BEARCLAW CAMP // Photo – Steven Cook

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Next up was indie-punk trio Turn South. This 3-piece put on a great set, jumping around stage, very energetic and exciting. We had Jye Batham on guitar, Matt Jones on bass and Aidan Ginn on drums. Put nicely by a friend of mine, they were almost animated how they used almost over-the-top movements and jumping around all the while shredding guitars. Strong harmonies, driving drums, lush guitar riffs and catchy lyrics were a constant with tracks like Maybe and Fern Town. Very heart-on-your-sleeve type songs that leaves you wanting more. Vocal duos from Batham and Jones had the crowd shouting back while Ginn’s crashing beats had punters dancing along. I will admit, I’d never heard of these guys before the show and I am kind of kicking myself for not getting onto them sooner. Their songs are fresh and gritty, and surely to be stuck in your head for days.

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MATT JONES OF TURN SOUTH // Photo – Dani Brown

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Promptly following them were Sydney 3-piece feel good pop-punk group Yours Truly. Featuring on lineups with the likes Tonight Alive and Stepson I was excited to see them on the bill for tonight. As the only group to grace the stage with a female member, it was definitely a welcome change. Vocalist Mikaila Delgado’s voice matched the pop punk tunes perfectly. Sweet higher tones cut down the harshness of usual punk grit and strong guitar riffs from Teddie and Lachlan make this group one to look out for. They covered 30 Seconds to Mars’ The Kill and let me tell you that it was one my favourite renditions of that song ever. Ending on their most recent release High Hopes, the crowd cheerily danced and sang along, shouting back the lyrics to a smiling Delgado. These guys are going to blow up, I can tell.

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YOURS TRULY // Photo – Dani Brown

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Not long after, Between You & Me were on stage. Wasting no time at all they jumped into the set with Twice Shy. Straight away punters were off their feet, jumping and singing along to this bouncy tune, and they weren’t the only ones. No need for a warm up, they were already bounding around stage, and radiating so much energy. They quickly moved into Move On which had the crowd go mental, passionately screaming back “I’m over this feeling, I’m so sick of feeling alone”. Big mood, boys. Pulling a throwback with Cut Me Some Slack and Rear View from their first EP, Paper Thin, noticeably OG fans were ecstatic, moshing and rushing the barrier to scream back to vocalist Jake Wilson. A shirtless Jamey Bowerman on drums kept up powerful beats the whole set, his twin Chris and Jai Gibson shredding on guitar. Cheeky and energetic bassist James Karagiozis provided plenty of entertainment, being an absolute fashion icon with funky glasses before throwing them into the crowd.

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BETWEEN YOU & ME // Photo – Dani Brown

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As if they were trying to pull the tears directly from my eyes the intro to I Can’t Help It… started. Just like myself and the rest of the crowd, Wilson put his heart into singing this song, everyone around me shouting back the emotional lyrics. You could hear the emotion in his voice as he choked out “Can you give me a reason to keep this air inside my lungs” as it echoed through the venue. The amount of raw emotion that shone in this song and likewise with Friends From ’96 was incredible. The band stopping mid-sentence, the crowd sang back the chorus. “Is there anyone out there that still gives a damn, who kept common interest and cared. Never thought that I’d be here, I just miss my friends from ’96” to Karagiozis blowing kisses to the crowd and Wilson saying, and I quote, “I f**king love you guys”. It was a beautiful moment.

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JAMES KARAGIOZIS of BETWEEN YOU & ME // Photo – Dani Brown

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Overthinking was next and this song is the definition of pop-punk, even better played live. Pounding drums, thrashy guitar and shouting vocals, echoed by the crowd. Mosh pits here and there and plenty of punk jumps to entertain even the sulkiest of people. Ending on the lead single for their album, Dakota was without a doubt the highlight of the night. Sometime in between the last couple songs we were warned about Wilson wanting to do a stage dive during Dakota, with a frantic plea of “please don’t drop me”. I somehow made my way into the moshpit and out, ending up right at the front next to a sea of screaming fans clamouring to get as close to the singer as possible as he lent down to sing to the crowd. After a quick salute and run up, he dived into the crowd. A look of relief washing over his face as people hoisted him up. Crawling through the sea of hands he made his way back to the stage to finish this pop punk anthem. Dropping the mic, he applauded, clearly stunned and thankful he wasn’t dropped to the floor.

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BETWEEN YOU & ME // Photo – Dani Brown

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Expert musicianship, punk jumps here and moshpits there. Band members interacting with each other, and with the crowd. STAGE DIVES. This had to be, hands down, one of the best live shows I have ever experienced. Never mind that their album is amazing, Between You & Me don’t just match it, they exceed it. Their live game surpasses anything you hear on the record and to truly understand the magnitude of their performance you have to experience it firsthand. They bring so much vitality to every show and it’s a wonder how they have the energy to do it every night. Seeing a show like theirs you would assume that they have been on the scene for ages but they have only been a band for 2 years! The amount of effort they put in to every little detail of their performance astounds me. And I am saying this as objectively possible as I can. These guys are going to be huge, I’m calling it now. The next All Time Low, the next Neck Deep. You name it. Or as I’d like to say, the first Between You & Me.

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Check out Dani’s gallery of the show HERE

Connect with BETWEEN YOU & ME
@OneBigLink

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AMNPLIFY – MK