[MUSIC/Rock ~ ADELAIDE FRINGE PREMIERE ~ AUS]
by Ian Bell.
Adelaide y’know how it is right? You stand at the festival stop waiting for a festival to come along for what seems like two years and then all of a sudden a whole bunch all come at the same time. Adelaide fringe is in full swing, Adelaide Festival has kicked off with some amazing events and this weekend Adelaide get WOMADelaide’s 30th Anniversary event featuring amazing artists from all over the world, but we also get the long awaited (and twice postponed) Under The Southern Stars (UTSS).
Being staged over three huge days in Adelaide’s Bonython Park, UTSS brings together a line-up of killer bands from several decades with a bill that changes headliners each night. When this show was originally scheduled (which itself feels like years ago, because it was) the headline bands were ‘90s alternative rockers Live, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush, who were all Triple J legends that gained wide mainstream success, and had massive fan-bases in Australia.
With the first rescheduled dates Live had other commitments Rockford’s finest, living legends, Cheap Trick were added to the top of the bill and when COVID restrictions paused the event for the second time, it turned into a three day extravaganza and they are now joined by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Rose Tattoo, Adelaide’s own The Superjesus, Killing Heidi, The Badloves, Dallas Crane, The Black Sorrows, Flying Colours and Germein (bill varies each day).
Let’s take a quick look at the UTSS line up (or some of it) to remind us all what is on offer with this exciting line-up:
Cheap Trick has been a kickass rock band for sliding into fifty years. Songs like Surrender, I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police, The Flame are stone cold classics by any standard. They were inducted into the 2016 Rock‘n’Roll Hall Of Fame and their high octane riff-filled power pop has influenced bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. On a personal note, Cheap Trick have been one of my favourite bands for 40+ years, they continue to make fantastic records (2016’s Bang Zoom Crazy Hello and 2017’s We’re All Alright and last year’s In Another World – are all splendid) and they are one of the tightest, heart-startingly great and fun live rock‘n’roll bands you’ll ever see.
Click HERE to watch Cheap Trick’s Surrender.
Stone Temple Pilots’ first album Core came out in 1992 and they were an instant hit on MTV and the wave of grunge/alternative rock that was taking over the music world. STP had a volatile relationship on an off stage with break up’s reformations and charismatic front-man Scott Weiland’s struggles with drugs they nonetheless produced classics like Plush, Sex Type Thing, Interstate Love Song, Meatplow, Vasoline and Creep before getting sacked in 1998. His replacement (former Linkin Park singer) Chester Bennington was out front from 2013-2015 before returning to Linkin Park and solo paths. Since then Jeff Gutt (Dry Cell/X Factor) has been on vocals with whom they have now made two albums.
Click HERE to watch Vasoline by Stone Temple Pilots.
London band, Bush, were massive in the mid-nineties, Sixteen Tons was a massive hit album straight out of the gate with tracks like Glycerine, Comedown and Everything Zen becoming a huge grunge rock draw. Sophisticated and powerful music driven by Gavin Rossdale’s arresting voice and striking good looks made them favourites for alternative music fans and teenage girls alike. Interestingly Rossdale was dating the Baby Animals’ Suze DeMarchi, and met future band mate guitar player Nigel Pulsford at an Animals gig in the UK. He also dated Courtney Love and Marilyn before getting married to Gwen Stefani (they have three sons together) before parting ways in 2016. Bush broke up in 2004 but reformed in 2010 and have been touring and making new music ever since.
Click HERE to watch Glycerine by Bush.
Super excited for the return of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, they were part of a healthy and long overdue return to dirty rock’n’roll sounds of the early 2000s that saw bands like The Datsuns, Jet, The D4, were showing people the importance of kicking out the jams again after a long period of dance music, Brit Pop and girly pop (not that I have a problem with any of those genre’s btw). BRMC combined four on the floor sixties flavoured rock with the attitudes of their influences like Jesus & Mary Chain, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. Songs like Love Your Love, Love Burns, Stop and the epic Whatever Happened To My Rock‘n’Roll (punk song) are all alt rock bangers. Peter Hayes & Peter Levon Been were childhood friends and their current drummer (since 2009) is the ferocious Leah Shapiro – long time live drummer for some of my favourite Swedes – The Raveonettes.
Click HERE to watch Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Whatever Happened To My Rock’n’roll (Punk Song)
And that’s just for starters! Under The Southern Stars also features legendary Aussie rockers, the original scarred-for-life bad-boys-for-love Rose Tattoo (currently bolstered by former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans and Finch/Skyhooks guitar player Bob Spencer. The Superjesus and Killing Heidi will kick your butts, Joe Camilleri’s legendary The Black Sorrows play on the Friday line-up, and then The Badloves and Dallas Crane jump on board for the Sunday show!
Festivals are back baby and they are Under The Southern Stars.
Under The Southern Stars At Adelaide Fringe happens at Bonython Park, Adelaide, at various times, from Fri 18 Mar until Sun 20 Mar.
Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 and adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
Full 3-Day ‘Under The Southern Stars’ Line-Up:
Fri 18 Mar: Bonython Park, Adelaide, SA
Gates open: 4pm
Germein – 4.45 – 5.15pm
Electric Mary – 5.35 – 6.05pm
The Black Sorrows – 6.25 – 7.10pm
Rose Tattoo – 7.30 – 8.15pm
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – 8.35 – 9.20pm
Cheap Trick – 9.45 – 10.45pm
Sat 19 Mar: Bonython Park, Adelaide, SA
Gates open: 12-Midday
Ben Hazlewood – 1.30 – 2.00pm
Electric Mary – 2.20 – 2.50pm
Flying Colours – 3.15 – 4.00pm
The Superjesus – 4.25 – 5.10pm
Rose Tattoo – 5.35 – 6.20pm
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – 6.45 – 7.30pm
Stone Temple Pilots – 8.00 – 9.00pm
Bush – 9.30 – 10.30pm
Sun 20 Mar: Bonython Park, Adelaide, SA
Gates open: 12-Midday
Dallas Crane – 1.30 – 2.00pm
Electric Mary – 2.20 – 2.50pm
The Badloves – 3.15 – 4.00pm
Killing Heidi – 4.25 – 5.10pm
Rose Tattoo – 5.35 – 6.20pm
Cheap Trick – 6.45 – 7.45pm
Bush – 8.15 – 9.15pm
Stone Temple Pilots – 9.45 – 10.45pm
#ADLfringe
#ClotheslineMag
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#Bush
#StoneTemplePilots
#BlackRebelMotorcycleClub,
#RoseTattoo
#BlackSorrows
#KillingHeidi
#Superjesus
