A chilly wintery night brought a group of people into the cosy surroundings of the Wheatsheaf Hotel. The group came together to celebrate the ‘folk and roots’ addition to the Coopers Alive showcase event weekend. Coopers Alive is a joint initiative of AUSMUSIC SA, MusicSA, and Coopers Brewery, to showcase and support a number of truly talented local acts and show the public that local music is alive and well. Cookie Baker, The Fiddle Chicks, and Huckleberry Swedes warmed up the wintery crowd.
Cookie Baker was the first act of the night. The crowd instantly went silent, captivated by the music. Cookie’s backing band, the Special Secret Spells’ sound was perfect and smooth. Cookie Baker’s sweet vocals were aptly supported by her keyboard playing, Joelie Croser on violin, Jaan Kiploks on acoustic guitar, and Ryan Manolakis on drums. The songs were quirky, and each one matched with a story to tell. The banter with the audience was very relaxed, like she was chatting to friends. My personal favourite would have to be the new addition Diabolical Crush Song, which is a working title because it is so new. Clean Sheets and a Bottle of Gin, was the song that got the band of friends interacting and giggling with each other, which was fantastic to see. Cookie Baker confessed that she was the only family member missing her Mum’s 50th tonight, so we were blessed to have her talent in our company.
The second act was 3-piece The Fiddle Chicks. The harmony of Violins and vocals was very sweet with a country twang. At one stage in their set, a country atmosphere with an almost ‘hoe-down feel’ arrived at the Wheatsheaf with the crowd clapping along. The talent in these violinists is remarkable, with violins being plucked, strummed, and with a bow. A particular highlight was the moving version of a Paul Kelly song, and the cover of The Waifs’ song Lighthouse. This talented group deserve all the accolades they get.
The final act of the generous night was Huckleberry Swedes. They began their set with a rock feel, and the all male 5 piece were sporting waistcoats and beards. Their set got the crowd up and trying to dance, as the drinks had kicked in. The joking banter from lead singer Troy Loakes kept the atmosphere at a high, with the crowd joking back with him. This band has such a professional contemporary country sound, that it is amazing to hear they only formed in 2005.
Coopers Alive showed that live music is alive and well in Adelaide, and that there are a lot of professional outfits on our own doorstep! Make sure you all get out there and see our home-grown talent!
