Tim Chuma's Photos

with Sarah Carroll & Suzannah Espie, Barb Waters and band (Craig Pilkington, Chris Tabone, Jen Anderson, Ed Bates, Stu Thomas, Sam Leman, Dave Evans), Lisa Miller, Fenn Wilson, Dan Warner, Kim Salmon, Folk Bitch Trio, Matt Walker, Ashley Davies, Nick Barker, GIT
Brunswick Ballroom, Sunday 25th February 2024

This was the last gig I had booked before I found out I had lost my job and I was looking forward to it due to GIT doing a reunion for it at least for one song.

I actually found the original advertisement for the 2003 launch but it seems it was in the middle of the Melbourne International Film Festival which I had already taken one night off for to see GIT's album launch at the Corner Hotel and those days I only got paid once a month and not very much so I did not go. I was going to see Barb Waters around the place at the time and remember taking photos of her playing with Cyndi Boste around the time.

I still hear Barb and Pilko on JVG every Sunday and see Sarah and Suzannah regularly around town and these days I am going to see the kids of the people I used to go see back in the day as they have their own bands. The closest to this launch would have to be the Mother's Day Show these days since RRR BBQ Day had its last one in 2019. Yes I know there was the Melbourne in 60 seconds project but that had a lot of different people in it.

Opening the day were Sarah and Suzannah who played some songs they don't often get to play with the Cartridge Family or the Junes, even some ones GIT used to play back in the day. They did do some songs at my exhibition opening back in 2012 but there were not as many people in the room for that was it was in the bistro at the old Caravan Music Club in Oakleigh. I might have cheered a bit too loudly as Sarah mentioned while she was on stage. At least people did not seem to be talking as much or playing UNO which does happen for the support acts sometimes here.

As soon as the show started everyone seemed to rush up the front on the bar side. I tried but my leg was starting to hurt after being out the previous day and I had to go get a chair from up the back. Photos still turned out good enough even though I was sitting down and I rarely get to sit up the front at this venue, I am usually standing for shows.

It was quite the show as it turns out with a bunch of people I remember seeing back in the day both on and off stage. Was even people who no longer go to gigs that much these days but made an extra special effort to get to this show. People were spewin' they missed it after but it was advertised well in advance.

The best thing about the show was that I could remember everyone's names and did not have to look up anyone. Ed Bates poked me as he walked off the stage which was funny. JVG had to do his radio show but turned up for the end of it. Even Nathan Farrelly was there for the first part of the show before having to scoot off to his gig at the Lomond.

Anyone who went to gigs in the early 2000s remember the residency gigs where you would guarantee the same person or band would be playing at the same place on a certain day and would go from one to the other some days as happened with GIT and different people turning up at their shows and then I went to see the people they played with after.

The band played great and would have had a lot of work to rehearse all the songs. Wasn't any one of the guest artists who did a bad job either. Special mention to Sarah doing Cyndi Boste's song and Fenn Wilson doing the song Rob Snarski originally did. Barb also mentioned she is working on some new duets and hopefully they will be a follow-up album sooner or later.

Folk Bitch Trio with one of Barb and Pilko's daughters in the band sang a duet on one of the songs and GIT did the penultimate song with them also staying on stage for the finale. Was great to see Trish's kids running up to hug her when she walked off stage. I wasn't able to get a photo with Sarah, Suzannah and Trish but did get photo with Trish and family so good enough. It was a bit chaotic after the show with so many people and I had to get home for dinner but did get to go see Pollyman (solo) downstairs and give George his birthday card.

Was a big day if you cannot tell from the amount of photos I ended up taking, this line up is not likely to come up again so I wanted to make sure I had enough. I will try to get the album off Bandcamp fairly soon.

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/ReformHill
https://www.facebook.com/sarahcarrollukulelequeen
https://www.facebook.com/SuzannahEspie
https://www.lisamiller.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/fennwilsonmusic/
https://danwarner.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/KimSalmonOfficial/
https://www.facebook.com/folkb1tchtrio
https://www.facebook.com/nick.barker.355