Review: Beer & BBQ Festival Night Two @ The Drive 11/07/26
Night two of Beer & BBQ Festival delivered more cold beer, delicious BBQ and rousing sets from Tropical Fuck Storm, SPEED, Party Dozen and more.
Words Brad Pine // Images Tyson Davies
Review: Beer & BBQ Festival Night Two @ The Drive 11/07/26
The walk from the car park to the venue was bitterly cold, so I wasted no time making my way up to the second floor to find a break from the wind. I ventured back to Sure Brewing, where I had a tasty pint last night. Speaking with the Beer Bod champion Ant, and grabbing an Imperial NZ Pilsner, the conversation centred on Sure Brewing’s choice of brews and their hopes of continuing to sell well at the festival (which they did – selling out near the end of the night).
Another stop was at the vinyl seller again, meeting with Adam and Anita from Crackle & Pop and Craig from Underground Records. I could have chatted with them for hours, but there was live music to attend to. Maybe with the Gilles Vinyl Fair on Sunday, we can catch up again and continue our chats.
Communal folk collective Bromham crowded the stage with almost a dozen members armed with various instruments. Their folk-driven stylings had the blood pumping and the warmth creeping back into my body. Band members even allowed the audience to play some instruments. “Now, you are part of the cult. It’s a nice one, though,” stated one of the members. Like Brad Chicken the night before, it was a great atmosphere to start what was another bumper night of music.
During the set break, food was the main priority. Although it was not on theme for the BBQ, I decided on some Nugg Lyf and was not disappointed. Some of the best nuggets ever. The beverage to complement the meal was a great West Coast pilsner from Gold Coast brewer Balter. The Queenslanders were experiencing a little different weather from what they would have expected, but were still in good spirits.
Next on the Kevin Bacon stage was Public Figures – a ferocious punk act with some definite promise in their early career. Blessing us with tracks from their debut EP and even some unreleased music, they absolutely made their presence known. Drummer and vocalist Gigi Argiro mentioned it was their first time in Adelaide, and with the set they put on, it won’t be the last time we see them.
READ MORE: Review: Beer & BBQ Festival Night One @ The Drive 10/07/26
Up to the top level at The Secret Pickle, the room was filling up, partly because of the weather outside. However, there were many in attendance to see the enigma that is Kirin J Callinan. Kilted up, Callinan struggled a little with his guitar in the opening number but quickly brought everything back to centre.
“How do you dance to this?” one audience member asked me. “Anyway you want,” I retorted.
The mixture of genres was not for the casual observer, and neither was the remainder of the set. I quickly ducked out to see Party Dozen cover Suicide’s ‘Ghost Rider.’ The impressive noise from the band was enough to keep me watching for a little longer, but I needed to see how Callinan’s set ended.
“He’s got a horse cock!” one guy said as he walked past me. To no surprise, there was Callinan, naked except for a fire hose-sized phallus that weaved in and around any audience member willing to touch it. The end of the set was a blur as the focus was on the sausage. Speaking to Callinan afterwards, he said it’s his secret shame. “Just don’t hold it against me,” he continued.
The most difficult moment of the night had arrived – I was torn between SPEED and Tim Rogers. I had never seen Speed but heard how their live shows are. Rogers I saw many years ago at the UniBar, arriving on stage wrapped in toilet paper. After seeing Rogers this time adorned in a beautiful navy suit, I needed to stay. Starting with a medley of ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘A Day In The Life’, he blended it beautifully into ‘Berlin Chair.’ Rogers delivered a brilliant set for the adoring crowd, even though the noise from SPEED bled through at times.
I quickly snuck outside to check out the end of SPEED’s set and was met with an incredible sight. Viewing a pit from above is a whole different experience. The intense New York-style hardcore had the pit expanding and was one of the most energy-filled moments of the festival.
SPEED are one band to add to any wishlist of gigs for the future if you need that bolt of energy for all the senses. To subdue my ears, I ventured back inside to see the final stanza of Rogers’ set. Closer ‘Damage’ displayed the consummate professional Rogers is, and why he is considered Australian rock royalty.
The final act on the Kevin Bacon stage may not have been a household name like TISM the night before, but Tropical Fuck Storm have the runs on the board, with frontman Gareth Liddiard having been a part of the Australian rock scene for decades after his time with The Drones.
With TFS, their punk blues blends effortlessly with art rock to create a truly sonic experience. The distortion was intentional, and the screeching guitars continued the theme of the night – intensity. Guitarist and vocalist Erica Dunn showed her expertise with both instruments on ‘Bloodsport’, with the band’s droning rock seeping through the venue like the cold.
The Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival was another massive success, with the new venue proving a winner with punters.
Want more pics of the gig? Check out our full photo gallery here.
