Live Review: Bad//Dreems, Bear Hug, Hockey Dad

19 September 2014 | 4:13 pm | Hattie O’Donnell

Bad//Dreems lead a killer night at the Newtown Social Club.

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In what was quite possibly the best small gig of the year so far, Wollongong local lads Hockey Dad brought a seriously energetic presence, making it hard to believe there are only two of them.

Hockey Dad really seem to know their stuff, and drummer Billy Fleming was outstanding. Keeping the balance between head-banging grungy goodness and a super-tight sound, these guys are a band to keep your eye on – this is what you’ll want to listen to all summer. Kicking the night off with surf rock tunes including I Need A Woman and Lull City from their debut EP, Dreemin, they got the crowd well and truly pumping in preparation for the other two acts.

Bearhug weren’t the strongest performance of the night, but people were nonetheless enjoying their downbeat style reminiscent of Broken Social Scene. Five people on stage are a tight squeeze at the Newtown Social Club, so kudos for not taking each other’s eyes out mid-set.  

Bad//Dreems are absolutely everything you’d hope a four-piece from Adelaide could be. Their sounds capture and celebrate the vast wasteland at the bottom of the country, turning desert dust into gritty rock beats that the crowd was loving. Standard gig bopping turned into crowd surfing by the third song, which really showed the band’s cult following. Playing well-loved tracks including Hoping For, Caroline and Dumb Ideas, these South Australian legends are continuing on the up. Chills went down particularly well and was a more subdued moment in the incredibly lively set.

Bad//Dreems continue to be the perfect antidote to everything, their strong rock vibes and raw energy resulted in a night overflowing with good banter, killer tunes and a crowd that was heavily into it.