Review: The Southern River Band @ UniBar Adelaide 18/10/25
WA’s The Southern River Band ripped through a raucous set of Aussie rock and roll when they took over UniBar Adelaide, treating fans to a night of riff-heavy tunes and cementing their status as the country’s next global rock stars.
Words & Images Will Oakeshott
The Southern River Band w/Kitchen Witch @ UniBar Adelaide 18/10/25
“Human progress has always been driven by a sense of adventure and unconventional thinking.” – Sir Andre Konstantin Geim.
Nobel prize-winning Physicist Sir Andre Konstantin Geim was one of the first people to successfully isolate the wonder material Graphene (along with Sir Konstantin Novoselov). The finding was made during an informal study event, simply utilising a pencil and a roll of sticky tape. Frequently in physics, the whole world is a promising laboratory.
Sir Andre Geim is conceivably not “well known” in the arts universe. However, readers might be interested in discovering that this phenomenal physicist actually had a former career in pop-rock music.
Perhaps this is why the statement above works particularly well in the music realm. Unquestionably, the two acts that performed at this lively event align with 12 of the words quoted above: “…has always been driven by a sense of adventure and unconventional thinking.”
It could be reimagined that this is “rock’n’roll progress”.
With the earlier signs of summer revealing immaculate balmy conditions, this assuredly enhanced the vitality of Adelaide’s Kitchen Witch’s entrance to the UniBar stage. Sorrowfully though, this meant that more of the showgoers were eager to enjoy the outdoor entertainment than watch the world-class live music occurring within.
The dreamy desert stoner blues quartet were not phased at all, they were eager to create their own sonic psychedelia, with UniBar Adelaide becoming their ‘Cave Of Mischief’.
‘Lost’ began the musical hypnosis, with Sabbath inspired doom undertones and Band of Skulls’ alt-desert-rock jive. Gravity seemed almost elusive, and vocalist Georgie Cosson moved effortlessly between enchanting velvety croons to soulful wails while strutting barefoot across her platform. ‘Slipstream’ then exhibited moments of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ in a truly spellbinding showcase.
‘Cave Of Mischief’ amplified the energy, with a Queens Of The Stone Age drive, fused with The Cardigans’ glitter. The hard rock musical avalanche of guitarist Conor Kinsella, bassist Ashton Rudd and destructive drummer Ed Noble escalated the aura of the entire university, and it was simply breathtaking.
‘Glitch’ was an outstanding oddity, an eerie post-punk amalgamation of Death Cab For Cutie inflections and trip hop, until it burst into a Flyleaf fierceness. Closer ‘Rosemary’ merged traditional Carnatic soundscapes with a theatrical rock opera prosperity. The entrancing swelling of vivacious volume and psychedelia felt magically multi-dimensional, and thankfully, the audience had grown in numbers to appreciate this impassioned and adventurous display.
READ MORE: Review: I Killed the Prom Queen @ Hindley Street Music Hall 09/10/25
The crowd expansion had become blatantly obvious, a pre-show playlist including AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and even KISS (Rest In Power Ace Frehley) were rousing everyone within the venue into a sense of adventure and outstanding outrageousness.
Drummer Tyler “The Hawk” Michie, bassist Pat Smith and guitarist Dan Carroll, with fellow axeman and vocalist/comedian Cal Kramer, swaggered into the spotlight, introducing themselves to the audience with three simple words:
“Fuck yeah, brothers!”
It was time for The Southern River Band to incite chaos and ‘Let It Ride’.
‘Don’t Take It To Heart’ opened up the extravaganza, combining frantic dynamism with finesse pop-sensibilities flawlessly. Somewhere along the lines of Huey Lewis and AC/DC collaborating on the soundtrack to the Mighty Ducks film prequel that was sadly never written. This was also to feature one of many face-melting guitar solos that would enrapture Adelaide during this inspirited exhibition.
After a quick shot of whiskey shared by the quartet and a “Cheers” to their spectators, ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ blasted out of the speakers. Remarkably roaming the infamous pub rock sound, with sensational Van Halen colourings, being stationary became an impossibility. TSRB were here to brashly bedazzle South Australia into hard rock oblivion.
‘Bad Luck Baby Bye Bye’ was a sleazy blues number that ZZ Top would caress their beards to in appreciation.
“This song goes to anyone who has been in jail, or is likely to go to jail,” funny-man Kramer exclaimed. Then the four-piece luminously launched into ‘The Streets Don’t Lie’, a song that momentously melded the Ramones’ exuberance with thrash and groove glimmerings into a wonderfully wretched rock anthem. The Damned Things beware, The Southern River Band are going to take over.
“Ask me if I went to uni!” Kramer asked the audience.
“Did you go to uni?” they replied.
“Fuck no, c*nts! Guess what fuckheads, you're dancing!”
Adelaide did, gleefully, to ‘Watch Yourself (You’re Gonne Hurt Somebody)’.
“I reckon this bloke played in Silverchair, or Grinspoon, or some shit,” Kramer stated. The West Australians then burst into their single ‘No Such Time’, which features Powderfinger’s Bernard Fanning, a composition that is beyond rugged and incredibly invigorating. ‘Suits Me Just Fine’ brought upon another grand guitar solo and some scintillating swaying and dancing between Kramer and guitarist Dan Carroll.
“I want to do cocaine at the ARIAs in the toilets!” Kramer hilariously yelled before confessing he just liked to “razz people up”; the crowd was certainly razzed, especially to the boogie ballad ‘Chasing After Love (I’ll Burn A Hole In Your Shoes)’. The loving sentiment of the song even inspired a kiss between band members in a witty and joyful moment.
‘All Over Town’ then recalled a Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster southern rock motif marvellously, with a huge crowd sing-along to the lyrics, “Maybe She Will, Maybe She Won’t.”
“This song is aggressive, but not that type where you knock some c*nt out,” CK described hilariously. ‘Vice City III’ was faultlessly executed in electrifying Doomriders fashion. AFL or NRL, if you are looking for the next feature band, The Southern River Band are the outfit and ‘Vice City III’ is the anthem.
‘Stan Qualen’ followed superbly with some Mötley Crüe sprinklings in cinematic aura and jazz musical rotations to have each member shine with their respective weapons. ‘One Of These Nights (I’ll Be Gone)’ was the conclusion, a whisky-soaked country ballad that undeniably needs to be on the next season or production of Yellowstone.
Naturally, this wasn’t the end.
“Fuck Perth Glory! Just joking,” Kramer exclaimed, erupting in laughter.
The song Planet Earth needs to pay attention to, ‘Fuck You, Pay Me!’, was unequivocally glorious. Surprisingly, one more track was delivered, unsurprisingly, it was the one that provoked the greatest havoc from both the band and audience alike. ‘Vice City II’ was the monstrous metallic symphony of exhilaration that was uplifted toward immense and immeasurable heights by Carroll’s wondrous guitar solo.
“…progress has always been driven by a sense of adventure and unconventional thinking.”
The Southern River Band are very adventurous and brilliantly unconventional – watch them progress to a global takeover.