w/ GRINSPOON, YOU AM I, MAGIC DIRT, REGURGITATOR, FRENZAL RHOMB + TUMBLEWEED

Written by: Suze Blacketer - Recurrent Verse | Sunday 14th August 2022

After a few false starts thanks to the spicy cough some of Australia’s most loved 90’s alt-rock bands finally dropped by Adelaide on Saturday the 13th August for a little reunion. The Spring Loaded tour is a trip down memory lane for those who attended festivals like Big Day Out and Homebake and a chance for some fans (insert me here) to see some of them live for the first time.

SPRING LOADED on Spotify

As TUMBLEWEED opened the afternoon, I found myself warped back to the early morning BDO RAGE specials (which before the internet was where I found my music!) Throwing the crowd some advice to pace ourselves because “it’s a big day” and then proceeding to pummel us with songs like ‘Mountain’, ‘Nothin’ To Do With The Weather’ and ‘Silver Lizard’ made sure that the advice was soon forgotten! 30 years on and these boys still rock out hard.

A slight delay and a crowd chant of FRENZAL set the tone for what was to come. The FRENZAL frenzy came to town. Having heard over the years about the killer sets these lads turn out I was keen to finally witness it for myself.  Ten seconds into the set and the bodies could be seen orbiting the crowd as the pit exploded. At one point an excited punter ripped off their jumper and hurled it at the stage. Sorry no bras here boys! On stage banter and a moving duelling guitar waltz kept the crowd entertained. With crowd favourites like ‘Mr. Charisma’, ‘You Are Not My Friend’, ‘When My Baby Smiles At Me I Go To Rehab’, ‘I Miss My Lung’, ‘Never Had So Much Fun’ and ‘Punch In The Face’… thirty minutes of mayhem was over way too soon.

Adelita Srsen is a rock goddess.  Even after nearly 30 years MAGIC DIRT are still a force to be reckoned with live. Performing hits like ‘Dirty Jean’, ‘Plastic Loveless Letter’ and ‘Pace It’, the band rocked the hell out of the Entertainment Centre during their set. Vocalist/guitarist Adelita was on fire encompassing the entire stage while she showed us just how a guitar should be played, and in true rock queen style managed not once but twice to send the mic stand flying, along with a slight alteration to the drum kit!  In a touching gesture the band dedicated their song ‘Supagloo’ to Australian musical royalty in Archie Roach, Judith Durham and Olivia Newton-John, who have all been sadly lost to the industry in the last few months. On a side note, if you are a young female entering the music scene please go and check Adelita out, she is an amazing ambassador and role model for women in rock.

REGURGITATOR appeared on stage and the vibe in the room lifted to the next level. Amongst a sea of bobbing heads and flailing bodies the crowd belted out the songs that they grew up with and we forgot the last few years. Playing all their hits like ‘Kong Foo Sing’, ‘Black Bugs’, ‘Blubber Boy’ and ‘Polyester Girl’ it was awesome to see so many of the younger generation singing along too. I think there were plenty of parent/kid bonding moments over the course of the evening as the younger generation got to see first-hand just how truly amazing the 90’s scene was.

The pace drops slightly as YOU AM I takes the stage which helps us to catch our breath, but only slightly! ‘Rumble’, ‘Who Put The Devil In You’, ‘Cathy’s Clown’, ‘Mr. Milk’ and ‘Berlin Chair’ show case just how iconic the song writing of this band is and the impact they have on the music scene. Once again, the swaying crowd are more than happy to lend a hand with the vocals as body’s have a chance to rest and recoup before GRINSPOON hit the stage.

If you have never witnessed GRINSPOON live, are you even living?? These guys are a class act and always put on a stellar show and tonight was absolutely no exception. A suave, sun-glassed Phil Jamieson dons the centre of the stage, the opening notes of ‘DCX3’ start and the crowd loses their mind. This is what we have been waiting for. From here it is banger after banger of GRINSPOON’s finest songs – such as ‘Lost Control’, ‘Just Ace’, ‘Hard Act To Follow’, ‘No Reason’ and ‘Better Off Alone’. The pace only slows for a beautiful version of ‘Minute by Minute’ before the battering continues. As the opening notes of ‘Chemical Heart’ echoes from the stage it leads to the realization that the night is close to ending. Taking us home with ‘More Than You Are’, GRINSPOON have once again given us their all.

Spring Loaded need to be congratulated for not only bringing all these stellar bands together but for bringing the people together in celebration after a few extremely trying years. I walked away from this gig full of nostalgia, ringing ears and the hugest smile on my face! Bring on the next one!

All photos by: Samuel Phillips - Samuel Phillips Photography