Coinciding with the SLAM rally on the 23rd of February 2010, the fifth annual “Aussie BBQ” gave us eight more reasons to save live music: Pets With Pets, Summer Cats, Paul Dempsey, The Boat People, Crayon Fields, Oh Mercy and Wagons. Now in its fifth year the “Aussie BBQ” line up provided the crowd with an eclectic showcase of Australian music ranging from the entrancing electronic warbling of Pets With Pets to Wagons’ unique style of macabre folk rock.

Pets With Pets opened the night for the crowd filled with free barbecue treats. The Melbourne duo started the night strong, bar one or two technical difficulties. The pairs unique electronic sound could best be described as an effective mix of Animal Collective and Sigur Ros, entertaining their fans and mesmerizing those new to their music.

Second on the bill saw energetic distorted tones of Melbourne band Summer Cats. Lead singer Hugh summed the immediate future for the band with “We are going overseas somewhere.” The five piece, barely fitting on the smaller stage in the band room, rocked out up-beat pop rock, only taking short breaks to introduce songs and shamelessly promote their merchandise. Summer Cats’ combination of pop and punk adds “Happy” to the end of Short, Fast, Loud.

A late inclusion on the bill, Paul Dempsey, graced the Corner with an acoustic set of songs from his solo album. The Something For Kate front man charmed the crowd with his beautiful solo performance and banter about birds in captivity. With his fans out in force and the vibe of the SLAM rally still lingering, Paul Dempsey’s performance was a brilliant send off for the Australian rock icon before his tour of the US, returning to Melbourne’s Forum later on this year.

Performing at the peak of the evening The Boat People had the difficult job of keeping the show at its high, but they did just that. The quartet took to the smaller stage and didn’t hold back their infectious poppy sound. Playing songs from their debut album Chandeliers and previewing a few gems from their upcoming release, the quartet’s heavily lyrical pop tunes share similarities with recently divorced Melbourne darlings The Lucksmiths.

Definitely the band to watch in 2009 Oh Mercy carried over thier brilliance and promise into 2010. The Melbourne four piece, thrived in the pub environment filling the Corner Hotel with the sounds of their breakthrough album Privileged Woes. With a new album set to be released this year, Oh Mercy sure to find success on their tour of the US.

A softly spoken gem of the Australian music scene, Crayon Fields were a standout of the evening. The four piece charmed the audience with their shy banter and stunning harmonies as they showcased songs from their debut Animal Bells and latest album All the Pleasures of the World. The Melbourne quartet have their eyes set on world domination, well starting with the US, as they spread their unique melodic soft rock.

After a long evening there was no doubt that the crowd were growing weary but Wagons made sure the show finished on a high. The high energy four piece belted out their heavily country influenced style of rock that kept the crowd going at the end of the night. Frontman Henry Wagons never fails to impress, even in the confines of the Corner Hotel the he leapt across the stage howling lines from his band’s collection haunting country anthems; exhausting the remainder of the energy left over from the evenings SLAM rally.

Thanks to Stage Mothers for organising such a brilliant event, the practical use of the Corner’s two stages and the help of efficient technicians the night ran extremely smoothly with each band starting at exactly the right time ensuring an amazing night of Australian music. We wish each band the best of luck as they head off to the states.

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