Still merely in it’s third year of existence, Against the Grain festival included a stellar lineup of interstate and local artists, lovingly curated by co-founders and all round local legends Chris Langenberg and Brodie Popple. With acclaimed interstate acts like City Calm Down, Tiny Little Houses and Totally Mild on the bill it’s no wonder the event was almost at capacity, not to mention noted local acts Sweater Curse, Pool Shop and Sleep Club joining the bill to round out an already solid lineup. It was also a nice touch to have local DJ acts playing in The Brightside beer garden, setting a relaxed vibe and keeping the energy consistent throughout the evening.
Kicking off in the afternoon, it was unusual to see The Brightside and The Foundry already springing to life with swarms of punters milling around so early, armed with beers in their hands to dull the heat. The first band off the bat was local post-punk act Bloom Parade, who played a solid set setting the bar high for the rest of the night, enveloping the dimly lit room with their warm broody sounds. Sticking with the post-punk vibes, Start Together stepped the energy up a notch in the valley drive-in as the sun began to set and the heat of the day started to lull. Delivering a dynamic performance filled with intricately crafted guitar parts that ebbed and flowed with the driving drums, their set was a powerful soundscape and drew clear influence from the likes of Slow Dive and The National.
From here on in, it was refreshing to see the night laden with female-fronted bands of different genres, with festival goers spoilt for choice. Grace Turner left the crowd wanting more of her melting voice, with her debut single Dead or Alive captivating listeners with it’s catchy vocal hook and jangly guitar parts. Following on from this, the venue really started to fill, and as usual Eliza & The Delusionals delivered an energetic and feel-good set, with this their final show off the back of their Jackie single tour. Their set was filled with guitar solos that you want to air-guitar along with, and lyrics that get stuck in your head - Eliza Klatt sure knows how to write a pop-rock banger. Back at The Foundry, dim lights reflected off balloons strewn across the tartan floor, and dreamy-pop sounds hailing from Pool Shop really created an ambience that listeners were engulfed by. A consistently brilliant Brisbane songwriter, Jaimee Fryer really amped up her set, now having a full band on board to fill out her usual solo act, playing crowd-favourite How Long and indulging listeners with her new song Shooting Stars to round out an alluring set. Walking back into The Brightside carpark from here was like stepping back to the 90’s, with the scuzzi guitar sounds and deadpan vocals from FRITZ creating a sense of nostalgia to match their denim, baggy shirts and converse. Drawing clear influence from the likes of Best Coast and Alvvays, they played a lively set, wrapping up with their hit single Biggest Fool in the World. Grunge goddesses Moaning Lisa had the crowd rocking out to their overdriven guitars and lavish harmonies, taking a sharp turn to a heavier tone, but still keeping the 90’s nostalgia impression. Introducing their hit single New Age Boy with banter on how the song was about being queer and falling in love with a straight girl, their charisma reeled in and charmed the crowds socks off. Their set involved plenty of audience participation, with the crowd chanting back the lyrics, “Here’s to us and getting so fucked up,” in their song Comfortable, and then everyone going wild dancing for their latest single Carrie (I Want A Girl) to wrap up their rock-show.
Other festival highlights included a set from First Beige, with their 80’s disco vibes a refreshing surprise, and really breaking up the night from the heavier sounding bands. Clear correlations could be made with the likes of Donny Benét and Client Liaison, with their synth hooks and interesting use of percussion resulting in a wave of frenzied bodies dancing. Sweater Curse as always played a compelling set, with this dynamic trio clearly having built quite the following in the local scene, with a bunch of dedicated fans there singing along to their hit single Don’t Call Me. They really are something special and you can see how the band has had such success in the last couple of years. With easily memorable vocal hooks, and having such a solid drummer backing two quite contrasting voices really sets this band apart from other local shoe-gaze bands. Nearing the end of the night, it was pleasant to head back to the Foundry and hear the distinguishable voice of Caleb Karvountzis of Tiny Little Houses drifting through the sweaty crowd. There’s something about his voice that is mesmerising, and the change in tone from smooth innocence likened to Bright Eyes, contrasting with the more drawled punk voice like early Violent Soho, really gives the band its edge.
Another successful year done and dusted for Against The Grain festival, with the calibre of bands really stepping up each again this year, it’ll be exciting to see what next years festival holds.
Kassie Sofia