Artists: Various – Spring Loaded
Date: March 12th 2022
Venue: Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
Reviewer: Hayley Treadwell
Photographer: Andrew Treadwell Photography

LIVE MUSIC IS BACK!!! 

That line was something I heard people rejoicing about all day! You could feel the extra excitement in the air, that knowing how much this has been missed! How much the artists have missed playing! Springloaded Eatons Hill felt like it bought Brisbane back to life a bit after a few tough weeks. This was a festival where everyone was grateful and fun was had by all!  This show was originally set to take place November 2021, but due to Covid, like many other things, it was postponed. But with an Epic line up of much loved 90’s Aussie rock, the delay didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s excitement. And I just love the people who really get into festival mode with their outfit themes and costumes, they always make for great fun!  Springloaded’s M.C Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall (of Frenzal Rhomb) took the stage as the crowd was starting to build and introduced us to the first band of the day, Caligula! 

I always enjoy seeing Caligula and for me they probably deserve to be further up the run sheet. Covering much loved songs from their career including ‘Tears of a Clown’ and ‘Roundabout’, they also introduced us to a few new songs which dedicated fans and the crowd alike all seemed to enjoy. I couldn’t stop dancing along. Caligula started the festival with a bang and where definitely a stand out for the day. 

Next up to hit the stage was The Fauves. They came on the stage joking around that they were The Australian Fauves Tribute Show, their comedy warming the crowd up well. There was clearly a pocket of hard core fans wearing their merch and relishing in seeing their band! Their sound was really clear and the band was tight. They were well placed to prepare us for The Meanies. 

But just as The Meanies were set to hit the stage, we had a slight delay due to an apparent lost pants issue. Yes pants. But before long the boys took the stage fully clothed and ready to tear it up!! I have not seen these guys before and couldn’t look away. Tear it up they did. The screams of Link Meanie (Lindsay McLennan) jolted me upright and I headbanged along with middle aged men as they lost their shit!!! You could see how happy it made them to scream along, and that happiness was contagious!! By the time they were done everyone was a little wild and fired up ready to continue rocking out for the rest of the festival!! 

Then we had Screamfeeder. To me whenever Screamfeeder take the stage, the energy level drops. It’s a little lacklustre and doesn’t feel overly rock. The Meanies had just got us all wild and fired up and then Screamfeeder drops it down to a melodic sing circle. It’s not that I don’t like them, I think their songs are great, I just think they belong in a different spot on the run sheet. Great band, just maybe out of place here. 

Before too long, the energy was building for a band everyone had been waiting for, and as the sun started to set Frenzal Rhomb took the stage and you could have almost instantly mistaken yourself for being at ‘Weed Festival 2022’, the air was thick. Yet somehow it just added to the ambiance of the evening. The guys from Frenzal delivered hit after hit, ‘Russell Crowe’s Band’, ‘You Are Not My Friend’, Never Had So Much Fun’ and ‘Punch In The Face’ just to name a few! I grew up listening to these guys and seeing them live always takes me right back there. Frenzal went off!! With their cheeky lyrics and fun stage presence, the crowd was jumping and screaming out the lyrics song after song, and the moshing in front of the stage was wild!! People falling over and being pulled out by security, but essentially all helping each other up or out when needed. I always say it, music people are the nicest people!! 

Magic Dirt took to the stage with a presence that meant business, and they turned it on! Adalita has to be one of the best female front women in Australia!! With a Hendrix like vibe as she plays facing her amp, Adalita had the crowd swooning and singing all at once. Performing songs spanning their career, there were alot of people who had been waiting all day for Magic Dirt and where thrilled to hear ‘Dirty Jeans’, ‘Plastic Loveless Letter’ and ‘All My Crushes’. Finishing the set with a long jam, Adalita once again reminded me of Jimi Hendrix by throwing herself to her knees and laying back then jumping up and running the strings on her guitar over anything she could find! It was an awesome finish to an amazing set! 

Next up, my personal excitement level was building. I have been a lifelong fan of Regurgitator, and although a Brisbane girl and a Brisbane band, I had not yet seen them live. I was not disappointed! They shot the energy through the roof right from the first note. These boys have still got it!!!  Remembering your 15/16 year old self partying to ‘Blubber Boy’ and ‘I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff’ and ‘Kong Foo Sing’ and doing exactly that at 40 was just bloody awesome! You could tell everyone in the crowd was feeling it!! We were squished together tight in the sardine tin but still we were all dancing up a storm, laughing and smiling and singing at the top of our lungs. For me they were highlight of the Festival. I just want to see Regurgitator again and again and again!!  The energy remained high once Regurgitator finished their set, everyone excitedly waiting for our headliners, Grinspoon. And the wait wasn’t long. 

As they took to the stage the crowd erupted and Phil immediately turned on the showman! He is one of the greatest.  Hit after hit after hit, you could almost hear the crowd above the band. I saw people embracing, crying, loving and so much dancing! Grinspoon never fail to deliver and as a festival headliner i think they are in the perfect pocket  Still in 2022, 27 Years on, Grinspoon are a ‘Hard Act To Follow’. 

Springloaded is one of my favourite Aussie music festivals. There were standouts as mentioned above with Caligula; Frenzal Rhomb absolutely killed it and then lifting the energy to a new level and the surprise packet of the day Regurgitator was my absolute favourite. I feel like the whole day was exactly what our post Covid, inner teenager needed!!!  But I do have to say, beyond the music, it was genuinely so good to be back at a gig. To see the lighting guys and the guys working the sound board. Security Guards and Bar Staff and absolutely everyone working on Saturday to have this festival running. My personal gratitude for all of you is immense. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

And to all the music lovers, thanks for sharing the songs, the pit and the love. I cannot wait to do it all again! 

Until the next gig, 

Hayley