BEARDED LADY FUNDRAISER VOL. 3 REVIEW

Writer: Joseph Maranta

Images: Lachlan Neil @nognogglesnog | Joseph Maranta

As the fiscal realities of live music continue to become more and more dire, it’s nights like last Thursday which act as the polaroid inside the locket of a soldier, reminding him of why he continues to fight a seemingly futile battle.

On the 13th of March, The Bearded Lady could no longer remain stoic in the face of insurmountable operational costs, and as a result was forced to put out a desperate call to action to the Brisbane music community. The S.O.S message was heeded by punters, and to provide an outlet for this overwhelming support – The Beardo facilitated three fundraising gigs.

Thursday the 17th of April marked the third instalment, with venue sweethearts Radium Dolls headlining a mammoth lineup supported by Concrete Surfers, Guppy, Old Home and C.A.R.E.

The first act on stage was the uber ethereal C.A.R.E. Fresh off opening for Peter Bibby a fortnight ago, the quintet got the party started in emphatic fashion, immersing the crowd in a gritty coalescence of blues and garage-rock. The magnetic stage presence of the band’s frontwoman can’t be overstated, her carefree stage waltzes and emphatic head rocking perfectly complimented her visceral vocal performance.

Photographer: Lachlan Neil

Following C.A.R.E came Old Home, eager to clear the high bar of energy set before them. The cacophonic noise of the band’s instrumentalists served as an underscore for the deeply personal poetry screeched by frontman Kai. Kai’s performance commanded the rooms attention, yet his projections were reminiscent of a man desperately screaming into an abyss, yearning to be heard. Despite the wildly different subject matter underpinning their music, it isn’t too hard to understand why Old Home have opened for Shady Nasty, as the sinister edge of the Sunshine Coast trio bears many similarities to the punk / hip-hop numbers of Sydney’s finest.

Breaking a three-month gigging hiatus, underground phenoms Concrete Surfers were next to rock the Beardo. With a track list comprised of past favourites and new material from their forthcoming album, it was unsurprisingly their breakout hit Miscommunication which took the honours as the crowd’s highlight of the set. Eight years on from its release, the lull during the track’s bridge still possessed a timeless suspense before the crowd roared into life with

“I don’t want to be the result of Miscommunication, it is easy to be FUCKING frustrated”

But even with all of the fanfare with Miscommunication, for me the best moment of their whirlwind set was Driving, but I’m likely in the minority, as the rest of the crowd had to deal with some fuckwit screaming out of tune in their ear the whole song – sucks to be them.

The haunting shrieks and unpredictable soundscapes of Guppy were up next to raise the curtain for the night’s headliner. Frontperson Pam made the stage her own, never feeling comfortable in one spot, or one axis for that matter – constantly taking the liberty to venture towards the crowd or to drape herself across the stage. There was a brilliant dynamic onstage between the band’s two vocalists, who almost appeared to be trying to out enthuse one another.

Also, special shout out to the photographers on the night, as their shots provided a brilliant addition to the onstage chaos, with their synchronic flashes forming a near strobe-light effect which brilliantly complimented Guppy’s sound.

To the sincerest pleasure of everyone in attendance, the night’s headliners, Radium Dolls, were up next to cap off an incredible night. I could try recall the order of their set and discuss each track chronologically, but unfortunately my eagerness to remember the sequence of their performance was preceded by my eagerness to have a really awesome time at a Radium Dolls show. My karmic punishment was reckoned with in the morning, but the memories of the show itself luckily still remained.

Early in their set was Casino, a personal favourite of mine and a great excuse to really test out the larynx. Although the song itself usually makes you yearn to be further west with its poignant chords and drawn-out strums, being in The Bearded Lady surrounded by 100 bodies swaying in sync changed my perspective on the track – this is where Casino is meant to be heard.

Somewhat surprisingly, the track which caused the most ruckus in the mosh was Tractor Parts. Not even limited to the track’s final hoorah, a mosh genuinely formed from around one minute into the song, where the BPM is comically low for any type of pushing and shoving. Regardless, those getting into it early were vindicated come the final chorus, as it only made the eventual climax all that more cathartic.

Finally, to round off their set Radium Dolls gave us one last Treat, haha. Anyways, there was a palpable excitement building before their finale – a truly giddy aura was beginning to overtake the hallowed walls of The Bearded Lady.

After Will had finished necking an undisclosed alcoholic beverage, the unmistakable riff of Treat rung out and bodies began to move. They didn’t stop moving until the track’s final lull, when a guy in a Fontaines D.C. football jersey hopped on stage for a wave at the crowd. After hugging and embracing Will for good measure, the stage was cleared, the final chorus began to ring out and pandemonium ensued. An atmosphere of pure jubilation and frenzy overtook the venue, with a fervour which wouldn’t be out of place at a music festival.

It was truly the perfect end to a great gig with an even better cause underpinning it.

The GoFundMe campaign is still active and all of us here at Ballpoint Press would appreciate any support you can offer The Bearded Lady.

Direct donations are greatly appreciated, but if you aren’t feeling particularly charitable currently then the second-best thing you can do is pop in for a schooner or four.

Long Live The Bearded Lady and Australian music!

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