Small Ballroom, Newcastle
Friday June 21, 2013 :
Friday the 21st of June and we are into the middle of winter, cold and wet. At the recently opened Small Ballroom at Islington, sounds were heating up with the energetic and dynamic Brisbane five piece band, Hey Geronimo. Lead by front man Pete Kilroy, Hey Geronimo deliver the perfect sound and stage presence to inject some happy times into a cold winter’s night. When you listen closely to this band, you can see the obvious influences that span the decades from the Beach Boys to the Beatles with a bit of Weezer and even Custard. Make no mistake about it, this band has influences but they are fresh, current and talented.
The ten song set included indie-pop anthems ‘Why Don’t We Do Something?’ and ‘Carbon Affair’, and the recently released ‘Dan Kelly Song’. This band never stops, with the jumping and running around on stage continuing throughout the gig. The true beauty of this venue is the intimacy the band has with the audience. Kilroy worked this out early, drawing fans almost up on stage with them. Just like a lot of acts these days, there was no encore, just a hectic pace throughout the set and a prompt “goodnight”.
Newcastle got to see Hey Geronimo last year at the Fat as Butter Festival where they played to rave reviews. After watching this band for a very short time, I have no doubt they will grow. It is worth keeping in mind this band is barely two years young on the music scene with a very strong indie following. With an EP currently available and an album not far away, this band is well worth a listen.
As the band walked off the stage, you would expect the gig to be over. Enter the support act Strange Talk. I personally found this a little strange hearing a support after the main act but the crowd loved it. Hailed as the Princes of the Aussie electro scene, Strange Talk with their three synthesizers continued the momentum well into the night. Overall, the Strange Geronimo Tour was a hit.
A relatively new concept to Islington is the Little Ballroom. Situated within the realms of the Gateway Hotel, this up close and personal venue allows fans an intimate view of bands from anywhere in the room. At a guess a crowd of around 300 would pack the place and in today’s live venue market it does not get much more intimate than this.
Reviewer and Photographer: David Jackson
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