THE SMITH STREET BAND X BEC SANDRIDGE X PRESS CLUB @ BAR ON THE HILL [GIG REPORT]

Date: Thursday March 21st, 2018

Presented By: Pool House Records, Jackknife

After waiting to see The Smith Street Band for what felt like forever, not even the walk in torrential rain to the venue could kill my vibe. It was one of the wettest Newcastle days I had ever seen. Byron and I were way too eager for a good night which went on to exceed my expectations completely, especially considering we were somehow able to score tickets to a sold out show two days before the event (Thanks LittleGiantAgency). We rocked up a little early, which had apparently led up to more excitement. As we finally got into the venue the atmosphere stood up for it's name, the 1000 capacity venue filling up quicker than you'd imagine.

-PRESS CLUB-

As the room filled with people we waited a little while, got some quality brews from the bar and settled in up front for the first band to take the stage. Press Club had come out to play. I had never listened to them before apart from on the train a few hours before hand, I didn’t know what to expect but I was definitely impressed by the performance they all put on for us. Front-woman Natalie Foster certainly opened up the crowd bringing everyone to the front to bob their heads. My favourite part about the set was her large volume of hair she was so free to throw around the stage reminding me it probably isn’t the worst thing I have pretty wild hair. She even jumped onto the barrier and started singing with the front row at one stage! They are definitely a band to add to your list to go and see live or at least give a listen to. I came home with a new band to be a fan of, Their debut album "Late Teens" is out now.

-BEC SANDRIDGE-

In between the first and second band I felt the crowd pull closer and closer to the stage even spilling out the front doors before Bec had even taken to the stage. As she started singing you could almost feel the music in the air. The riffs and the bass line were my favourite parts, bringing an indie/ pop vibe to such an interesting voice. Although she hadn't moved around the stage a lot there was still so much energy, using a wide range of expressions while hitting the notes. The lights and smoke brought an aesthetic to the room that definitely suited to the music. Overall the show she put on was great and I defiantly enjoyed being there.

-THE SMITH STREET BAND-

As I was waiting for The Smith Street Band to play it felt like it took forever, that said we had started our journey about 8 hours before they took to the stage. This was truly the highlight of the night. There is something about Wil Wagners' voice that makes you question whether to cry or laugh. Sweat pouring off his face, the raw emotion and passion was one of the most beautiful and best things I have seen. I feel as though there could never be a bad thing to say about this band. The energy in the room was strong and the crowd was as rowdy as you'd expect.

The best way to describe the experience is nothing less than brilliant, Wagners' lyrics were brought to life like you were there in the moment. I was excited to see TSSB for so long for good reason, the night brought a different vibe to what I was used to and added a new dynamic to their albums I never saw prior to this experience. I'll be seeing them again soon.