Hilltop Hoods reached international success years ago, but it’s their homegrown roots and proud Australian fans that fill arenas over and over.
The Adelaide trio from Kaurna land have been making music since the mid-90’s. Still, I was introduced to them when I used my annual Christmas iTunes card to buy ‘Drinking from the Sun’ in 2012. Consequently, like a butterfly wing to a tornado yada-yada, it led me down a path of appreciation of Australian music and the influence it has on our culture.
So it was such a pleasure to catch them live a decade later in Qudos Bank Arena – an all-ages show (a million times yes), with TWO fantastic openers and enigmatic live DJ Total Eclipse.
Opening the night was Trials, making his live debut as a solo artist. After years of quietly producing chart-toppers (think Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry, Illy) and as one half of A.B. Original, he’s earned his moment in the spotlight. He started tentatively, tucked behind his decks, guitar and wide-brimmed hat, but slowly came into his own. Sharing a snippet from his work on ‘Jimmy Recard’, he told the crowd, “See? I told you we already knew each other.” Gorgeous storytelling – what a way to introduce yourself.
Following was Irish rapper, singer, songwriter and all-round heartwrencher Maverick Sabre, who bombarded the arena with the voice of an angel before delivering a cover of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ that had thousands of phone torches lighting up the room in an instant. In an opening set, no less.
It was barely 30 seconds into Hilltop Hoods when the crowd was drenched in confetti – a true welcome for fans of decades, as so many clung to the barrier. Stuff and Pressure never stopped moving and there was a constant barrage of insane stage effects. Couple all of this with a career-spanning setlist and multiple surprises – it was truly, truly a welcome celebration of Australian music.
