15 December 2023 – The Wickham, Brisbane – words by Charlotte Poynton
In the spirit of holiday gift giving, one of Meanjin’s coolest rising rockstars gifted us with an insane lineup of phenomenal acts which guaranteed a night of pure queer catharsis and festive joy through “Queersmas”.
Produced in collaboration with her management at Sunroom, Hope D curated a night of DJs, local acts, and friends from interstate to light up the beer garden of The Wickham on a swelteringly humid Friday night. Though the wild weather tried to dampen the excitement of Queersmas, the show still went on with a crowd dancing through the rain spell to enjoy their favourite songs live.
Starting the night off with smooth vocals and catchy tunes was sixteen-year-old Ixaras. Already making waves in the local music scene, this fresh high school graduate recently placed as a finalist in the Triple J Unearthed High competition, all whilst performing on stages with the artists seen on posters on other sixteen-year-olds bedroom walls. Almost like clockwork, the ruthless Meanjin weather brought pouring rain to meet the crowd as Ixaras and band broke into indie pop gem ‘Sprouts’, leaving crowds soaked but singing along regardless.
After Ixaras had to cut her set short due to weather concerns, the event then underwent a brief sabbatical in order to allow the organisers to deem the safety and viability of continuing the performances in this wet weather. This pause did not deter many of the audience, who instead turned their attention momentarily towards the bar and merch stand, of which all Hope D merch proceeds were donated to the Gaza Emergency Appeal. DJs Odarka and Franko provided the perfect atmosphere to counterbalance the dreary weather, maintaining the energy and excitement that Ixaras instilled earlier in the night. The storming began to subside momentarily with the decision that the night will proceed with a different set order for performers, with all acts still getting their time to shine.
Breaking through the extensive intermission was Chloe Dadd, who effortlessly energised the eager crowd after an hour and a half of downtime. Her hazy pop music transported audiences to a transcendent daydream sequence. Hits such as ‘Hesitate’, which saw a recent remix with Silver Fossil released merely days before, had the crowd singing louder than Chloe Dadd herself. In true fashion for a queer oriented show, special guests Hope D and Bridget from Platonic Sex (local queer icons in their own right) were invited onstage for a spectacular cover of Muna & Phoebe Bridger’s ‘Silk Chiffon’, which was naturally a hit with an audience of queer folk on a Friday evening.
Following the dream pop daze of Chloe Dadd was indie rockers The Empty Threats, who switched the energy of the night up to another level with their danceable tracks. The Kaurna based band were not phased by the damp stage or present rainfall, as evident through the fearless dancing on the in-use dining tables of The Wickham, converting them into makeshift personal catwalk stages. The Empty Threats surprised crowds with high energy, show-stopping dance moves and special clarinet cameo. What more could one possibly want from a single set, The Empty Threats truly have it all!
Sneaking into the reshuffled program with a heavily reduced set were Meanjin locals Dog God. The Empty Threats left big shoes to fill, and Dog God stepped confidently into them and proved how good the indie scene is here in our hometown. Smashing out some indie rock to be reckoned with, I only can implore that you make sure to catch a full Dog God set sometime soon before they rise to the top of the scene.
The proclaimed queen of Queersmas, Hope D, hit the stage for a stacked set of hit singles, ep cuts and a cheeky little classic cover of Britney’s ‘Toxic’. The hectic weather had no strain on the infectious energy of Hope or her band, as they led the audience through a session of queer joy and catharsis with a feel-good sing along to ‘Swim’, ‘Second’ and ‘Emerald’. No matter what the event, crowd or atmosphere may be, Hope D always brings her a-game and leaves all audiences purely captivated and in awe of her electric stage presence and lyrics that feel like a warm and comforting hug. The biggest applause is due to Hope for pulling off this event and delivering a flawless performance in the midst of a hectic schedule of touring and festival appearances.
Closing off the night on a high with a very condensed set was the one and only Handsome, wreaking havoc for all in the huddled crowd with hits ‘Running Out of Time’ and ‘Delirium’ featuring Hope D. despite the chaos of the night, every audience member brought their high energy and dancing shoes along to belt out every word of Handsome’s set.
Despite the migraine inducing spells of Meanjin weather, Hope D’s inaugural Queermas successfully cemented itself as a can’t-be-missed festive event that belongs on everyone’s holiday calendars, and is definitely one that audiences anticipate a return of in 2024.
