While last month’s “The Big O” may have been something new for Sydney Uni students, Beachball is a long-running tradition for the new semester. While the internationals are missing, a fantastic showcase of local talent is always on offer. This year, Van She and Wolf & Cub were given the honour of headlining the Manning Stage, while their Van She Tech kept the party going downstairs soon after, their set extended due to Ajax’s last minute cancellation.
With tickets starting at just $15 for Sydney Uni students, it would be hard to argue Beachball isn’t a bargain. The first band of the night, Philadelphia Grand Jury, were worth the price of admission alone. With catchy tunes, and the always hilarious pre-recorded banter, you couldn’t have asked for a better start to the night. Dash & Will followed soon after and were completely different to what I expected… they were actually quite fantastic!
I don’t know whether it was the word on the street, or maybe just the name that made me think they’d be another boring alt-rock duo, but Charlie and Josie bring along a full band when they perform their form of melodic alternative rock, which includes the reasonably well known track “Fighting Over Nothing”. The result is simple, fun music, presented well in the live environment, with impressive stage presence to boot. And the fact they are both beautiful and can actually harmonise definitely helps matters.
What is there to say about Wolf & Cub? Performing tracks off their forthcoming LP… along with a couple of old favourites… these guys simply know how to get rock and roll done. Naturally famous for their two drum kits, it doesn’t matter how many times you see them, it’s a gimmick of sorts that never gets old, adding such a unique layer of intensity to their sound, whilst being downright impressive. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Seeing Wolf & Cub for the tenth, fifth, twentieth time… whatever it may be… is still as fun as the first time.
Now I’ve never been a huge fan of Van She, but this sort of environment – one full of drunken Uni students, that is – is definitely where they can be appreciated. Tracks like “Kelly” and “Strangers”, already veritable dance floor sensations, prove to be just as fun when the band plays them live. And the audience laps it up… as they do when they form their DJ alter egos, Van She Tech. I can’t say they’ve ever impressed me much in these regards either… but just like the live band before them, they know how to keep people on their feet, dancing until the lights come on, and we’re all led out into the dark of the night.
