Pictured: Klo
Sunday in London saw the return of The Aussie BBQ – the live initiative of our music export body Sounds Australia. Hundreds of music fans – both locals and expats – came out for the event which saw over twenty Australian artists performing on two stages over ten hours at the Hoxton Bar and Grill in Shoreditch. It was a chance for us to see well established artists like Safia and Remi an become acquainted with some newer talent, some of whom are now based here in the UK.
Among the highlights, rock group Sun God Replica cranked things up to eleven with their no-fuss rock n roll, bringing in elements from the likes of Motörhead and Queens of the Stone Age along the way. A fantastic live band. Klo followed, delivering their signature stunning soundscapes. Nick Kingswell, meanwhile, opened things up on the smaller APRA stage. Just a man and his guitar delivering some beautiful music for a Sunday afternoon. And then it was Tora‘s turn to impress, ending their hypnotic half an hour set with the popular “Jaigantic”.
Back on the APRA stage we were introduced to Telen Rodwell, who performed on the guitar with an accompanying violinist and later a second guitarist. “Little Mystery” was a highlight of the set. Flyying Colors (pictured above) are one of Australia’s best kept secrets, having delivered phenomenal shoegaze music for years now. Finally they’re showing themselves off to the rest of the world, and hopefully today’s killer set ensures it will be the first time of many to the region. Hein Cooper (pictured below) continued to showcase his finely tuned 25-or-so minute set that has taken him from Canadian Music Week to The Great Escape and now here in London. He had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he went through his repetoire of songs like “My Life”, “Dopamine” and “Art of Sleeping”. He delivers a huge and impressive sound for just one man.
Animal House was another act we weren’t familiar with, playing as a two piece with vocals and guitar – they say they usually play with a band. In spite of the stripped back performance, it got pretty heavy at times and had a bit of a Jake Bugg feel to some of the tracks and vocals. Now UK based, Suzie Stapleton followed and rocked the room, while Millions delivered their catchy music with all the style and gravitas we would expect. These boys have every chance to kill it over here – hopefully they got the right people in the room!
Sydney’s Service Bells followed and brought the event back into rock territory, with their Nick Oliveri inspired bass lines and suave vocals of their frontman Fraser Harvey. Then we had the good vibes and great energy from Melbourne via Berlin duo Phia (pictured above), who performed with loops and samples against live elements, using a kalimba with a bass pedal for an interesting effect. A cover of M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” was particularly enjoyable along with their own material. Belle Roscoe, who closed the APRA stage, also struck it home with a fantastic rendition of “Never Tear Us Apart”.
The night closed out with Remi, Safia (pictured above) and Tkay Maidza showing why they are three of Australia’s hottest acts right now, bringing the room to capacity in the process and getting everyone dancing. This great mini-festival of Australian music was a spectacular way to spend a Sunday in London – and did we mention there were free sausages? An Aussie BBQ wouldn’t be complete without it…
Photos by Larry Heath. Click HERE for the full gallery. Larry stayed in London courtesy of Tune Hotels Kings Cross.
