Live Review: Ball Park Music, Papa Vs Pretty, Jesse Davidson

Ball Park Music are undoubtedly one of the best acts to come out of Australia in recent years. Their energy-packed shows, onstage antics and catchy songs are second to none, and their music is something that needs to be experienced live to be truly appreciated; the band's Adelaide all ages show, part of their sell-out Australian tour, is testimony to that. The Brissie guys and gal took to The Gov to celebrate the release of their third album, Puddinghead, where they were joined by pals, Papa Vs Pretty and Jesse Davidson.

The night began with local lad and triple j Unearthed High contestant, Jesse Davidson warming up the crowd with his smooth vocals and groove-worthy melodies. Davidson played sure-to-be hits from his newly released EP, Ocean, including Big Boi's Gotta Eat, and a couple of well suited covers, among them James Blake's The Wilhelm Scream. The crowd was in good spirits early on and it was set to be a fun, and interesting night.

Next to play were Sydneysiders Papa Vs Pretty. The boys graced the stage in sequin dresses, cow onesies and cockroach costumes, and belted out crowd favourites from their most recent album, White Deer Park. Although outside it was a measly nine degrees, the boys struggled in the heat of their onesies in the packed bandroom. Nevertheless they pushed through an incredible set and prepared the punters for what was to come.

No one ever really knows what they're in for at a Ball Park Music gig. The band somehow manages to come up with something more clever and strange each tour, giving every punter a new story to tell those unfortunate enough to have missed out. For this particular gig the band had taken to the Adelaide op shops earlier in the day, and were sporting the “shittest clothes” they could find. This included a purple, mesh long-sleeve for key player Paul Furness, a silk dress fit for any school formal for guitarist, Dan Hanson, and a very worn, floral nightgown for lead vocalist, Sam Cromack. The band impressed early; mixing old with new, they played favourites from Happiness And Surrounding Suburbs, Museum and of course their most recent album, Puddinghead. For an all ages show, it was far from PG-rated, however Cromack took the time to apologise to a mother who'd brought her 11-year-old daughter along to the gig, before launching into Sad Rude Future Dude. The mixed crowd was all too happy to chant along the infamous line “I haven't had a friend in years, I only have sex with myself” and, well, pretty much every other line to every song the band pulled out, a true testament to Ball Park Music's ever-growing reach and popularity. As they wrapped up their set with an upbeat Struggle Street, the punters were left wanting more, and Ball Park Music absolutely delivered.

After a quick costume change leaving Cromack in a god-awful pyjama dress, stating “This is the ugliest fucking thing I have ever seen,” the band returned, parting from their usual cover of The Beatles' 8 Days A Week to perform something a little more daring. Now, it's common knowledge that no one can cover Queen, especially Bohemian Rhapsody. But, Ball Park Music can cover Queen, and do a damn good job of it. As the band took a bow and walked off stage one final time to well deserved and roaring applause, the crowd revelled in amazement of what they'd just seen and heard. As the venue slowly emptied, every punter was left smiling ear-to-ear and no doubt already looking forward to Ball Park Music's next tour.