Rain, Music and Snot Nosed Brats
This year my friend and I made the three hour jouney to see Triple J host One Night Stand in Dalby, rural Queensland. The line up for a free concert was better than expected. Being a big Matt Corby fan I was excited to see him.
Upon arrival, the rain immediately poured down and continued to do so for hours on end. The crowd flooded in one hour before the first act came on, so we all stood, freezing cold in the pouring rain eaglerly awaiting 'Mace and the Motor' to come on. It was quickly established that the crowd of predomintely 15 year-olds was only there to see 360.
Mace and the Motor definitely had some talent, obviously a lot of instrumental experience within this Three-Piece from Towoomba. Playing a rocking set of alternative rock and roll, the crowd was just not entertained, due to their pining for 360 to start.
Next up was 'the blue eyed dream boat, with the voice of an angel and the face of a sex god' (thanks for the descriptor Tom & Alex).
Matt Corby was joined on stage by his usual band, which now includes the talented keyboard player Bree Tranter who used to play in
The Middle East. The set began with the soulful 'Kings, Queens, Beggars & Thieves', with the crowd already going nuts. Halfway through the performance Matt surprised the crowd with a fresh new track, so new that in didn't have a name. In fact according to Matt it had only been finished 20 mins before he was due on stage. He and the band pulled it off in style before pounding into a heart-stopping rendition of 'Souls A'Fire', before finishing up with the sing-a-long Hottest 100 gem the whole crowd was waiting for 'Brother'. -
Triple J review.
However, what they failed to mention in their review was the disapointment that Corby fans felt by the rest of the crowd. As each song Corby played had ended, it was quickly followed by taunts of "Just play brother!" and "Bring 360 on! Take Corby off!" shouted by an unappreciative 'Teeny-bopper' audience awaiting their idol, the untalented 360. Matt Corby is an amazing raw talent that far surpasses 360, however a crowd of drop-kick, uneducated idiots wearing snap backs and disney jumpers were only here to see one person.
By now, the rain had begun to pour down like we had begged for a shower. Stonefield, an adorable 4 piece from an even more remote town then Dalby. These girls are a power package of female rock and roll, reigniting a 80's Blondie theme that was once thought lost. They played a rocking set of old fashioned rock ballads and melodic female power anthems. Such talent for such young girls straight out of highschool.
It was now time for the crowd to see who they had come all this way for. 360 took the stage to ear-splitting screams that easily cut its way through the pouring rain. The crowd went wild as 360 began playing his catchy songs, accompinied by his lack of rapping ability. He is definitely popular as his songs are catchy, but his rapping ability is not to be desired. With time, I am sure it will improve, but for now I am not even remotely impressed as he does not even deserve to be considered in the same genre of music as the great 2pac, Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, Nas and LL Cool J. However, due to the rain, the festival was cut short for fear of safety complications.
It was a bitter dissapointment that Temper Trap did not play, as a lot of us have waited in the rain for 5 hours to see them. However, if safety is an issue, it was necessary to pull the plug, literally.
The Dalby Showgrounds had been turned into a mud bath. The day was done. It was time for everyone to make the long commute home.
The show opened with an amazing set by local heros, The Last Dinosaurs, blasting through some old and new tracks such as, 'Time and Place,' 'Honolulu,' 'Weekend,' and their first commercial smash, 'Zoom.'
The set of course finished on (in my opinions) Bloc Party's best song, 'HELICOPTER!' Kele placed a helicopter hat on his head (which belonged to me) and played one of the best live songs I have heard in my life.
