Live Review: Ten Years Of The Triffid - 2024 QLD Album Of The Year Event

Time flies when you’re having fun. That’s how the 10th birthday of Brisbane’s iconic venue, The Triffid, snuck up on us. And, to celebrate, they did what they do best: throw a party - the 2024 QLD Album of the Year event, to be exact.

Not to be outdone by severe weather warnings, the party was moved from the beer garden to the hangar for the night - but more space to boogie, we say. Free flowing drinks, charcuterie boards, and musicians aplenty, a storm wasn’t going to put a dampener on this night. 

The event itself, free and open to all of Brisbane, was emceed by The Creases’ Aimon Clark. Calling The Triffid “the best venue in the country, by far”, the love was clear from the start. 

But we’re not going to bury the lead here. You’re here to find out about the Album of the Year. So, to catch you up, the nominees were Asha Jefferies’ Ego Ride, Clea’s Idle Light, Girl and Girl’s Call A Doctor, Radium Dolls’ Legal Speed, and The Dreggs’ Caught In A Reverie.

With the winner set to go up on The Triffid’s “Wall of Heroes”, alongside Brisbane music icons like The Saints, Powderfinger, and Violent Soho, the stakes were high. Alas, there could only be one winner – and the city had spoken. 

And, when the votes were tallied up, The Dreggs took out QLD’s Album of the Year with their debut album, Caught In A Reverie. With a banner dramatically dropped to reveal their name on the wall, the duo were absolutely stoked, to say the least.

Letting the crowd in on a secret - that they had originally shown up in suits without realising the casual dress code - The Dreggs’ enthusiasm was infectious. 

“We’ve never been invited to something like this, and we’ve never really won any awards either. We should’ve prepared a speech,” they laughed. “To all the punters out there, we fucking love you. To all the musos out there, keep fucking doing it. It’s hard. We’ve put on at least ten years in the past two years. We’re independent, we almost went bankrupt, but now we’re here and so grateful. This is unreal. Thank you.”

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But, now, let’s take it back to the start of the night. Because, before (and after) The Dreggs were crowned the winners, there was a whole range of performances for punters to enjoy.

One song from each nominee was covered by another local musician. And, to kick off the night, moody pop rockers Ghost Mutt took on Girl and Girl’s Our Love (Ours Only). With a slower vibe to ease the crowd into it, their cover was almost ethereal, with layered harmonies perfectly intertwining.

Next up was DVD, covering Radium Dolls’ I Think Your Boyfriend Likes Me Too. Filling in for Full Flower Moon Band’s Babyshakes Dillon, who “accidentally ended up in Cairns”, DVD brought the energy up, with a stage presence to be rivalled. Tambourine, guitar riffs, little jigs - could we ask for anything more?

A solo act from Special Features’ Zac Carr brought more of an intimate feeling to the venue, as he covered Clea’s Exit Game flawlessly. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, the stripped back version showcased Carr’s raw vocals and talent. Add in some power strumming to the roars of the crowd and you get the picture.

Bringing some star power to the stage, Sam Cromack - frontman of Ball Park Music - played Asha Jefferies’ Baby Don’t Fight It, a song he had a hand in producing. Adding his distinct Ball Park-esque flavour to the song, Cromack’s raspy voice complimented the higher notes perfectly - which he hit with ease, by the way.

Lastly, pop-rock favourites Mid Drift covered Take A Little Time from The Dreggs’ winning album. Putting their own spin on the track, frontwoman Sarah Engstrom added some female rage to those vocals, even chucking a little growl in there when necessary. Honestly, we need this cover to drop. Immediately.

Once all the acts were over, The Triffid’s founders, Powderfinger’s John Collins and co-owner Brett Gibson got up on stage to thank the plethora of people who helped make the venue what it is over these last ten years. Collins also noted how vital The Triffid’s events have become in the Brisbane music scene, saying, “The Album of the Year has never been more important than it is right now. This isn’t about The Triffid. It’s about the artists. It’s about Queensland music.”

Closing out the night was a performance from The Faux Betweens - an amalgamation of members of Ball Park Music, The Creases, Full Flower Moon Band, Simi Lacroix, and more. Bringing up some of the nominated artists on stage across the night for a song or two, the band covered tracks from those on The Triffid’s “Wall of Heroes”. But the absolute highlight of the set? Patience Hodgson from The Grates joining the band on stage, dressed like a human pom pom, to sing Regurgitator’s ! (The Song Formerly Known As) - much to the sheer delight of the audience.

I wish my 10th birthday party was as good as that.

Happy birthday, Triff.