Having filled up on the meal the Song Summit Conference had provided me, I was fairly content to relax, take a seat and enjoy the first band to grace the main stage, The Jezabels. In fact, despite plenty of other bands playing at the two other stages during the 3-or-so-hour event, I was perfectly content to remain at this stage for the entire evening – so my apologies for the limited coverage of the event. I promise I did better for the second night!
In any case, what more is there to say about The Jezabels (above) that hasn’t already been said? They’re a band who produce beautiful music, fronted by a beautiful singer, Hayley Mary. They tempt you to leave all your troubles at the door, as they cover you in their sweet melodies for the half an hour or so they grace the stage. Tonight, Hayley had a noticeable raspy voice, but this was only when she spoke. When she sang, it was like nothing was wrong at all. It’s funny what ones voice is capable of. The set ended with their standout track “Noah’s Ark”, which has fast become a favourite in the Sydney live scene, and deservedly so.
Up and coming Sydney trio Betty Airs (above) were next, a band who have gained a bit of hype lately thanks to a successful residency at Oxford Art Factory. I’m not sure I get this band just yet – either they’re calling us back to the late 90s, when bands were trying to bring back the feeling of 50s rock and roll, but give it a modern twist, or they’re revamping that concept for the 10s.
See the lead singer, Cristian Campano, with slicked back hair, wearing a basketball jersey and using an old school microphone. Meanwhile, the guitarist you may recognise as Daniel Cross (Gerling / The E.L.F.). He’s just doing his thing. And as for the sound, it too reminds me of some of the dirty rock and roll so many bands were trying to produce in the late 90s, which was alluding to the early days of the genre… but these bands never quite made it work. Could this Betty Air’s time to shine? Could they be revamping the idea for the 10s successfully? Well, if tracks “Johnny Johnny” and “Devils Drive” are any indication, they just might be… also, an excellent use of the maracas! I’ll keep you updated…
Closing out the night on the main stage were Parades (above), a band who have fast proven themselves as one of the best in Sydney, and a crowd favourite. New single “Loserspeak” (the fantastic video of which I’ve embedded below) is proving to be a bit of a hit on the airwaves, too. But none of the above should come as a surprise. You don’t even have to listen to Parades to know they’re onto something special. Alyx and Freya make up KYU, who are currently on tour with Cloud Control – and then there’s drummer Jonathan Boulet’s phenomenal debut record. Furthermore, you needn’t look much further than this band to see the future of Sydney’s music scene. They’re tight, they’re talented, and they’re out to make some great music. The best thing is, they’re only just getting started…
All photos by Larry Heath.
