On Friday the 13th of December, we got a little bit weird at the Marlborough Hotel in Sydney for our Issue 13 Launch. This was the inaugural Outsider Issue, and fittingly the night’s entertainment was a collection of musical renegades, outliers, and punks.
In case you missed it, here’s a little taste of what went down.
Last Friday night we celebrated the Happy Mag Issue 13 Launch at The Marlborough Hotel. Crowdsurfing seemed to be a theme.
Openers Lionel warmed the crowd up with intent, treating the punters who’d showed up early to a tight set with plenty of energy. For a band who’ve only been gigging around Sydney for a short while, this is one five-piece who know what they’re doing. Watch this space.
Next up were Australia (the band, not the country, not a country band). It’s always a powerful showing from these fellows, their shouted triple vocals sitting right up front of some classic rock bangers.
dave the band, down from Newcastle and freshly armed with Steve Albini-produced new single Ultrahard, did what they do best. Grungy rhythms stood side-by-side with their emotional choruses – every single one of this band’s tracks tug at the heartstrings.
Caitlin Harnett & the Pony Boys were up next, the crowd well and truly pumping. Banging out alt-country ditties left, right, and centre, Harnett’s vocals hypnotised the crowd into some sort of middle-American trance, doubled in no small part by some tasteful slide guitar courtesy of Ruben Neeson.
While SCABZ were working the back-room dancefloor into a god damn frenzy, Wax Witches were setting up for a set that was, in a word, rowdy. Here was a band who hadn’t played a show since way back in 2016, and the crowd were hungry.
The tunes came out rapid-fire, each chord working the mosh into a greater frenzy. Several crowdsurfing trips were made by band and punter alike, and by the time they wrapped, everyone found themselves gasping for air.
To all those who came, thanks. This marked our last show of the year, but we will be back bigger than ever in 2020. See you then.
