Over the past seven years, Bad Friday has built its reputation in the Inner West to become an almost traditional Good Friday party, of sorts. Much like the bands on its bills past and present, the event’s size has hit a new level that would have been crazy to imagine at its inception at the Annandale Hotel in 2010.
Set on an industrial street that’s otherwise dead on weekends, and wedged between train lines and warehouses largely untouched since the ’80s while planes soared overhead, Bad Friday 2017 was quintessentially Inner West. The locals would have been inclined to inhale deeply and exclaim their pride – if it weren’t for the concoction of fumes in the air.
Newtowners Scabz kicked the day off with the first of many cameos courtesy of Frenzal Rhomb’s Lindsay McDougall, before Flowertruck, Bec Sandridge and Green Buzzard took to the stage with solid sets for a growing crowd as meat smoked and sizzled along the street and queues accumulated wherever they could.
Shining Bird’s atmospheric tracks suited the cavernous precinct as they echoed out – Black Opal’s ‘I Can Run’ and an ambient instrumental tune were highly memorable, especially with added sax. Comparatively, a tribute to The Band’s Last Waltz concert, comprising members of The Delta Riggs, Sticky Fingers, The Preatures’ Thomas Champion and True Vibenation didn’t quite echo out as effectively or garner the reception it deserved.
Nonetheless, the tribute set was one of the most notable of the day, with a slew of guests including Joyride, The Jezabels’ Hayley Mary, Gideon Benson, The Lulu Raes’ Eddie Burton and Tony Hughes of King Tide, all coming together with vivacity to deliver a dose of old-school rock. The Inner West all-stars’ own memorable moment was forged at the conclusion with Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’.
Sampa The Great saw in the evening with the only spot of hip hop, charging through her set with unwavering confidence and an abundance of call and responses revving up the crowd to its most excited state so far. Her single ‘Black Dignity’ proved the most vibrant.
Royal Headache’s Shogun and The Jezabels’ Mary kept up the standard of captivating vocalists, enamouring all during their sets with their formidable deliveries. With Shogun stomping around mostly shirtless, Royal Headache’s first performance in over a year was a sweet mix of highs and lows despite technical difficulties.
Much like Shogun and Royal Headache, it was hard to move your focus away from Mary when The Jezabels graced the stage. Propelling the set, Mary took charge with her unshakable confidence and attitude, hip-thrusting, stage-diving and clamouring up the scaffold for ‘Hold Me’, then returning to the stage through the sea of punters. That’s what a wireless microphone is for, right?
Ending Bad Friday like it all started – as an act straight out of Newtown – DMA’s were clearly as happy to be seeing out the event as the many grinning faces were to see them. Breaking their typically cool, indifferent demeanour with a few smiles, Tommy O’Dell amped up the crowd before the trio and their live band launched into a dynamic delivery of their ever-popular hits, as well as slotting in a preview of newie ‘Dawning’ featuring a delicious drum and bassline.
As toilet rolls glided through the air and the crowd turned street chorus for ‘Delete’, any teething issues of the day were forgotten. The hope that this event continues to flourish and support local talent in the creative heart of our city was all that mattered.
Photo: Bec Sandridge at Bad Friday by Ashley Mar
