all rootsy and builds into an LQ classic, ahead of the folk-punched rockola of Crumbled.
Hold On’s dark seduction builds and slaps you in the face. Love the dynamics. Mumford’s Hopeless Wanderer winds up the set with its own humbling dynamics…and a rendition that would do the poms proud.
Encore, Dreams, gets em up on the dance floor, with Proclaimers’ 500 Miles a fitting end to a fine musical smorgasbord of a day.
Hats off to Hardy’s Bay Club for supporting live music and showcasing young local artists. And well done to Loren McHenry and her team for pulling such a worthwhile event together.
Mark Fraser- redbackrock.com
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