I was pumped to check out the new venue for live music in Richmond, The Leadbeater Hotel. The Church street venue previously known as the Eureka Hotel has updated their band room with a bigger stage, new sound system and lighting to match. The band room is well positioned to host up and coming bands, like the legends I'm about to talk about below. But with a capacity of 350,  could also comfortably cater to well known artists who would like an intimate show. 

The drink special of the night was piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris, and there is a certain kind of joy in seeing a guy in a trucker cap sipping on a frozen cocktail as I walked in to see opening act for the night, Cascade Bloom. I came in to watch the three-piece indie rockers cruising on stage. The crowd was sparse but those we were there were enjoying the tunes and witnessed an excellent guitar solo from James. Cascade Bloom is the kind of band I would love to watch while having a cold beer in a beachside town. James, who casts himself as a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer didn't talk much between sets, but was able to connect with the crowd as he sang “I hope you feel what I feel”. There was a flurry of activity around the stage with the final song, a fun cover of “Talkin’ Bout My Generation”. The sound quality for this set was the best of the night.

Barefoot Spaceman, who have one of the best band names I have seen in a long time, are clearly regulars to the gig scene. These guys share that they have been touring together for five years and it was clear much of their moves are second nature as they joked together on stage. This five-piece group is well spaced on the new stage, definitely a worthy investment by the venue. Their genre is hard to pin down, some songs sounded similar to Smash mouth while others had more of an Arctic Monkeys vibe, either way their set was tight. “Maybe I’m Insane” is a standout and I highly recommend adding to your playlist (link to video/spotify). They are also playing Melbourne Beerfest next weekend, so if you can, go check them out!

Headlining is a band who I think have played almost every venue in Melbourne. One of the first times I saw Dal Santo, they had a packed basement at the Grace Darling, where there was a guy in a panda costume and people jumping so hard they almost hit their head on the roof. Safe to say my expectations were high for a great set and the boys delivered. While it was a quiet turnout for the show (possibly due to venue being so fresh), there was an air of excitement as they played through favourites like “Delivery Postman” and my personal favourite “Play”.

 The band was buzzing off the back of opening for Press Club at Cherry Bar a few weeks ago and their new drummer, Sunny was settled in between lead vocalist, Jimi and guitar wizard, Guarav out front. The crowd picked up on their cheer with a few people from the bar poking their head in to see what was going on and staying for most of the set. Everyone sang along for “Holiday”, a song that remains their number one on Spotify and YouTube. Jimi gave a shoutout to Leadbeater publican, Joe. This venue was apparently a dream of his for years that has finally become a reality. Jimi stated  “the future of live music is right here”. 

A couple of new songs dappled amongst their set were showing the bands growth since releasing their second EP in 2019. The fresh blood has given them new areas of the reggae pop genre to explore. In a brief chat with Jimi after the show he shared that a new EP is on the cards for 2020 and if the songs we saw were any indication, it will do very well.

 On top of Melbourne Beerfest, Barefoot Spaceman are headlining at Bergy Seltzer on the 6th of May while Dal Santo are playing next Sunday at Wrangler Studios, and again at Airey’s Inlet festival in March.

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