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Happy Birthday Canberra! FasterLouder visited Stage 88 to celebrate Canberra’s 97th birthday. And in high style too. The likes of Eskimo Joe, Dragon and Cassie Davis were there to blow out the candles.

The demographic research of the event may have gone a little by the way side when comparing to the bands though. With mums and dad with their children from 0 to 12, event organisers seem to miss the boat completely. Dragon and Who’s your Daddy were a great pick, as for the other bands, most punters were left wondering and wandering. This wasn’t lost on the bands either. With Cassie Davis slipping some Sweet Home Alabama and Michael Jackson into her set and then apologising to the older generation saying “Sorry guys, time for one of my new song, but stay up dancing though”. Not to take away from any of the bands though, they did a stella job!

Local outfits Manilla Green, The Trivs, Whos’ Ya Daddy and A Bridge Between were first to grace the stage.

Manilla Green reminiscent of Crowded House in their song She tried to Teach Me and The Trivs with their own style of rock. Their set including a game of cd frisbee. With both bands, their lyrics were super catchy and by the end you involuntarily started singing along, it was fantastic!

Next up was super Canberra covers band Who’s’ Ya Daddy. If you haven’t seen them yet, you are bound to soon. These guys are everywhere at the moment. Playing a mash up of hits non-stop. I would describe it as playing all the good bits of a song one after another without coming up for air. Starting with Motown tunes, then onto Michael Jackson, then onto Black Eye Peas and then with Potbelleez and that’s just the beginning. With a repertoire of more than 250 song there is always something there that will get you jumping. Sporting a three piece horn section, two singer plus the usual suspect in guitar and drums, Canberra’s mega force, Who’s your Daddy, got the crowd pumped!

Nice little tempo change with blues A Bridge Between. Riff driven, guitar grinding solos, it quickly became apparent why they were called a ‘bridge’ between. Accompanied by a sultry trumpet sound this blues four piece was a welcome break before the final three headline acts.

Needing no introduction Dragon melted away the crowd to the front of the stage. This was the first time the new band has played in Canberra. Featuring Mark Williams on vocal, Bruce Reid on guitar, Todd Hunter on bass and Pete Drummond on drums. Playing all their hits, the crowd wanted more! Rain, Young Years, Ordinary Men as well as Speak No Evil and April Sun in Cuba had the crowd singing along. Mark even got his 90’s hit song Show No Mercy out to stretch its legs, which also helped us put a song to the name, realising where we had seen him before. It is always great seeing these bands coming back live on stage.

Cassie Davis’s sets are always full of enthusiasm and spunk. Differently, Like it Loud and new single_Don’t Wanna Dance_ were there to the crowds extreme enjoyment and she threw in a couple of great great covers also in the way of Sweet Home Alabama, Man in the Mirror and Hot and Cold. Cassie is only small but man she has a voice.

Last up was Eskimo Joe. I think they were shocked to find 5 year olds in the front row with a comment from gold jacket clad lead singer Kavyen that it was a first, but was great to see them all still awake!. All the usual suspects in the set and them some. Eskimo Joe performances never seem to satisfy and leave you wanting more. This show was no exception. Hard hitting riffs and grand vocal…what a way to end a 97th Birthday party.

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