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REVIEW: Annandale 12th Birthday

27 July 2012 | 3:00 pm | Staff Writer

Don your party hats and bring out the cake. Its the Annandale's 12th Birthday!

Thirteen really is an awkward age. You experience the transition from kid to.. A bigger kid.

[PICTURED ABOVE: THE HORRORS AT THE ANNANDALE, 2007]

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However, I guarantee you that the Annandale Hotel will hit adolescence poised and fresh. I say this as the venue is currently undergoing renovations that are expected to be completed once the ‘Dale becomes a teenager. So after a prosperous week of celebrating, it was only fitting that the Annandale blew out the candles of their twelfth birthday cake last Saturday with their sold out party  Auld Lang Syne a title signifying endings and new beginnings.

Kicking off in the afternoon with the friendly folk seven piece, LITTLE BASTARD, progressing into the evening with the heavy RAISE THE CRAZY , bopping around with indie pop group LITTLE LOVERS and absorbing the visceral punk attitude of FURTHER, you could already sense the versatility the bill had going on before the sun had even set.

As day turned into night, you were slapping thighs and sporting cowboy hats with country rock band SPURS FOR JESUS, rekindling with punk outfit THE HARD-ONS, chilling out with slacker rock trio SMUDGE, incessantly jumping around to the tight hard rock tunes of FRONT END LOADER, having a groove with the psychedelic melodies of 78 SAAB and just being totally heaved by a selection of TUMBLEWEED‘s stoner rock catalogue. To conclude an already full-on bill, Australian indie group RATCAT pulled off an energetic hour long set, playing favourites such as ‘Don’t Go In The Water,’ ‘That Ain’t Bad’ and ‘Don’t Go Now.’ For a band that barely perform, they’ve definitely still got it (even if Simon Day doesn’t have a head full of hair any more).

And as if that wasn’t enough, you could hang around in the main room and have a jive to JAY KATZ‘s DJ set until 1am!

One particular highlight of the party was THE HARD-ONS‘ dedication to Bruce, also known as the “Chicken Man”. His honourable mention had him tearing up the stage with his eccentric, quirky moves during the band’s song, ‘Where Did She Come From?’

So whether you were peeling off your feet from the sticky carpet in the main room, packing yourself into the pokies cave or inhaling a tonne of tobacco outside, you definitely had a good night as the event showcased an array of both older and emerging bands.

Happy Birthday Annandale!

Words by Hannah Galvin