Brisbane’s Cremorne Theatre isn’t well known for rock and roll music. However, for four weeks in January and February, all that will change, as QPAC presents Gighouse, a collection of 23 bands over 8 nights. And who better to open a new Brisbane music festival than one of it’s favourite sons, David McCormack. Joined by Halfday and The Boat People, it was apparently the best gig of his life, although those looking for a controlled set of songs from McCormack’s vast back catalogue would have been significantly less impressed.

The Cremorne Theatre has been done up for the special run of music gigs, and the decorations around the outside of the room containing the stage are very special. The lighting is as good as you would expect from a professional theatre, and the sound quality and levels remain consistently good throughout the night. There’s so much going on outside the main area (including numerous Twister and Connect Four sets) that there’s more people outside than inside when Halfday take the stage.

You could be forgiven for not recognising Halfday. From the band which released debut album Now We’re Happy, only lead singer Nathan Lockwood remains, and although the musicians that he performs with tonight are competent, Halfday have lost some of the spring from their step. Of course, with pop songs as well written as Halfday’s, any performance is an entertaining one, and that’s certainly true tonight. Most of the songs are from the album, with only a couple of new ones thrown in for good measure. Hit single You Make Me Want To Clean My Room is a hit with the burgeoning crowd, and Halfday get a good 40 minute set in, a surprisingly long one for an opening band.

Unfortunately, any momentum in the gig is lost at this stage with a 45 minute break before the next act. Obviously with a timeline beginning at 7pm and finishing at midnight, there’s going to be some long breaks, but QPAC might want to consider opening later or finishing earlier in the future.

The Boat People have built a solid reputation as one of Brisbane’s best live acts, and tonight’s set definitely bolsters that rep, as well as introducing fans to some of the new songs which the Boaties have been working on for their new album. Frontmen James O’Brien and Robin Waters share the singing duties (and play bass and keys respectively), but the show belongs to guitarist Charles Dugan, whose variety of styles provides the driving force behind so many of the Boaties songs. A distortion laden intro to Clean is a definite highlight, as is single Unsettle My Heart, but the new songs also make an impact, especially Born In The 80’s, and As If I Could. At this rate, their new album should be one of the albums to look out for in 2007.

David McCormack has been getting a lot of attention lately, off the back of organising the recent Go-Betweens tribute show, and playing the Tenacious D support slot. Tonight its just him with an acoustic guitar, and longtime compatriot Cameron Bruce on piano. There’s a drumkit, but no drummer, at least at first. They open with a very special rendition of Custard’s Sunset Strip, and the piano on stage necessitates a sparkling rendition of If Yr Famous And You Know It Sack Your Band. David and Cameron are in fine form, bantering back and forth as well as directly with the audience. Nick Naughton joins them on stage to drum for Caboolture Speed Lab (a request from the crowd), as well as I’m Gonna Execute Your Ex-Boyfriend. McCormack is getting more and more manic as the gig goes along, frequently pausing mid-song to tell the crowd, “This is the best gig of my life!” and to spontaneously rip into some classic rock riffs. They flash through The Inner West, and Girls Like That, but it’s at this stage that things break down completely.

McCormack invites the crowd up on stage, and around fifteen people join him, at which point he drops down with his remote mic, into the crowd. His view of Naughton and Bruce is now obscured, and because they haven’t been following any set list, they can no longer communicate which song they’re playing. McCormack spends the next 20 minutes mucking around with riffs and tuning, devolving into part rockstar, part hyperactive child. He calls out for requests, but when people request Custard songs, he rejects them, before breaking into a very weird rendition of GunsNRoses’ Sweet Child Of Mine. Some of the crowd is cheering, but a few people are clearly annoyed at McCormack’s loss of control of the gig, and some even leave, clearly expecting a more professional show. Finally, order is restored, but there’s only time for a couple more songs. The New Matthew is a timely reminder of McCormack’s ability to write heart-warming songs where no one knows what they are about, and closer The Truth About Love is classy as well.

Over the course of a sixty minute set, McCormack managed to play just eight complete songs. While the excellent opening suggested a night of witty banter and lovely renditions of classic Custard songs, it devolved all too quickly into a wild and crazy show, where the music took a back seat to McCormack’s zany personality. All in all, it was a fine evening of rock and roll, and an excellent debut for what will hopefully be many Gighouse shows to come, but it could potentially have been so much more.