Southbound Festival @ SirStewart Bovell Park,Busselton, (02/01/11)

Mon 10th Jan, 2011 in Gig Reviews

As the sun shone down early, making sleeping and tent life quite impossible, Southbound day 2 had arrived. Boom! Bap! Pow! had the lunch-time crowd swinging and bopping to some crazy soul with funky horns; the perfect cure for the night before’s hang over.

Over on the Paper stage, Boy And Bear chugged along with little stage presence, but their vocal harmonies were tight as they showcased tunes from With Emperor Antartica. These guys are a joy to watch.

With no hint of hype, and a tiny crowd, little was expected from Minnesotta country bluesman Charlie Parr, but he turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival. Rocking good time songs engaged the crowd with a voice so similar to John Fogerty you could swear you were listening to Credence. 1890 was huge, showcasing just what this man could do with such a voice and a guitar whilst a songs about “hitting a man in the head with a club” had all in attendance tuning in, his ode to home security indeed.

The ever present Megan Washington was looking sultry and sassy onstage, in a simple black singlet and genuine swagger, she made her way through commercial pop gem The Hardest Part and breakthrough Sunday Best before holing out with the angsty Cement.

“Hello, hello, hello, we’re the Cold War KIds, thanks for coming” was the simple intro for the lads from Long Beach, California before opening with Mexican Dog, Rubidoux had the crowd grooving before Louder Than Ever and set highlight Hang Me Out To Dry had all singing as one terrible choir.

Eskimo Joe skipped onstage to a surpringly small crowd, nlasting into the familiar sounds of Sarah, once in full flight, the kids picked up what they were missing and flooded to the main stage, silly rabbits.

It was a hit after hit affair, with Eskimo Joe rolling off New York, Older Than You and Foreign Land in quick succession with the_Inshalla_ title track and Setting Sun being the only breather spaces, Lead man Kav Temperley seemed jovial, referring to all as “motherfuckers” on more than one occasion. London Bombs had the hand wavers excited, before Temperley announced it was the final show for drummer Lee Jones, who was leaving the band for new project, The Sun Orchestra – keep an eye out kids. Black Fingernails, Red Wine had the drinking section over-powering the youngens at the front in the “woah oh oh” competition” before new song, Love is a Drug let us all in on what to expect from the new album, being recorded in the following fortnight.

Dont Let Me Down signalled the end for the Eskis who, though a little vocally shakey, were a huge success for the Saturday crowd. Meanwhile, on the smaller stages The Darra J Family had their scat going on, with a party vibe full of “doo wops”, “bup bup bups” and “ooooh yeahs”. A lot of fun in the sun indeed.

The mighty Birds Of Tokyo swanned onstage with The Saddest Thing I Know before stepping back in their catalogue for Wild Eyed Boy. Mr Ian Kenny seemed to struggle a little on The Unspeakable Scene maybe from the rigours of being one of the biggest bands in Australia at the moment, nonetheless he picked it up on In the Veins of Death Valley and the BOT feel good anthem White Witch – such a great song.

Circles broke the pace for the lovers in the crowd to get close, before the two finest moments of their self titled latest Wild At Heart and Waiting For The Wolves were played for an adoring crowd. Silhouettic, The Gap and Broken Bones_ rounded out the Brids set but not before Plans had everyone in sight singing along to the anthem of 2010.

Over on the scissor stage, Beardyman was putting on a show for those not old enough for Joan Jett or bad-ass clock-wearing enough for Public Enemy. Unfortunately his shows don’t vary all that much, with the standard Land Down Under to the Tie Me Kangaroo Down vocal samples, if you had seen him at Breakfest, you’d seen it all before.

An epic day of sun, sounds, toilet smells and over-priced booze.