Lime Cordiale, Ball Park Music, Aleksiah @ Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide 5/10/2024
It might have been October Labour Day long weekend in Adelaide but that did not stop a full house at the Entertainment Centre Theatre from gathering to see dream combination of Lime Cordiale and Ball Park Music which proved to be a match made in heaven and the perfect pairing. Lime Cordiale have had another massive year hot off the heels of their new album Enough Of The Sweet Talk which is loaded with great singles.
Adelaide indie-pop starlet Aleksiah opened proceedings setting a good vibe early with her brand dreamy indie rock. Her career is definitely on the rise and there is plenty of good times to come as people start to catch on. Alexia herself admitted that she literally lives two minutes up the road being a proud Adelaidian. For those who have not seen Aleksiah before her thirty minute set was a perfect intro experiencing a mix of old and her. Set staple Fern was fantastic as was the song that we can all identify with in I Hate Getting Older. Clothes Off and Batshit were great moments topped off with the Thirsty Merc cover of Summertime. Be sure to catch her headline show at Lion Arts Factory in December.
How can anyone not love Ball Park Music! I have many Ball Park Music many times going back to the early days at Jive but one thing you can count on is that they always have a way of lifting the collective spirits of the crowd wherever they play. Singer Sam Cromack said that he was feeling anxious before the show saying that he woke up and that his voice was feeling “fucked up”. You would hardly know with the way he sung, perhaps the perfect tonic.
Ball Park Music’s biggest challenge now with having so many good songs to squeeze in sixty minutes is which ones to leave out. Their set was jammed packed with awesomeness starting with Cocaine Lion, Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You and Stars In My Eyes. Playing a bigger venue meant bigger production and I think we can get used to seeing them on the big stag like this. Cromack thanked the crowd for making him feel better and going to say how much the band loves our city affectionately labelling Adelaide as “Brisbane of the south” adding that he wasn’t sure how that would go down.
I Feel Nothing and Exactly How You Are then treating Adelaide to new tune Like Love – if this is a taste of what is to come then there will be plenty of reason to get excited for what is ahead in 2025. With mobile phone lights on to illuminate the room created an awesome aesthetic before returning to familiar territory with the stellar Trippin’ the Light Fantastic and excitable vibe of Spark Up! There was a moment of reflect of drinking “unlimited Coopers Green at Jive” and the love affair with Adelaide “soothing our souls” after many a late night drinking affairs. Time flies when you are having fun with the band ploughing through Sunscreen, She Only Loves Me When I’m There, It’s Nice to Be Alive and Cherub to finish with the promise to be back in 2025.
It has been a while and seems a long time in the making back Lime Cordiale finally made their return to Adelaide. In short, fantastic! Lime Cordiale are without doubt one of Australia’s hardest working bands having toured extensively just about everywhere all around the world. They are gig hardened and their show is next level elite loaded with so many relatable feel good tunes to draw upon. The “Limes” got things started in a big way with Pedestal keeping that energy at a high on Temper Temper. Any band that can incorporate a trombone and clarinet definitely gets bonus points in my view but it is the play on words and playful energy of eccentric brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach that builds the affinity with fans.
Oli said that “everyone takes their time coming back to Adelaide” reflecting on playing venues like Rocket Bar and Lion Arts Factory to no one. The flavour of the day was new album Enough Of The Sweet Talk with the set featuring Facts Of Life, Happiness Season, Imposter Syndrome and The Big Reveal; Ou L’Hypocrite in amongst the tried and true of Naturally and Dirt Cheap. So good and we weren’t even half way yet.
Mid show brothers Oli and Louis were pitted against each other with the venue split down the middle with an “artful” fight scene which provided a few laughs. You had to be there to appreciate this one. Each side of the room had to out cheer each other depending whether you were on Team Oli or Team Louis’s side. The Divinyls cover I Touch Myself was well timed with the crowd finding plenty of voice to sing this one. The kazoo made an entry on No Plans To Make Plans and their charisma shined on Country Club. Mobile phone lights lit up the room on Colin finishing the main set on Money, Risky Love and new tunes Cold Treatment and Strangers.
The encore was absolutely fantastic starting acoustically with a stripped back version of Waking Up Easy building to the song’s end. It was maximum vibes with their fan popular songs Robbery and Inappropriate Behaviour to wrap up an awesome Saturday night. Looking forward to how they can top this in 2025.
Live Review By Rob Lyon