Live Review: 4ZZZ Flashback: Ed Kuepper, Ups & Downs, Screamfeeder, Jeremy Neale

Local radio-broadcasters and all-round legends 4ZZZ are joining forces with the Brisbane Festival to celebrate 40 years of bringing our city the best in local music with an afternoon full of live sets from local artists. A sunny Sunday afternoon, with the temperature set to not too hot and not too cold, brings about the perfect atmosphere to celebrate a Brisbane icon, especially one that has helped nurture so much musical local talent over the generations of its operation.

The crowd at The Spiegeltent for the afternoon really exemplifies 4ZZZ's reach, with families, the young and the old ready to enjoy the musical variety on display for the afternoon. It is a rare opportunity for these bands to be seen during the daylight, making it perfect for everyone to get in on the action.

Kicking off the afternoon's antics is Jeremy Neale — a musician admired by many for his ability to adapt to any music trend as well as for his astonishing showmanship — who brings along his talented friends as backup and the always appreciated saxophonist for extra pizazz. Although it's probably not the crowd Neale is usually accustomed to, he still manages to charm with his '80s style boppy pop tunes. Boasting his brand new EP Let Me Go Out In Style, Neale showcases a quality display of songs from older releases as well as newer tunes soon to be heard. Neale engages in 'storytime', telling the crowd about his recent bout of appendicitis in transit between New York and LA on a recent holiday, but never letting his recent surgery hinder his signature screams and ability to rock, albeit against the doctor's orders.

The afternoon quickly moved onto some serious '90s alternative-rock nostalgia with a killer set from Screamfeeder. For a lot of fans, Screamfeeder are not just a band, but more of an icon of the alternate underground rock scene that Australian music lovers have cherished for years. After a successful past couple of years re-releasing old classics, putting on comeback tours and even teaming up with the esteemed indie label Poison City Records, Screamfeeder's live set is one that is polished to a tee. Although the band has only played sporadically in recent times, their Screamfeeder charisma has not seemed to waver, as the band joke and banter throughout the set, most notably about bassist Kelly Lloyd's new Fitbit. As a much loved local band and one which 4ZZZ have supported through and through, Screamfeeder surely did not disappoint those who came out to witness their wonder.

Next up in the proceedings and for a change of pace is '80s dream pop band Ups & Downs. A band that were set for great things back in the day, Ups & Downs have aged quite elegantly in their musical style and even subtly adapted their much loved tunes into sounds that are far less '80s pop style and something that could quite possibly be mistaken for a modern indie-pop band, but for the screaming 40-somethings dancing at the tail end of the set. Ups & Downs play a variety of their fun dance-tinged tunes, including The Living Kind and Lit By The Fuse.

Ending the day's celebration on an artistic high was a set from the revered Ed Kuepper. For the much respected musician in his own right as well as a co-founder of beloved Brisbane band The Saints (among other fine bands), there was going to be no doubt that The Spiegeltent would be at its fullest for Kuepper's show. Throughout the day there is a sense of growing rowdiness inside The Spiegeltent, but that all ceases when Kuepper begins to play, enchanting the crowd with his experimental blues grunge and his settling and commanding voice, comparable to fellow Australian musician Nick Cave. Most notably, Kuepper's performance of Electrical Storm proves particularly captivating, as he builds the song with just him and his electric guitar into something otherworldly. A great way to end a day of nostalgic tunes in celebration of a broadcaster that means a great deal to the local music scene.