Phil Jamieson Stops the Show to Help a Fan in Need
SPRING LOADED Wollongong - Saturday 22 October 2022
Written by: Jimmy Wah - Sense Music Media | Wednesday 26th October 2022
The stage was set for a torrential SPRING LOADED in Wollongong after forecasts of heavy rain and flooding on the east coast of Australia. I pictured a glistening crowd, lots of mud… and photos that would either make or break me. However, a venue change prompted a change of festival conditions, with all stages now being relocated to indoors. So after a costume change and a change of expectations, we arrived in Wollongong only to find the sun was shining and the day was lovely. How predictable.
Pictured - The SPRING LOADED crowd outside the University Hall & Unibar - University of Wollongong
The familiar sound of FRENZAL RHOMB was resonating from the University Hall when I came through the SPRING LOADED entry. As I approached the doors I was greeted by a sea of heads that extended from the foyer right down to the photo pit, where it was good to see everyone being accommodated. The energy that FRENZAL brought to the stage is always inescapable and brings a unique intimacy to their performance. Lead singer Jay didn’t even have to prompt the crowd to join in, but he did anyway. The eruption was monumental as he screamed ‘Louder!’ during well known songs like ‘I Miss My Lung’ and it only to the chaos. For the last few songs he invited former child actor, prodigy and good mate Nathan Cavaleri on stage to join in festivities for some iconic moments like ‘Never Had So Much Fun’.
Pictured: Nathan Cavaleri + Jay Whalley - FRENZAL RHOMB
Punters had a hot minute to make it over to the ‘Just Ace Place’ (Uni Bar) to catch SCREAMFEEDER bringing the sun indoors as they set fire to the stage. The 30 years of history between this group was evident through the ease and comfort that they shared the stage and effortlessly pumped out banging tracks. With the chance to have a bite to eat from both inside the Uni Bar and the food tucks outside, it wasn’t long before everyone piled back inside the University Hall to see JEBEDIAH reclaim the days of our youth. As I felt the floorboards flex under the weight of the jumping crowd, it wasn’t hard for songs like ‘Harpoon’ and ‘Leaving Home’ to pry out memories of rocking out at home and watching late nights on Rage. The songs were tattooed in my memory nearly 30 years later and the quality of the performance on the stage and in the airwaves matched it perfectly.
Pictured: Chris Daymond + Kevin Mitchell - REGURGITATOR
With the line-up changes being left to just the one stage after JEBEDIAH, we had a chance to enjoy the fresh air outside, get a drink and check out the merch before heading back in for REGURGITATOR. Everything about their performance seemed amplified; from the sound, to the lights to crowd and the bounce! REGURGITATOR’s music feels like a digital beachball inside the somatic sensory cortex of your brain. In other words; you can’t help but wanna bounce. This was mimicked by Bass player Ben who seemed to levitate as he jumped and Quan who didn’t seem to stop smiling the entire set. The energy from the stage could be seen reflected in the crowd and definitely felt during songs like ‘Polyester Girl’ when I had a chance to jump in the pit.
Pictured: Quan Yeomans, Martin Lee + Ben Ely - REGURGITATOR
After another break and a chat to some audience members outside, I could tell that YOU AM I were going to get a very warm welcome and when they hit the stage I wasn’t wrong. Not only were audience members massive fans of this pivotal Aussie rock band but their stage presence was enough to light up anyone’s night. With bottles of wine, wild hair and sideburns to mark their iconic style, there was no stopping Tim Rogers an his crew of accomplished musicians from taking us on a journey through well known songs that epitomised the 90s. Songs like ‘Heavy Heart’ and ‘Purple Sneakers’ were matched by the energy that was brought to them. When the band came together to play over the drums in the middle of the stage, you could feel the organic rock ‘n’ roll energy peak. YOU AM I, a band you definitely need to experience live.
Pictured: David Lane, Rusty Hopkinson, Tim Rogers + Andrew Kent - YOU AM I
When the GRINSPOON backdrop loomed over the stage and the band came out, the excitement in the room was palpable. Before they even played a chord, it was easy to see why; Phil Jamieson graced the stage in a crisp white jacket, sunglasses and flares that almost screamed ‘Elton John’… but there was no mistaking the iconic Aussie rock superstar. Playing through the full range of tracks in their catalogue, there wasn’t a single time that the audience couldn’t be heard singing along as we all rocked out to our favourite tracks. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much that it took a while to comprehend what happened next.
Pictured: Phil Jamieson - GRINSPOON
The music had stopped and the musicians had left the stage, except for Phil who was standing alone with his acoustic guitar and patiently directing the crowd to move aside for an audience member on the floor in need of attention. While he stood like Moses parting a sea of perplexed faces, chatter began to fill the University Hall and I heard rumours someone being knocked out after a punch up. As it turned out, there was a girl who had fallen unconscious and I heard someone say that she was breathing. Phil showed his appreciation to the audience and staff as security came to her aid wishing her well as she was stretchered out. Then to ease everyone back into the music, he played an acoustic version of GRINSPOON’S ‘Bad Funk Stripe’ before the rest of the band joined him to close out the set with ‘Chemical Heart’, ‘Champion’ and ‘More Than You Are’.
Pictured: The SPRING LOADED crowd in the University Hall - University of Wollongong
The day was pleasant and the night was strong. Commitment of fans after such a long time is testament to the strength of Aussie music and the brilliance of SPRING LOADED. While 2022 may be done and dusted for this iconic festival, the music never stops.
