LIVE REVIEW: GIGS ARE BACK! THE GROGANS & THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS AT THE CORNER HOTEL - 4/12/2020
It was a night of firsts for a lot of people - a first gig back for fans, a first sit-down gig for many (if not all), and a first sip of Brandy for frontman, Quin Grunden of Melbourne’s indie-surf rock trio, The Grogans.
Kicking things off for the night was Frankston’s indie-pop punk band, The Belair Lip Bombs.
Something which was intriguing about the TBLB’s was their diverse range of influences - at times the audience were treated to lead singer Maisie’s Cranberries style vocals, other times a WAAX or Tired Lion sound came through, each of which were of course given their own style by the musical workings of TBLB’s.
The crowd, sitting excitedly, were placed in an almost perfect position to enjoy The Grogan’s expansive back catalogue, as the trio released their fourth album, this time via Cousin Will Records, Day / To / Day in early November.
Things started off slow and steady with the first track off of the album, ‘Unnecessary’ easing the crowd into the new era of The Grogans.
It wasn’t long until the trio dived into ‘Pretty Dress’, another new track, which is reminiscent of an earlier Grogans sound, full of young-and-in-love sentiments with their signature coastal chords. At this point, their 60s/70s Australiana surf rock soundscape was emerging to an incredibly receptive crowd.
There were plenty of throwback moments for the audience to delight in, with warped guitar tracks such as ‘Abando’ and ‘No Sleep’ making it hard for the crowd to contain their excitement to the bottom of their chairs.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Grogans set without the quieter, more melancholic moments of reflection, with the trio uniting for an acoustic rendition of crowd favourites ‘Money Will Chase You’ and ‘How Would You Know’.
‘Lemon To My Lime’, which has garnered over 1.9 million Spotify listens, had the audience singing until their heart's content, with months of built up live-gig energy finally being released throughout the set.
Despite some technical difficulties (a few broken guitar strings - you know, typical rock star stuff) The Grogans were still able to keep the crowd entertained and energy levels high. Churning through over 15 songs during the show, it’s clear that The Grogan’s are well on their way to establishing themselves as one of Melbourne’s most electrifying live acts. It was reassuring and even exciting to see their growth, as with every new record the trio’s confidence improves ten fold. And so, and message for 2021: watch out, there’s seasoned surfers in town with no kooks in sight.
