The Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni
Sunday March 13, 2016 :
On Tuesday, Courtney Barnett was in Sydney, holding a $30,000 novelty cheque after winning the prestigious Australian Music Prize for her debut album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. Five days later, she casually sits on the lawn at The Bar on the Hill to watch her friends The Finks open up Good For You – a showcase of the artists on Milk! Records.
Taking this gig to the courtyard outside of Bar on the Hill was a fantastic decision; for the opening band the audience sat down on the grass to soak in the wonderful Sunday afternoon. The Finks and East Brunswick All Girls Choir opened up proceedings with some gorgeous indie-rock to warm up the crowd.
Ouch My Face started their set by asking the audience to stand up, and thank god they did. The band rip into an aural assault that was equal parts dance, punk, and hip-hop. Their set stood out like a sore thumb in the best way possible, something totally different to keep the audience on their toes
The show followed a format similar to The Revival Tour in the US; each act had their chance to hit the stage, but transitions between sets were seamless as guests took to the stage to help out on different songs. There is not enough room in this review to list every collaboration that took place.
After an intermission Jen Cloher took to the stage, instantly winning the crowd over with a stage presence that was equal parts David Bowie and Joan Jett. Courtney Barnett was her right hand man, playing back-up guitar, but this set was all about Jen. Fraser A. Gorman spun tales of Melbourne living, loving, and skyscraper cleaning during his sets. He borrows songwriting techniques from Bob Dylan and Paul Kelly, and a casual charm that was hard to ignore.
Despite going on last, Courtney Barnett didn’t feel like the headline act. She had been on stage all day playing guitar and singing the occasional song; but now it was her turn to run through the hits. The crowd were eating out of the palm of her hands as she ran through tracks like ‘Three Packs A Day’ and ‘Dead Fox’. An extra drummer hits the stage for a raucous version of ‘Pedestrian At Best’.
The entire Milk Roster takes the stage for the last stand; a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’, and Neil Young’s ‘Cinnamon Girl’ before leaving the stage in a max exodus as the crowd thanked them for the evening. Milk Records showed why they are one of the hottest indie labels in the country. It’s no nonsense great music, made by great people.
Reviewer: Spencer Scott
Photographer : Caitlin Schokker
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