Review and photos: JD Garrahy
The Gold Coast is growing, not only infrastructure wise, but more importantly, arts wise. If you have been under a rock for the last few years, then you don’t know how glorious the Hound & Stag truly is. They have had so many tribute bands from pop punk, to INXS, to No Doubt, that they have cemented themselves into what one day shall be considered an iconic venue for live music. Tonight however, Wild Turkey is taking over to bring us the one and only Killing Heidi in a more intimate setting than the big stages that they’re used to playing.
Arriving early to the venue, punters stake their claim in front of the stage, but not before indulging in the epic eats on offer and what I consider to be the best craft beer on the Gold Coast, with head brewer Ben Lyne really putting his best foot forward with beers that, by way of staff recommendation, can be coupled perfectly with any meal upon the diverse and delicious menu that has made H&S the place to go for a memorable night out.
I could talk for hours about this venue, but you came to read about music, not hear me ramble on about how good it is. (If I didn’t say so before, it’s one of the best places to indulge the appetite to its fullest capability).
Making sure the Victorian visitors are well received with a warmed-up crowd is local singer/songwriter Jamie Lamont. Holy crap this girl has a set of pipes on her! With a mix of covers and originals, this local lass appears to have a pretty hefty following and shall certainly be walking away from this gig with quite a few more fans in her pocket. Every note from her band is audible perfection and helps to accentuate her soulful vocals incredibly. The addition of The Chain in her setlist is absolute gold, the crowd loves it, and I feel that it assisted only slightly to give the right vibe to an already dynamic set of original songs. Lamont is definitely one to keep on the radar, as she has already performed at Blues on Broadbeach and there are big things on the horizon for her.
Now, it’s only been a month since I rocked out with Aussie rock royalty at Brisbane’s Tivoli Theatre, but I will never tire of seeing this band make one hell of a comeback as they were a massive part of mine, and so many other people’s musical education. Tonight is no different, with Wild Turkey bringing them to smaller venues for the 101 Pub Rock Classics format, this is 100% the right venue to experience such brilliant music.
As Killing Heidi take the stage, it’s shoulder to shoulder in the whole venue and without hesitation, they crack straight into Mascara from their debut album Reflector and follow it up with Calm Down and I Am (the Marvel fan in me thanks you immensely for that one). Not a beat is missed as the songs from our teen years are blared through the walls and vats of Hound & Stag Brewing, but this evening is also about pub rock, and when you are ready to acknowledge that The Divinyls – Boys In Town is the greatest pub rock song ever written, then I’ll welcome you with open arms. Ella Hooper’s ability to emulate Chrissy Amphlett is unmatched, her vocals are so precisely accurate to the original, you could shut your eyes and imagine that is in fact the one and only Chrissy on stage.
As the set goes on, we’re treated to more of Killing Heidi’s incredible songs, but it’s not until we see Ella Hooper take up the guitar that the excitement mounts massively. Jet burst on the scene in the early 2000’s with Are You Gonna Be My Girl and tonight, we get to see the Hooper Family Band take it and really make it their own. When you get to see both Jesse and Ella Hooper shredding at the same time, it gives you goosebumps. Now, when you play this track back to back with INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart, the vibe in these walls is unfathomable. This is true pub rock at its best, performed by some of the most incredible musicians we have ever produced.
How could Killing Heidi do a set without Weir? They could, but they really shouldn’t. Closing out this intimate set with the song that launched them into the stratosphere is the perfect way to finish such an amazing night. Every voice in the venue is at full volume, and every person has a deep connection with this song. This was the song of a lot of people’s teen years, and when the people that wrote it were not that much older than ourselves (or even younger than ourselves in some cases), the connection to this song remains unmatched. As Ella Hooper requests that Jamie Lamont joins her on stage to assist with vocals, we are gifted another offering of her soul-driven vocals, as these two musical virtuosos compliment each other’s skills impeccably.
The night has come to an end. We have sung, danced, jumped around like morons, but our musical little hearts and souls are filled to the brim. Hound & Stag is definitely the place to be for live music and when companies like Wild Turkey bring this level of talent to our doorstep, then there’s not one person disappointed by purchasing a ticket. Long live Gold Coast live music.
– GALLERY –
