Brisbane band Ball Park Music are back at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney tonight for the second-last instalment of their “Get The F**cking Nerds Back On!” tour, supported by femme-powerhouse The Buoys & Sydney’s songwriter Taj Ralph.
After zany performances from both support acts, we all thought the next act on stage would be the headliner. But as two dapper gentlemen walked to the centre of the stage, there seemed more in store for us.
Many in the audience quickly realised it was Sam & Dean in disguise, sporting a guitar and a recorder. “Hey, we’re Chick Magnets. Are you guys here for dog park music? Can I get a woop woop? No… a woof woof!?” they called to the crowd. The duo proceeded to read a poem, to a intrigued but confused response from the audience, who were not expecting this extra support band on the lineup. But after smashing out a recorder solo, breakdancing & beatboxing, they had the crowd cheering, pumped up for the night to come.
After a short break, the band emerged on stage to dim lights and roars of anticipation from the crowd. Beginning their set with ‘Hands Off My Body’ started everyone off in a Good Mood, with vocalist Sam, reaching into the front row of the pit to hold hands and share lyrics with excited fans. Thus followed by fan favourites ‘Head Like A Sieve’ & the balladic ‘The Perfect Life Does Not Exist’ fit with perfect vocal harmonies from bassist/vocalist Jen.
The ambience in the theatre tonight was full of love, so when the band played ‘Exactly How You Are’, everyone could relate to the feeling. Then ‘Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You’ had friends all across the audience hugging and pointing at each other passionately screaming the lyrics. The mood intensified with synth-anthem ‘Trippin’ The Light Fantastic’, which sparked up the whole crowd, getting them off their feet with their hands in air.
As the night was coming to a peak, Sam bid out to the crowd “Who’s gonna be hungover tomorrow?” Receiving agreement from most of us, he then aptly dedicated ‘Struggle Street’ to us. The band then delivered high-octane hits ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ & ‘Fence Sitter’ to an audience in full voice.
As the band left the stage, the crowd weren’t ready for the game to be over, chanting for an encore. They reemerged on stage to play a new unreleased track ‘Like Love’ before taking us way back to their debut 2011 release ‘Sad Rude Future Dude’ – reminding us all where our love for them started, and how it continues.
A high-energy night of inflated indie-rock left us all with stars in our eyes, and eagerly anticipating getting those f**cking nerds back on!
(Photos by Meg Taylor)
