Wow, what a spectacular night we all had at the Triffid last Saturday!
We were so pleased to see you all there, banging out the Britpop anthems with us and getting right into it. We hope you made it home safe and sound and it is very humbling to receive so many words of thanks and gratitude. Events like that are massive, involve loads of people behind the scenes and are months in the making, but do you want to know a few little secrets?....... then read on, coz that was a crazy lead up to the gig.
The Triffid is a fantastic venue of huge acclaim, the staff are awesome and many musicians in this fayre land and beyond would give their left arm to play there, (ok maybe not that body part, call me 'nuts'!). It was a massive deal for us, we were proper excited and giddy as little kids, so as it gained continual momentum, the pressure was building. Every gig is really special to us, no matter the venue, but the Triffid was the big one this year and we were mad fer'it! At each rehearsal or through messenger, more details would emerge about the support acts joining us on the night and what was in store, so we were thrilled to share the stage with the awesome guys from two fabulous Sunshine Coast bands, Chamber Lane and Owls of Neptune as they rocked the joint too.
Please get behind them as they continue to build a solid following. They have their own story and it would be remiss not pay tribute to Liam Norton at Norton Music Factory in Caloundra who is a massive advocate of local musical talent.
What's that you say.... the renowned national artist Stephen Bordanaro is going to paint a canvas live as the bands play on the night, to raise money for the very worthy children's charity, Hummingbird House! (Wow) What an amazing experience to see the canvas come to life. Would you believe, the auction winners took the canvas home on the bus after the gig. Awesome in every way.
The Brisbane Barmies were in full force on the night and certainly added to the event. A massive thanks for their continued support
Some of the The Sunny Coast Rude Boys - Steve, Wayne, Sam, Matt & Adam joined us for 'Country House' (BLUR)
Our fantastic video & camera crew Kim, Sarah, Lachy, Mark & Chris did a wonderful job!
as did the Sound & Light crew (saviours!) Tim, Brenton, Rio, Charlotte & Anna.
Did you grab your t-shirts from the awesome girls on the Merch stand? - Yvonne and Emma did a spectacular job, kitting loads of people out and if you missed the chance on Saturday, please head over to the band websites to order some gear.
There are plenty of 'in-jokes' with the lads in CB and a healthy amount of pissing taking and self-deprecation. It was pure coincidence that Bondy stood under the word 'Smart'... so we had to remind him he's a...
John - Drums
"I'm nay bringing my own, I'm playin' the hooose kit!"
John is the backbone, John's sister made the trip up from Sydney to join us for the night and we were delighted that she did.
Neil - Keys/Backing Vox
Remembering Rob Collins (Keys - The Charlatans)
Our awesome Neil has to travel further than any of us and it is testament to his dedication, love of the music and giving nature that he does so to bring the essential elements to the songs we love to cover. Neil's encyclopaedic knowledge and superb musical talent really adds to the experience for us all.
Bondy - Bass
R.I.P Paul Ryder (Bass - Happy Mondays)
Bondy was gutted to hear about the passing of Paul Ryder recently - 'Step On Paul x'.
Dee - Lead Guitar/Backing Vox
It's been serviced, they said there's nothing wrong with it!
Dave is 'Mr Guitar', he was born for this and has serious musical pedigree, with a wealth of talent and knowledge. His amp has seen some action and started smoking in rehearsal. Dave travelled two hours to have it serviced, only to be told there was nothing wrong. Yeah, Dave was mid-riff and it blew up on stage, so Charlotte and Anna (absolute champions!) the stage techs came to the rescue so Dave could play on. Quick thinking all round.
Mick - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
ok, grab a brew and take a seat!
Mick got a call at 12.30pm on Saturday from the Triffid to say that both the usual Sound Techs had been diagnosed with Covid and had cancelled. So, with only 3 hours to go, there were no sound guys for the sound check and every other sound tech and lighting person was stuck in the mud at Splendour in the Grass! (Fark!) In his own words, Mick had a 'moment' then made 900 phone calls and gathered the sound and light team that joined us on the night, none of which had ever worked the Triffid desks before! Mick is the heart, soul and life-force of Cool Britannia and was feeling pretty run-down with a head cold (not the spicy cough!) all week prior to taking the stage. He never complains and always looks on the bright side of life. He is truly an inspirational leader, a real go-getter and there is never a dull moment. He is larger than life on stage, a true professional and is the most humble, caring human off-stage. It's really important that you know that. Mick works tirelessly to bring you a strew of bands
These are the nicest fellas to hang out with and we're right chuffed to have extended the family by including Owls of Neptune (Pete, Matt, Todd & Jay) and Chamber Lane (Connor, Kaine, Josiah & Seth). We hope you get behind them and their journeys with us too.
On a final note, thanks for reading this far, it really doesn't happen without you. A massive CB thanks to you all for making the effort to share Saturday night with us at the Triffid, you can find photos and videos in the usual places. It means so much and we look forward to doing it somewhere again with you soon.
Peace, Love & Britpop
Bondy.
John, Neil, Bondy, Dee & Mick x