Adelaide’s Beer and BBQ Festival has evolved from having market stalls in the cowsheds at the Showgrounds to more of a mini music festival at The Drive, right next door to Adelaide Oval. With a welcome balmy warm night and the lure of headlining band TISM, the joint was packed to the rafters. But was it a case of being too successful?
This is the first year at the Drive, so there are bound to be teething problems. There were mutterings of sound quality, long queues for food and drink and a confusing layout. Where was the Silent Disco? Some never knew that the main food court was outside. Navigating the frenetic crowd was all part of it really.Of course, finding that perfectly cooked brisket or a tasty hazy ale was all part of the prize!
It was easy to spot a TISM fan, as they were either dressed in some sort of costume or wearing a TISM t-shirt. Many travelled from interstate, meeting up pre-show to swap stories of past TISM experiences. They can spot the subtle differences between Humphrey B. Flaubert and Ron Hitler-Barassi.
The Mavis’s took the afternoon slot on the main stage. Headed up by brother and sister duo Becky and Matt Thomas, the band seemed to be enjoying reviving songs from their Pink Pills era and beyond. Becky looked pretty in pink, while Matt channelled his inner Taxi Driver Robert deNiro. There would have been people at the show how weren’t even born last time the band played in Adelaide, so it was refreshing to see they could still keep the audience energy high.
Paradoxically, upstairs at The Last Resort bar, local punk rock outfit Hesh turned the room into a sweaty underground bar. They were a gret example of the lively and energetic bands playing the local scene. Hopefully it made people sit up and take notice.
Back on the main stage, Ratcat are another band that have taken a long time between visits. The familiar guitar jangle was there but some technical difficulties marred what could have been an exciting rendition of their 1991 hit “That Ain’t Bad”. Sound issues aside, it was great seeing them obviously still enjoying playing to an audience.
Texan guitarist / singer Ben Kweller is touring Australia and called into the Beer and BBQ Festival for the Adelaide stop. Opening with his hit song “Wasted & Ready” he showed he was ready to rock. It was quite a surprise to see McLovin‘ (aka Christopher Mintz-Plasse) on bass guitar. He was later talked into doing a very impressive shoey.
Another local band that always put on a high intensity show, Young Offenders were hot as hell at The Last Resort. Theur infectious energy leaves even the sound guy sweaty. It was worth the trek up to find them.
But of course, the band that everyone was waiting for was up next. Many fans had gone to the recent TISM Pica show in Melbourne, where the band pranked the audience with a second and third stage, complete with cloned band members. “They wouldn’t dare! Would they?” Opening with “I Drive a Truck”, the audience was clearly split between acolytes and the curious first-TISM-timers. With the grey opera-house-handmaiden’s-tale-inspired costumes the grotesquely formed performers taunted and entertained those watching.
A giant cardboard effigy was constructed onstage during the performance and tehn launched over the crowd. Scraps of cardboard were eagerly souvenired by treasure hunters. So many crowd favourites; “Greg! The Stop Sign!!”, “(He’ll Never Be An) Old Man River” and the country version of “Defecate on My Face” all with sing-alongs. We hear rumours of Ron face planting the floor in a crowd surf gone awry, so we hope he didn’t do too much damage.
Overall, at least the event was popular, which is what every promotor wants. Hopefully the teething glitches will be addressed and the Beer and BBQ Festival will continue to scratch that itch in the middle of Adelaide’s chilly winters.
All photos by John Goodridge including the gallery below:
