Seabellies at the Grand

What better way to start the weekend than with a night of good live music! Friday the 1^st October took me back to The Grand...
fast becoming the hub of Wollongong’s live music scene with Ben Tillman’s weekly Night Eats Day events. This week the bill included local boys The Walking Who, Adelaides’ Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Sydneys’ Tales in Space and the headline act, currently a Triple J favourite, The Seabellies.

Kicking off the evening was the enigmatic three piece The Walking Who, a smooth blend of progressive rock with wandering bass, thundering drums and distorted guitar. The vocals were surprisingly sweet and strong, dotted with a throaty growl now and then and complimented by bouts of intense instrumental rocking out. They are worthwhile watching just to see the drummer flick his long blonde locks violently around his head in time with flying arms and pumping feet. The next two supports followed a similar sound but added keys and some backing vocals into the mix… I particularly enjoyed the voice of Caitlin from Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! In all it’s soulful cruisyness. To tell the truth I wasn’t listening too hard at that point of the night, but my attention returned in full as the Seabellies took to the stage. In the thick of touring their new album By Limbo Lake, they were polished and relaxed and exuded an energised confidence.

Combining ethereal electronics and synth, with ringing guitar riffs, drums itching with building cymbols and the keening melodies of lead singer Trent, whose voice is very easy on the ear and beautifully complimented with backing vocals from half the band. I loved that the solo female in the band, Steph, swapped instruments all through the set and seemed comfortable on all of them in an awkward puppet-like way. They definitely caught my ear and I hope to catch them live again over the summer months.