The first music festival featuring international acts since the pandemic shut everything down kicked off its run around Australia at Maitland Showground on Friday night.
After days of unrelenting storms, the sun came out and Under The Southern Stars set up for a great day of live music headlined by US heavyweights Cheap Trick.
British rockers Bush, grunge icons Stone Temple Pilots, American alt-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie) Rose Tattoo completed the lineup for this travelling roadshow that drew out a large crowd of super keen punters, from across the region and beyond.
Paul DeMarco is back behind the kit for Rose Tattoo, who kicked off the event with an extended set showcasing highlights from their long career which got the early arrivals on their feet and pumping their fists in the air.
While many people in the audience seemed unsure of what to make of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, their set was truly one of the highlights of the day. The interplay of guitar lines and sounds between Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been is tight and, at times, mesmerising.
When Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz and singer Jeff Gutt from Californian band Stone Temple Pilots hit the stage, you can feel something special in the air. It’s anticipation and everyone is on their feet.
Let’s get one thing out of the way – Gutt is a great vocalist, in fact, he’s amazing. He hits all the right notes and he’s got the sound needed to pull off the STP back catalogue, but he’s not Scott Weiland…. But none of that seems to matter. Stone Temple Pilots are on stage and people are losing their minds, we’re all singing along and it’s fucking brilliant.
With only a few obvious omissions, the band do a good job of covering some of their most loved songs. But it’s not enough for the crowd. They want more, and Stone Temple Pilots deliver the only encore of the day.
Gavin Rosedale, the enigmatic Bush frontman, commented to his swelled and adoring audience that he couldn’t believe after the years that we have experienced since the start of the global pandemic in 2020, that he was now on stage with his mates, performing at a festival.
“What a fucking crazy two years! It’s so weird to think that this is real. Until five minutes ago I would have thought that this whole thing could have been cancelled, but here we are and it’s incredible,” Rosedale said.
And then… “Please welcome the best fucking rock band you’ve ever seen. Cheap Trick!”
73 years old lead guitarist, Rick Nielsen is full of attitude, his solos are on point and he’s doing all the rock n’ roll stuff you expect from a Cheap Trick set. Robin Zander hits all the notes, kicks arse during crowd favourites Dream Police and The Flame and is generally the charismatic frontman he’s renowned for being.
It’s Cheap Trick and the fans are eating it up. As they take their bow at the end of the set, it feels like you’re witnessing a piece of history and kudos for Under The Southern Stars for delivering it to us.
Under The Southern Stars will continue its festival run around Australia. Find out more and grab tickets by visiting underthesouthernstars.com.au.
