Ball Park MusicBall Park Music fans are hardcore and turned up early to secure a spot up front, which was a treat for indie pop darling Hatchie. The unearthed act has been making waves with her sweet shoegaze as of late, and tonight’s dreamy set and excellent tune Sure proved she is in for future success.
Since releasing her stellar debut album, Ali Barter has been unstoppable. Playing relentlessly has tightened her set, with each track soaring through the Enmore tonight. She had our attention from the get go with Please Stay; by second song Cigarette, the crowd already had their arms up and singing along. Barter felt brave enough to showcase a new song, before throwing back to gritty Far Away, and acknowledging International Women’s Day with feminist anthem Girlie Bits.
Ball Park Music kicked off with Cocaine Lion and moved into Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You, before revealing that this was their 400th show – and it was being recorded for triple j’s Live At The Wireless! The crowd’s response was massive, leaving the five-piece beaming as they launched into new track Frank.
Tonight’s setlist was evidently designed with the hardcore fan in mind, spanning all five of their albums – which is unusually prolific for a band that released their first just seven years ago. But despite the nuance differences in each of Ball Park’s albums, placing She Only Loves Me When I’m There side by side to Coming Down just felt so right, due to the common thread of honesty that runs through Sam Cromack’s song writing.
Cost Of Lifestyle was dedicated to long time fans, before they turned it up a notch with some fun 2011 throwbacks (Literally Baby and Sad Rude Future Dude), before whipping the crowd into a frenzy with Whipping Boy.
Cromack took to stage with an acoustic guitar for It’s Nice To be Alive – a mass singalong ensued and looks of pure joy emanated from every single person in the crowd – which was mirrored in Fence Sitter. They closed the set with newbie Exactly How You Are, which was followed by deafening calls for an encore.
Those calls were met by quirky tune The End Times and the endearing iFly – which was dedicated to their crew. They admitted they normally ended their set here, but chose to honour our enthusiasm, their milestone and their biggest headline show in Sydney to date, with mammoth tune Happy Healthy Citizen Of The Developed World Blues; leaving no doubt in our minds that Ball Park Music are one of Australia’s premier acts.
