Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley
Saturday December 3, 2016 :
Back to the Hunter Valley we go for the third A Day On The Green show for the 2016 Summer Season, and what an eclectic crowd filed into Bimbadgen Estate. There were parents with toddlers, possibly there with their own parents, claiming their patch of grass as Adalita took to the stage under stifling heat.
This was the first time I had caught Adalita, solo, live, and having absorbed her two solo releases I was pleased to be correcting this today. The dark, raw emotion that sits within her self-titled debut and All Days Venus is ever present on this over-sized stage. ‘I Want Your Love’ and ‘Trust Is Love’ were quite special, as was Adalita’s herself with her mid-tempo set being the perfect start to the afternoon.
As the clouds rolls in and a cool breeze giving us relief from the 30+ heat, Tash Sultana strides on stage and begins a set that would leave many in the crowd amazed. Single-handedly she builds the music around her and lets loose, tearing up the Bimbadgen stage. The songs are lengthy, giving you the time to absorb the ‘catchy as hell’ rhythms. Tash breathes the music that she creates, and on stage you can see it escaping, it’s a raw release of emotion etched on her face. She is just fantastic to watch. By the end of Tash’s set, she had converted both my partner and I, with ‘Jungle’ being downloaded onto her phone so we could listen to it on the way home tonight.
By the time of The Preatures set, those cooling clouds had actually dropped a little rain and the earlier heat was gone. The Preatures are a great band to see live, and as we settle in to the afternoon, their up-tempo rock was the perfect soundtrack to get the crowd on their feet. Front woman Izzi Manfredi is having a ball onstage with big smiles ever present as she skips across the stage. ‘Is This How You Feel?’ and ‘Cruel’ made an appearance and were well received by a crowd who by now were ready for the sun to go down and the light to come on at Bimbadgen.
The Temper Trap are one of the few bands where I have enjoyed their outdoor, big stage performances more than their smaller club gigs. Their music just feels to lift when placed upon a bigger stage. Back in Australia for their first shows since the release of Thick As Thieves, they opened with the title track and focused heavily on their debut and most recent release. The crowd loved it, especially when ‘Trembling Hands’ and ‘Sweet Disposition’ dropped, and were primed by this point of the main event.
Back in Australia to support their sixth studio album, Strange Little Birds, and the first time here since 2013, Garbage turned on the big lights and dove into ‘Supervixen’. As a band on stage, Garbage are great to watch. Vocalist Shirley Manson paces the stage, very rarely standing still, a bundle of energy waiting to release. ‘I Think I’m Paranoid’ and ‘Stupid Girl’ followed, giving the crowd what they were hoping for, ‘90s Garbage. The band sounded great, and the lighting was top notch.
Over the next 90 minutes, Garbage grabbed tracks from all six of their albums focusing on their first two (Garbage, Version 2.0), and their most recent Strange Little Birds. The opening riff to ‘Why Do Love Me’ sounded brutal, and the chorus had everyone jumping. ‘#1 Crush’ on the other hand was dark and dangerous, much like the movie soundtrack it opened, 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. Then midway through the set, ‘Special’ was dropped, and the crowd went nuts.
It was a big night for many at Bimbadgen, and closing the main set with ‘VOW’ and ‘Push It’, with an encore of ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ and ‘Cherry Lips’ was the perfect way to send us all on our way home.
Reviewer and Photographer : Kevin Bull
GARBAGE
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THE TEMPER TRAP
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THE PREATURES
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TASH SULTANA
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ADALITA
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