Live Review: Bad Friday

3 April 2018 | 1:34 pm | Mick Radojkovic

"The lack of diversity, in not only gender but also genre, really stood out at this point."

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While not intending to be sacrilegious, Good Friday is normally a boring day. You find yourself having a Friday off, which is most situations would be amazing, but when your favourite cafe, bar, store and supermarket are shut, what is there to do?

Thank God we have Bad Friday. Into its ninth year, the festival has grown from the classic confines of The Annandale Hotel to a full-blown outdoor festival with two stages and space to spread along the length of Railway Parade in Marrickville.

It was a hot and steamy 28 degrees at 2pm as a delayed gate opening exacerbated our thirst. We weren't disappointed with the food and drink options once inside; local brews, ciders, food vendors, and enough options to keep queues down.

The reason we were here early though was to check out the bands! On the main stage, Sunscreen provided a perfect foil to the beating sun. Light, shoegaze-inspired indie rock was a great way to warm into the day, especially when directly opposite at the Sydenham Road stage we had Hobartians A Swayze & The Ghosts. Our first sighting of them was watching lead singer Andrew Swayze climb up the brick wall that runs the length of the street to belt out his vocals. As they launched into their final song he declared, "This is probably the best song you'll hear all day." The band sang something about "psycho fashion" and we head off for a drink. The declaration was yet to be confirmed, but it was the best until that point.

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Judging by the number of Pist Idiots T-shirts, the group were a big draw. Coming all the way from Revesby (about 17km down the road), this loose unit of four blokes got the growing punters jumping. Unfortunately, the vocal mix on the main stage was so low that hearing anything singer Jack Sniff had to say was a challenge. Something about it being hot and enjoying the dancing. They were damn entertaining though and as loose as their band name would suggest.

Sometimes when talented musicians from different projects decide to start a new group together the result can be a little bit off-centre. Kirsty Tickle (Exhibitionist, Little Scout) and Jonathan Boulet are Party Dozen and their sound is, let's say, experimental improvisation. With just drums, sax and a mean ol' backing track, the duo manipulated music like it was their plaything. Tickle screamed down the horn of her sax, Boulet smashed the drums like he was in a metal band; together they created something you wouldn't play on your new speakers for fear of bursting a cone.

Back at the main stage, the crowd swelled further for West Thebarton, another ragtag mostly-male group (Hi Caitlin Thomas on drums!). This proudly Adelaidean band get loud, loose and obviously enjoy the chance to get in front of a crowd. Five guitars, a bass and drums created a raucous sound, but it somehow all clicked together. Playing their hits like Bible Camp, Dolewave and the awesome Moving Out definitely maintained their reputation as a top-notch live act.

As a convenient juxtaposition, Betty & Oswald, turned down the amps and settled in for a nice set at the Sydenham stage. This group provided a lush soundtrack to our Frank Strong cider drinking with their harmonies, glistening guitar and smooth indie-rock.

The one and only female-fronted artist on the main stage was the indomitable Ecca Vandal. Her performance was bristling, energetic and powerful and as always she didn't hold anything back. Her catalogue, taken mostly from her awesome debut album of last year, was bursting with hits and they absolutely popped in the crowd. Cassettes, Lies & Videotapes, Future Heroine and Broke Days, Party Nights all went huge, but Vandal finishing with Truth To Trade as she said a farewell to her longtime band member Stacey Gray (Trial Kennedy) was a great moment.

Straight Arrows were the highlight of the festival. This four-piece from somewhere nearby were exciting. A small feverish crowd lapped up the energy from the band as they performed new track Out & Down along with a bunch of old favourites from a catalogue that now goes back over ten years. The toilet paper gag at the end added an extra bit of fun to a top set.

Boo Seeka were meant to spark some dancing at the main stage, but already the crowd were gathering for the headliners. They performed well however, as it appeared that the vocal mix on the stage was aimed at the later acts and was hugely improved. Does This Last is a good song, but not exactly a song to pump up an audience!

The ‘secret headliners’ of the festival had been speculated for the last couple of months but then the bombshell arrived last week that Sticky Fingers were back (ending their hiatus that was announced in late-2016) and that almost certainly spoilt the surprise. The STIFI merch being sold was probably a dead giveaway as well.

There was no mention of the break. No apology. No statement. The Stickys came to play a gig and they did it pretty well. Lead singer Dylan Frost stared into the crowd at the start, seemingly taking it all in, before kicking into Sad Songs. The group sounded tight and surprisingly fresh.

They performed an interesting set, little to no banter between songs, but a mix of older and newer stuff (Westway is only 18 months old after all). Lazerhead was the last song of the night, smack on 10pm, which was obviously the sound curfew for the event. No Australia Street and no Gold Snafu, which you’d think would definitely have been in the setlist. Most fans left elated, but some were also disappointed at the sudden finish. The live return could be the start of a new chapter for the group and the fact that they stuck to the curfew is somewhat of a sign that maybe they’ll be sticking to the rules going forward.

If we could judge artists on their art alone, we could commend the comeback, but as the past year has proven, artists can’t be absolved of sins just because they are popular.