Stand Atlantic, Redhook, Down & Out @ The Gov, Adelaide 27/3/2025
As we cling to the last rays of summer, with shortening days and cooler evenings upon us, is there a better way to celebrate this than with three Australian bands that bring their own blasts of sunshine to each show?
For Stand Atlantic, this tour is quite unique. It lands in regional venues (Forth in Tasmania anyone?) yet also hit the cities such as Adelaide tonight. However, that is the pop punk bands way, to bring joy to every corner.
With their latest album Was Here under their arms and growing before us on stage, they also bring the always showstopping RedHook along too.
Down & Out open the night, a pop punk blast of energy led by Liam Gallagher lookalike Luke Ganeo. The big difference is this guy can sing and gets immersed with the crowd. Emmy from RedHook gets on stage only two songs in, a pre cursor to how much fun tonight is. How can you not have your mood lifted by a band like Down & Out, that throws everything into high octane blasts of summer songs?
RedHook themselves are always a scene. The inclusiveness to one and all, makes them a beacon for those going through their own evolving journey of discovery. Hot Tub has the band swamped in bubbles while ‘Hexxx’ is furious with guitarist Craig Wilkinson leading the way bouncing throughout.
I may be biased here with the Sydneysiders, having followed their career from inception, however I feel they literally stand alone in blending catchy hooks about the chaos of life while exploding theatrically every night.
Mack gets onto the barrier for Jabberwocky and goes even further during closer Bad Decisions bringing the band and audience into one big pit and joyful, free song. The only downside is such a short set however the band make up for that by going crazy on stage at one hundred miles per hour. Always a blast, in more ways than one.
Headliners Stand Atlantic bring twenty songs, include an opera singer, a shoey, a crowd surfing challenge and have everyone smiling. Boss level accomplishments.
Opening with vocalist Bonnie Fraser alone on stage for Wake Up – Sit Down- Shut Up is eerie and poetic, a visual representation of while we may think we are on our own, we have friends as the band launch in moments later.
The feel-good pop punk summer vibes are throughout, as Hair Out and Jurassic Park have hands waving and the crowd chanting along. The band can mix it up though and a nice rock groove creates a nice tapestry with Fraser’s rap style during Kissin’ Killer Cobras.
‘The Beach’ has the place bouncing as does Hate Me which the crowd finish in a spine tingling moment before the show goes up another level. Toothpick is played on the keyboard alone and for this moment in time, we are somewhere else as a small rendition of Drops Of Jupiter snuggles it’s way in.
As the end of summer arrives, the party steps up, Fraser is encouraged to do a shoey – that most Australian of musical traditions – and the audience are challenged back during Pity Party to keep a friend of the band crowd surfing the whole way through the song. Something Adelaide’s crowd does with aplomb and acknowledged by Fraser as the first gig to manage the feat. Good on you Adelaide.
Bassist Miki Rich notes an audience member as singing opera and invites them up on stage to sing Dumb to join in. Fraser steps aside for most of the song as the bashful audience member take the reins. It’s chaotic, it’s fun and its perfectly in tune with the party vibe on tonight.
RedHook’s Craig joins in on Coffee At Midnight and everyone in the room, literally everyone, gets down and jumps up during closer Girl$.
Tonight was a safe space where you can be who you want to be, where you can let your hair down, sing opera, jump up and down, and be a light in the world to others. With some crowd members barely out of nappies, it was an event that will inspire and live long in their memory. It may be the end of summer; however tonight’s light will shine for a long time after.
Live Review By Iain McCallum