Here’s my Brisbane recap… I hope I haven’t missed out too much stuff! (again it’s pretty long)
Jess and Mary picked me up from my hotel in a cab and we made our way to Eatons Hill. It’s about 20km outside of Brisbane City, so about 1/2 an hour drive. It was a weird place for a band to play, but apparently plenty of big names have played there before, My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love is playing there next weekend.
We decided to stake the place out. So Mary and Jess waited around the front half of the hotel and I waited around the back where the tickets would be scanned and we’d be let in. During the time we were waiting, I was watching the roadies move the flight cases into the venue and what not. I spotted Rick and kept my eye out for anyone else I recognised. Jess and Mary came to visit me a few times and the last time Jess came around, we were standing up chatting when Rick spotted us, so we waved and he came over to talk to us. I introduced myself, held my hand out and said “Hi Rick, I’m Cassie” and he was like “Hi Cassie, yeah I’ve seen you around before” I was like “Oh, okay, Hi!!” So we were all chatting for a while. Jess mentioned to Rick that Serge said to her on Sunday night that he’d get us into sound check if they were doing one, and Rick said unfortunately they weren’t. Rick offered us a drink, asked us if we wanted a cup of tea or a cold drink and we were like “yeah that’d be great!” he turned around and walked a few steps then said “Oh fuck it, just come in, there’s no security around, it’ll be fine. If anyone says anything, just make something up” So Jess and I were like okay sweet! So Jess texted Mary and told her we were inside and Mary came around. Rick gave us all a can of Coke and went back to work. We just sat down in front of the audio booth watching everything being set up. They were testing the lights and setting up the instruments and testing the speakers and mics.
The venue is very small. It was kinda unbelievable that a band that just headlined Glastonbury was playing a venue this small. Even Rick said he couldn’t get over how small the stage was.
Someone came over to us and asked us what we were doing in and who let us in and we were like “Rick invited us in” so this guy stormed off and spoke to Rick, we saw the guy again and nothing more was said to us. So Rick probably told him to fuck off LOL
After a while, we got up and went over to where Rick was preparing Serge’s guitars and gear and we were just talking to him about EVERYTHING. Who he’d worked for previously (before he was in the biz he was a teacher!!), where he lives, Aitor Throup, chatted about Noel Fielding and Loose Tapestries (said he’s got a lot of time for Noel and that he’s lovely). He said that they haven’t played any shows yet and I said that to tell Serge when they do that they have to do something in Australia… lol
Here’s a pic of Serge’s guitar case that I got
And here’s the man himself, Mr Rick Graham tuning one of Serge’s acoustic guitars that arrived by courier.
Jess and Mary both had a hold of the red Rickenbacker and I touched it. I was too scared to hold it. What if I broke it?! “Oh sorry Serge, I just broke your old Rickenbacker. Sorry ‘bout it!” Yeah I don’t think so. But it is a thing of beauty. Seriously.
Here’s Jess holding it
After chatting with Rick for a few hours we went and sat back down in front of the sound booth and The Delta Riggs came and set their gear up and sound checked while drinking cups of tea, which was so cute. Then things went all quiet and the wait began again. We just chilled for a while longer, when around 6pm head of security came over and told us that we had to leave. We all guessed it was because the band was arriving, so we were like “okay no worries, just as long as we get front of the line” and he was like “yeah of course, no problem”. When we went to the line up, there was still NO ONE there. It was SO strange that there wasn’t a queue and it was only 1.5 hours until doors opened. A couple of of people turned up after not much longer, then then queue began building quite quickly.
There was a canopy set up inside the queue barrier and we just hung out there. Venue staff and promoter staff were just chatting with us and what not, not once did anyone ask us what we were doing inside the barrier and not on the outside with everyone else, so weird. But we stayed there and at 8pm they started scanning tickets. Mary, Jess and I headed straight for the barrier and I was in front of Ian’s bass drum again.
After another bit of a wait The Delta Riggs came on and did their set. Everyone seemed pretty impressed with them. I’d heard a few people mention that they were the best support band they’d ever seen. And I think I’d have to agree with them. They’re SO good! Tim watched a bit of their set from side of stage and I could see Tom milling about out there too in his plaid blazer.
Finally Kasabian came on and there was an almighty cheer from the crowd. As Serge walked on, he spotted us a the barrier, pointed at us and pulled an excited face as if to say “You came to this gig too!” haha Then later during the set he looked at each of us again and mouthed “you alright” nodded and winked. I just gave him a huuuuuuge smile and thumbs up and he laughed.
For the first few songs, I had the bassist from The Delta Riggs sitting in front of me on the step of the barrier. He was sitting there rocking out. SO CUTE! (He looks a lot like Justin Young from The Vaccines too, it was weird! lol)
The lights in our faces were SO bright because we were so much closer to them than we would’ve normally been, due to the stage being so small. But it was worth it.
The crowd gave the band an epic reception. You could tell they were loving every second of it and making the most of their last Australian gig. Serge kept coming to the front of the stage right in front of me, throwing his hands up in the air and screaming out between songs.
When Serge threw his maracas out, he again came over to where I was standing and threw them out, I jumped to try and catch one but the guy standing behind me grabbed it, dropped it and then picked it up. I WAS SO CLOSE TO CATCHING IT. FRICK! hahaha
During “treat” as he was doing his little dance around the stage with his mic in his hand, he bent down to security, threw his arm around the guy and sang “Everybody knows, I work it, work it like a treat.” and the security guy just smiled.
For the encore, Tom came out wearing a jacket with The Delta Riggs logo emblazoned across the back of it. And he looked AMAZING in it. God damn! lol
Just before Fire, Tom called The Delta Riggs on stage and they were all up there dancing around and singing and it was just so much fun and they were all loving it.
It was such a great gig. I think it was better than the Sydney gig. Mary & Jess, who had done Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane also said that Brisbane was the best one. SO WELL DONE BRISBANE!
I ended up scoring a set list!
We didn’t hang around to meet them, though I really wish I did now, but we didn’t want to seem too pushy or eager.
I hope they don’t leave it 2 years until they’re here again . I don’t think they will though, after that Brisbane crowd
