Having a ball at the Australian Open
MEL Live were invited to attend the Australian Open to enjoy the festivities of the AO Live Stage and AO Sports Film Festival.
Highlights
Day 1 of the Open at the AO Live Stage saw us seeing up-and-comer Triple J darling Gretta Ray, playing her tunes to a responsive and youthful audience. Performing tracks that included Radio Silence, Time and Drive, the music was the perfect accompaniment to a cheery and sunny afternoon in Birrarung Marr. With a support slot scheduled later that week to perform all over the country with Mumford & Sons, we expect Gretta Ray to be returning to the Open for a headline slot shortly.
The headliner for the first day of festivities was Dean Lewis, well-known to the Open after performing the previous year in a support slot alongside Vera Blue. Having had an extremely successful 2017, after being launched into fame with his first track Waves, Dean has proven that he has a lot to offer with his follow up single Be Alright scoring the #6 ranking in this year’s Triple J Hottest 100 countdown. His performance at the AO was filled with swooning fans as Dean worked his way through his EP Same Kind Of Different, throwing in a cover of Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis.
Opening the stage on the second night was CXLOE, a Sydneysider based in LA. Running through her own brand of electro indie-pop, her honest, raw music was a welcomed change of pace. With tracks reminiscent of something Lorde could perform, CXLOE wowed the crowd with Show You and Monster; two tracks that definitely stood out as highlights. Rounding out the set with tracks just as dark and moody as the next, CXLOE is definitely one we’ll be keeping our eye on.
Also based in LA, Brisbane artist Conrad Sewell headlined the second night on the AO Live Stage, performing a mesmerising set to a huge audience. Currently making waves in the US, after supporting Ed Sheeran and Maroon 5, Conrad’s impressive show was proof of his amazing talent. Playing fan fave Start Again, as well as Healing Hands and Hold Me Up, Conrad is cool and collected on stage, practically oozing charisma. It’s only up from here on out for the singer songwriter from Brisbane.
Nicole Millar opened for Bastille at the AO Live Stage, as part of her inclusion on their full Australian tour. Taking to the stage in a stylish rave get-up, the Canadian Australian indie-pop darling brought her A game; performing a selection of hits to warm up the youthful crowd. Playing tracks from her debut album Excuse Me, released mid-last year, crowd favourites included Signals, No Strings, Gimme A Break and Blindfolded. Nicole Millar left a lasting impression on the crowd – her energy, powerful vocals and strong stage presence getting the audience ready for one of the biggest nights on the AO Live Stage.
Bastille commenced their Australia tour with a visit to Melbourne; kicked off with a one-off show at the AO. The UK four-piece, who are a household name with over 10-million albums sold, returned to our shores, with their last visit to Melbourne back in 2014. Led by vocalist Dan Smith, Bastille came out to an impressive crowd, ready to perform a full concert set to their adoring fans. As one of the more established and successful bands on the strong AO line-up, it was great to see Bastille fans who had missed out on tickets to their show at the Forum flock to the tennis for a night of music and sport.
The set started off strong; the band launching straight into two of the more popular songs from their latest album Wild World, performing both Good Grief and Blame. Bastille stuck to the usual script, bringing out a mix of new and old – the best of both worlds – as tracks from Bad Blood were welcome inclusions. Icarus, Things We Lost In The Fire, and Of the Night were met with screams, and at times, tears of joy from some of the more passionate fans. Happier, a cover from Bastille and Marshmello, had everyone dancing and singing along, as the band performed one of their most recent successes. The encore was as anticipated, the highlight of the set; playing Quarter Past Midnight, the first single from their forthcoming album, and finishing with their greatest release to date, Pompeii. We hope to see the band back in Melbourne again shortly, and they will always be welcome back to the AO.
