It was the lineup we had all been waiting for. Lime Cordiale and Bootleg Rascal playing the same show together in one night, it was bound to be a hectic. Hosted by comedian Aaron Gocs, the inaugural event made it’s way to Brisbane on Sunday night, with headliners joined by an impressive line-up of rising local artists including WHARVES, First Beige and IVEY.
WHARVES
Mix british rock with your favourite high school band geeks and you get the uber talented group of boys who make up WHARVES. From Lennox Heads, WHARVES were the first band I was able to catch at The Squeeze and I’m so glad I made it because they were bloody rad.
Playing songs such as It’s You and High School Hero,WHARVES didn’t only play they performed. Watching them all on the stage rocking out like no one was watching was beautiful, it was nice to see such a tight nit group of dudes doing what they love and doing it well.
WHARVES were also the first band in a long time to cover a song I enjoyed as well as doing the song justice. Covering single Whip It by Devo the boys rocked out just as Devo would have all while playing the song note for note with perfection.
The best part of their set by far was when they played their most popular single Man You Want Me To Be. I was more stoked because I knew this one and could have a groove out more than I did before but crowds response was the same as mine and it took the boys set to another level.
WHARVES had their own style. You could tell they played what they wanted, how they wanted and when they wanted to. They had a sense of pride and and a naughty guy vibe but they also gave off the sweetness of the boy next door. Their tunes were hella catchy and their set was flawless, so if you missed seeing them perform at The Squeeze then catch them performing at Black Bear Lodge Brisbane on June 30.
BOOTLEG RASCAL
This time last year at Big Pineapple Festival was the last time I saw Bootleg Rascal so it was awesome to reunite my love with them again. From Sydney and the Gold Coast, Bootleg Rascal are a mix up of 3 crazy dudes with different styles and attitudes who have come together to make a killer band whose tunes spike every groove muscle in your body.
There was no messing around once the boys graced the stage. Kicking off with single Head In The Clouds the groovy and upbeat horn section of the song got everybody pumped and from then it was smooth sailing. It was a none stop party for both the crowd and the band, hands started to sway side to side during single Shade, and everyone started to sing along during chilled out single Drop The Gun.
Lead vocalist Carlos has such a high energy party vibe to his performance that its impossible not to feel good while watching Bootleg perform. The boys were tighter than ever, feeding off each others energy and playing like their lives depended on it. Smashing single Overflow semi acoustic brought a nice change up to their set and everyone sung along when the boys played Asleep In The Machine. To close the boys finished their set with party track Coming Home. The crowd who had been boogieing the entire time threw the remainder or their love towards Bootleg who left everything they had on the stage.
LIME CORDIALE
“Baadaaaa” the billowing sound of Lime Cordiale’s trombonist Nick started to play the first few notes of their single Spider Legs and the crowd was instantly hooked. Sydney based groovers Lime Cordiale pulled together a packed out crowd of adoring fans at The Triffid and I’ll say it was about time they received the recognition they deserve. Playing songs from both their EP ‘Road To Paradise’ and their 2017 album ‘Permanent Vacation’ the boys put together the perfect set list featuring all of their hits designed for every fan.
Lime Cordiale ripped through singles Naturally, Waking Up Easy, Risky Love, Hanging Upside Down, you name it they played and we loved it! From the front to the back the crowd did not stop moving for a second, it was like being stuck in one of those old school wave pools but the music was far better. Vocalist and bassist Louis has the most amazing voice and when performing live he really lets loose and that’s something you don’t get on a recording. Oliver can pretty much do anything from playing guitar to clarinet and performing vocals, as well as Trombonist Nick who also played guitar and sung backing vocals. Then you have Felix rocking the keys and James on the drums and when you put them all together you get this crazy 5 piece group of insanely talented dudes playing insanely good music or as we know them as Lime Cordiale.
Their stage presence was memorising, not only are they a stunning group of boys but the way they close their eyes when they sing and the smiles on their faces when the crowds starts to scream makes for a very personal and intimate performance. Lime Cordiale are a band that no matter how you are feeling or what music you are into their sound can lift your spirits and turn any space into a dancing frenzy.
Carlos from Bootleg Rascal joined the boys on stage during single Temper Temper to sing the contagious “Ohhhhh Ohhh Waooohhhh” and the crowd went wild. But the biggest praise of all was saved for their closing single Not That Easy which is everybody’s favourite including mine.
It’s hard to put into words just how much I loved every minute of this mini festival. From the incredible acts and how much energy, love and passion they put into their performance, to the all round good guy crowd that were moshing and dancing around me. The whole night was full of good vibes, good music, good cider and good people and if you missed out you missed out on a lot. Here is to praying for ‘The Squeeze’ round 2!
