That was the theme of the night and a brilliant idea it is too. A concept was developed to showcase a host of local femme artists/femme-fronted bands celebrating the songs of one of Newcastle’s most successful exports and beloved acts, Silverchair. To be able to witness the force and emotion of Daniel Johns’ songwriting being channelled through some of the city’s best female voices sets the scene for a memorable night.
Before we get into things as they unfolded at the Sydney Junction Hotel last Saturday night as part of the Newcastle Fringe Festival, I’d like to mention one of my favourite things about this event. It was open to all ages. To witness youngsters experience one of their first gigs in a safe environment was magical. Having gigs and spaces like these are crucial components to ensuring there is a next generation of musos.
Emily A. Smith started off the night by humbly acknowledging that she was a lover of Silverchair before most of the other artists on the lineup were even able to talk. Through smoky black eyeliner, Smith’s eyes pierced the veil between audience and performer as she spoke of the importance of mental health awareness and the individual strength required to deal with it. It was refreshing to hear the topic spoken about with such honesty.
Smith then launched into her original song entitled ‘Beaumont Street’, which is an account of some of her own experiences on the very street where this gig is unfolding. This just reinforced the pride in the room about the local music scenes, past and present, and accordingly, Smith set about celebrating the reason for this special show with her deft cover of Silverchair’s ‘Tomorrow’, the song that started it all for three amazing teenagers from Merewether. As always, Smith set a high standard and it wasn’t long before the audience turned choir and joined in a very enthusiastic sing-along.
(Side Note: Each Monday night, Emily holds a grunge jam night called ‘Temple of the Stag’ at The Stag & Hunter Hotel in Mayfield, which has quickly become a place of worship for those hooked on the sounds of the 90s.)
Up next, the ethereal Maicey, known for her gentle undulating vocals and alternative music, took to the stage. Joined by Tristan (Soyboy) on keys/synth, Maicey launched into the classic ‘Straight Lines’ and delivered a soft and heavenly rendition of one of Silverchair’s most beloved later releases. The audience was clearly intrigued by Maicey as she ventured into her original ‘Hold’, captivated by the pulsing synths and a booming electronic kick sample.
Regikay then claimed the stage with an air of confidence and brought a commanding presence as well as a whole heap of groove. Regi is an exciting performer and isn’t afraid of moving to the beat. Rounding out their set with the iconic ‘Freak’ from its namesake album Freakshow was just the elixir to encourage the teens in the audience to start jumping around, sending the crowd into a frenzy. A stunning display of versatility.
All femme band Ragdoll were next to take the stage, engulfing the room in a wash of crashing cymbals and riot grrl vocals. Reminiscent of Bikini Kill, Ragdoll is hard to ignore and makes it almost impossible not to move around. And this is exactly what the crowd did during their cover of ‘Leave Me Out’. When it comes to lyrics, Ragdoll is completely remorseless. The audience became transfixed, unable to look away, hanging off every single word. Be sure to put Ragdoll on your list of must-see live acts in Newcastle soon.
Indie-pop staple, Elestial reset the vibe in the room with their cover of ‘Ana’s Song (Open Fire)’. Fronted by Elyssa Hawkins, the band was tight and suited to her warm, powerful vocals perfectly. It was obvious that they have been hard at work in preparation for the launch of their first band release ‘Delphinium’ which is due in the next fortnight. Elyssa is one of those artists that was born to be on stage. Whenever she’s up there, you know that you can sit back, relax and really take in what’s about to go down. Elyssa worked alongside her manager Dave Hawkins to see this iconic night come to fruition.
To finish it all off, Well? steamrolled SJ’s with their incredibly huge sound, packed to the brim with some of the most insane bass lines that you’ll ever hear, shredding guitar solos, fast-paced drums, creatively edgy synths and phenomenal vocals. In their first song, bassist Andrew Gray exclaimed that he had already broken a jack due to how hard they were rocking!
Well? played two Silverchair covers – ‘The Greatest View’ and ‘Israel’s Son’ which were beautifully executed. Tentacles of joy filled the room during these covers, so much so that it seemed each audience member had given in to their inner child in order to rip out an animated and unapologetic singalong. Guitarist Taylan Bragg scaled an amp in the back corner of the room to perform an epic guitar solo which was followed by a fully-fledged mosh pit. Rock and roll chaos of the best kind and a fitting end to the night.
Before we leave the room though, there is an obligation to mention the gremlin in the sound system. Recurring feedback from the 2nd artist onward really did impact the enjoyment of the event for many. The reason for it should be dealt with so that it doesn’t occur again. And that’s important because this show definitely should happen again. It’s simply a great idea. In fact, I think it should be an annual event.
And while we’re on the subject, here’s something I would ask the organisers to consider for next time. Perhaps there could be more Silverchair songs in the mix. As some readers will know, I am an avid worshipper of local original music, as is Newcastle Live itself. In this case, though, where we are celebrating the music of an iconic local act, I think that it would be a very positive move to include more Silverchair covers. The majority of patrons were there because they love Silverchair. I believe that each artist on the lineup would have walked away with just as many, if not more, new fans by playing 2 Silverchair covers and 1 original song rather than 1 Silverchair cover and 2 originals. This would have left audience members familiar with the sounds of each artist but also well and truly quenched by tributes to the band of the hour.
Having local femme-fronted bands cover the songs of Silverchair, who is arguably the band that put the Newcastle music scene on the global map, is an excellent concept and by looking at ticket sales, it was obviously wanted by Novocastrians. This, in the humble opinion of this author, should be an annual event. It was a fabulous way to promote community, especially amongst femme musos, by getting women into the spotlight and celebrating one of the reasons to be proud of being a Novocastrian.