If there was an award at the AO Live Stage for the band who seemed most surprised to be performing, it would be awarded to Jebediah. It was a refreshing change of pace to see Kevin Mitchell, front-man of Jebediah (also known for his solo work as Bob Evans), welcome the audience to their performance by acknowledging their presence as the ‘wildcards’ of the music portion of the Open. Rattling off jokes throughout their set, the band proved that they more than deserved a place alongside the other bands performing, rocking out hits to an audience familiar with the band and their music. Songs such as She’s Like a Comet, Leaving Home and, of course, Harpoon were all met with the crowd singing along and partying away. The band were even kind enough to cater to requests, asking the audience members who’d been shouting for them to play Animal what they’d like to hear when it was the right time in the set. Jebediah continue to prove how much fun it can be to be on stage playing music with close friends.
You think you’ve seen it all… until you watch Confidence Man live in action. The Brisbane electro-pop band’s live set is exactly what you’d expect from a band who titled their 2018 debut album Confident Music for Confident People. Led by vocalists and dancers Janet Planet and Sugar Bones, and supported by masked figures McGuffie and Goodchild on keys and drums, the band makes their presence known from the very beginning. Emerging from the fog in all white – fitting for the tennis – they dance around the stage with an apparent Wimbledon-esque vibe. What follows is synchronised dancing, striking poses and the band cracking champagne with their own glasses brought from backstage. The set is enjoyable and the crowd laps it up, partying on to tracks including Bubblegum, Boyfriend (Repeat), and Don’t You Know I’m In A Band. At the end of the day, one thing is clear. Confidence Man screams confidence.
The enigma that is Bec Sandridge was a blast as usual, captivating the audience with her opening synths and screaming guitar riffs. Despite there being a few minor technical difficulties, this was quickly dismissed, all thanks to Bec breaking up the energetic set between songs with her kooky sense of humour. With her synth-pop, catchy hooks and infallible voice, Bec’s set had everyone up and dancing along. Recent singles Animal and I’ll Never Want a BF were complemented with classic tracks High Tide and In the Fog, In the Flame. We’ve had the pleasure to see Bec a few times, and this time was no different, as we left the stage practically with a skip in our step. With what was an amazing set, the only thing missing was her usual ‘My name is Bec Sandridge – rhymes with sandwich’.
Ball Park Music are always an interesting group to see live, and are fast-becoming one of the favourite bands of all millenials. Whether it be at a festival, a headline show, or in this instance at the AO, Ball Park Music bring with them a forum to dance and sing along joyously to each and every track. It never ceases to amaze us how many hits the band have accumulated during their time, and how they manage to perform each song we are hoping for during their time on stage. Songs including Exactly How You Are, It’s Nice To Be Alive and All I Want Is You feel coincidental when seeing Ball Park Music perform, as were more than appreciative of the shared moments and the opportunity to see the band live. A shout out to anyone who has seen them and their live performance of Hands Off My Body – a true testament to the raw energy we love to see in our live music. Closing off the set with Fencesitter and She Only Loves Me When I’m There, we go back to reality wondering when we can go see Ball Park Music again.
Sydney-based Jack River brought her own brand of dream-pop to the stage, following the 2018 release of debut album Sugar Mountain (one of our favourite albums from last year!). Clad in a pink jumpsuit, Jack River is met with screams from the crowd, who are all eager to see her in action. Belting out recent singles Fault Line and Confess, as well as returning to classics such as Palo Alto and Fool’s Gold, Jack River captured the hearts of fans old and new. Our highlight for the set was Limo Song; a track that encourage a mass-crowd dance and singalong. Jack River is definitely one to watch, and it’s fair to say that it’s only up from here. Big things are coming and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in 2019.
Fellow Sydney-siders DMA’s were met with overwhelming crowds, accompanied by deafening cheers. The trio now has two albums to their name; 2016’s Hills Ends and last year’s For Now, as well as a few covers they’ve practically made their own. Given this, their live sets are never short of amazing. Playing songs such as Step Up the Morphine, new single Do I Need You Now?, and the song that made everything possible, Delete, the set was full of crowd singalongs, emotion, and a whole lot of britpop vibes. Touring worldwide, DMA’s are easily one of Australia’s finest exports.
