Bowling For Soup X Frank Turner X Talk Heavy @ Bar On The Hill
- Hayes Rose
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
i'm just gonna get it out of the way. this gig was the funniest and most intimate show i've seen from the big dogs. bowling for soup x frank turner with special guests, brisbane's own Talk Heavy. the banter, the shit stirring, the cultural lessons. i wrote sooooo many notes. lets get cracking, shall we?
t'was a cold Tuesday evening at the good ol bar on the hill. (thank god this was inside)
the crowd was well behaved. no smug looks, no fighting about which generation is better. everyone was here to have fun cause they knew the shenanigans that we're about to unleash. it gave me cozy pub on a winters night vibe. you know what i mean? i don't know. the vibes were good.
let's start with talk heavy.
i came across this band a couple months ago, thank you algorithm for doing your job!
they were the first on the bill and they did not disappoint. seriously! this is how openers open a show and kick it off right!
it was immediate crowd control. immediate banter and them being the only aussies on the bill too there was that aussie mateship between the band and the crowd. it was glorious to witness. whoever worked on sound that night deserves a raise cause how did that sound perfect inside, outside, side stage, way in the back, mosh (yes there was a mosh, we'll get into that later) even tied in with the play back it was level, it was clear. the drummer BeeJ was having his fun with the sound board. just trust me, i can't spoil the sounds he had saved on there. just go see for yourself and be surprised. thank me later.
they played all their hits including a new song (i know nothing! i wish i did) and they all sound fantastic live. they we're running bopping around the stage, throwing back chants with the crowd and definitely got some new fans under their belt. can quite literally confirm cause it was all i heard after their set.
i'm so keen to see talk heavy again in the future. i can imagine how exciting it would be to tour with 2 ledgendary bands.
up next and he co headliner of the tour, we have frank turner and the sleeping souls
okay, first off. there was one person that actually had my attention more than Frank and that was the lady. in the funky patterned shit and white capris who was front row and dancing her little heart out from start too finish. she has a better core than i do cause i could never.
i'll be honest here, i don't know many frank turner songs but MAN this dude is funny! he sounds brilliant and the crowd loved him! with how talk heavy got the crowd hyped up, the whole vibe was just perfect. frank has amazing stage presence and threw some banter between himself and bowling for soup.
would you believe that this show was his 3,149th show?
i'm serious. he has counted every single show he's ever done and makes it known that he knows and is so grateful for it. my heart busted open, that was the cutest thing ever.
things took an unexpected turn cause nek minute, we've call a circle pit and a wall of death (hugs) and the funniest thing happened after the circle pit. some poor dad gets spat out of the crowd and takes a seat behind me outside to catch his breath. the secruity gives him a frienddly pat. dad says 'i'm getting old' then runs back in. all in the span of 2 minutes.
I love the shit stirring frank does. he threw a little jab about some artists with their acoustic guitars and he changed the lyrics to whatever town he's in. one thing i love the most when it comes to smaller venue gigs is how intimate it can be between the artist's and the crowd and i genuinley feel like talk heavy, frank and of course bowling for soup made this possible cause it's up to the ones of stage to make it memorable for the crowd. there's just something about artist's (international specifically) and australian crowds taking the piss out of each other that is so special. i know i'm not the only one.
he ended his set with everyone twirling like ballerinas..... yeah..... it was so much fun!
frank also said we were louder than sydney so... sucked in.
in between frank and bowling for soup's set, i had a look at thier merch. they have some amazing designs for this tour and the pricing was decent.
remember kids! venues dont deserve merch cuts. merch money makes more music. so buy the merch!
little 8 year old hayes wants to give a shout out to those who made me attending this gig possible cause i love this band so god damn much and to see them live, even though i had several opportunities, i was glad that this one was my first time seeing them. i was at barricade for bowling for soup
i. was. ready.
they opened up with 'high school never ends' the iconic end of year ptsd episode of realising you're closer to your 50's then you are when you were in high school.
the matching outfits, the dad shoes, the hair, it's like we're gone back 20 years. jaret kept licking his pick and throwing ( yes throwing) it on his forehead, incredible aim. what can he say.
the birthday eve boy Rob was running around, going in between jaret's legs enjoying his last day in his 30's.
garry in the back having the time of his life away from their bullshit probably.
there was spirit fingers, jazz hands, pretending like we're on a rollercoaster and wacking waving inflatable arm flailing tube man then it was them being corrected that 'naur' is in fact 3 syllables. how jaret can't fart and pee at the same time. then. oh look! ferb is here?
cue the theme song
i hope you. yes you, the one reading this, knows that they in fact did not sing 'stacey's mom' but they're gonna take the credit for tonight, why not? so we got their cover and the crowd was all giddy. including me. we love you fountains of wayne!
we have a quick break from electric guitar jaret and get introduced to acoustic guitar jaret who in my opinion, seems a little sad. he needs a hug but he totally gets me. he sung turbulence which is one of my fav song's from them.
10 minutes later we have electric guitar jaret back talking about his weiner. we asked about it so.... anyway he has an 'outie' his words not mine.
then after a good night of old school goofing and some tears of nostalgia. they close off with '1985'. delicious. bravo!
this gig is one for the books for me. i healed my inner child and we laughed together and had a little boogie.
having two largely nostalgic and iconic bands together for one night is huge and we need more of it here in Australia. i will be ready with my list of predictions for us to mass spam them cause what a night that was!