Melbourne favourite Alex Lahey received big crowds early on the Saturday afternoon of the Women’s Final. Known to many, loved by all, Alex and her band wasted no time launching into her debut album’s title track I Love You Like A Brother to get the ball rolling, if you’ll pardon the pun. Tracks that followed include the best song to be written about one of the most remote main cities in Australia (Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder), a tune that makes us all contemplate our HECS debt and naive decisions in our youth (Ivy League), a song about love and getting to know someone (I Want U), and a track that will have anyone moving and tapping along (Let’s Go Out). As usual, Alex finishes her set strongly by performing her three biggest songs to date – crowd favourites Every Day’s The Weekend, You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me and I Haven’t Been Taking Care Of Myself.
Sibling duo Angus and Julia Stone brought their charisma and finesse to the AO Live Stage, drawing in audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Now with an impressive back catalogue, the set included hit song Snow, as well as classics Big Jet Plane and For You. The setlist choices took the audience on a journey through their hit albums over the years; showcasing a perfectly balanced mix of tracks old and new. Julia and Angus were their usual selves on stage, running the audience through their dreamy indie-pop with their souls laid bare. Newer tracks were very Fleetwood Mac-esque – more upbeat and a little heavier than their classics, yet still 100% pure Angus and Julia Stone.
Midway through the set, the audience is treated to Marinade, a track from Angus’ side project, Dope Lemon. While an absolute killer of a track, the band offered their own rendition, complete with Julia providing back-up vocals. Closing the set with Chateau, a song practically written for festivals, Angus and Julia’s voices perfectly harmonised over the track’s delicate strings. Garnering plenty of ‘oohs’ back from the audience, the set couldn’t have ended on a better note.
Something For Kate were ecstatic to be gracing the stage on the final day of the Australian Open. Self-admitted tennis fan Paul Dempsey prefaced the performance by acknowledging his love for the sport and how the AO is all consuming in his household each fortnight in January. Opening the set with Three Dimensions, the band continued with their classics known to all who attended the AO Live Stage for the final time this year. Our favourites included Electricity, Monsters, and of course, Deja Vu. In typical Paul Dempsey fashion, it wouldn’t be a Something For Kate set without a few covers – and we were blown away by what was delivered. I Want To Break Free by Queen was dubbed as something we wrote ‘a little while back’ and was followed closely by Sweet Nothing, attributed to Florence & the Machine.
Given the responsibility to close the 2019 Australian Open, Jet came out confidently to perform a set self-described as ‘rolling out the hits’. It’s been some time since we’ve had the pleasure of seeing the boys perform live, and it was a welcome return as they launched into Cold Hard Bitch. From the opening riffs, the crowd was immediately brought back to the early 2000s and the world that was. It’s easy to forget how influential the Melbourne-band have been, both in our local music scene and across the world, delivering on their promise to perform hit after hit. Rollover DJ, She’s a Genius, Are You Gonna Be My Girl receive roaring cheers from the tipsy Sunday afternoon crowd, as do Look What You’ve Done, Rip It Up and Last Chance. Jet showed that they are very much back – joking around with the crowd throughout their set, even providing one lucky audience member with a signed sheet of paper from each of the band members. We look forward to the next opportunity to tear it up with the boys from Melbourne.
AO Sports Film Festival
Watching films across three fabulous locations at the Australian Open, the MEL Live team were lucky enough to be part of Grand Slam History by attending the first dedicated Sports Film Festival. Visiting the AO Ballpark, AO Tennis Club and The Glasshouse to watch curated films for all ages, our team dived in head first to enjoy a range of must-see films throughout the tournament, including:
- Bend It Like Beckham
- Space Jam
- The Mighty Ducks
- Battle of the Sexes
- Cars
- Rocky
- Coach Carter
- Rush
- Remember The Titans