27 April 2024 – Gold Coast Broadwater Parklands – words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi – pictures by Bec Harbour
After line-up, promoter and communication drama, Pandemonium at the Gold Coast kicked off! And, it went off!
I was one of those very early ticket holders who has watched all the drama – and my bank account – whittle down. The communication for this festival was almost non-existent and left punters confused and wondering what was going on. After two ticket purchases (Gold Coast and Brisbane) – I went to the Gold Coast event because I love music and I worship Blondie (Deborah Harry and her band).
The actual day was fantastic. All the fans in the lines, at the front of the stage were wonderful and lovely people. They had travelled from Rockhampton, Brisbane, Sydney, Ipswich and the Northern Rivers to see: The Silencio, Cosmic Psychos, Wolfmother, Wheatus, Psychedelic Furs, Blondie and Alice Cooper and his snake!
The Silencio were put in a hard position with kicking off the day. The local Gold Coast band did a great job and their interaction with fans was great and appreciated. They have been releasing a song a month with video to create their new album Foreign Frequencies. They played the tracks live really well especially ‘You’re Not Alone’, ‘Apology’ and ‘Under Lock And Key’. They also played some older tracks like ‘Taciturn (Over) Talkative’ that saw them win the Rebel FM’s Band to open the World Is A Vampire festival with the Smashing Pumpkins.
The Silencio – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
Cosmic Psychos are amazing musicians that look like they just finished a shift at the BHP’s Steel Works. It just goes to show what three people in control and mastery of their instruments can do with punk music especially if you have a sense of humour. I wasn’t sure about the tummy aerobics or the mooning but their songs were very popular such as ‘Fuckwit City’, ‘Nice Day To Go To The Pub’ and ‘Dead In A Ditch’. It was a great tight set of genuine rock music.
Cosmic Psychos – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
Wolfmother are up next, led by a formidable Andrew Stockdale. Their set was faultless, with all of the hits thrown in. Stockdale revved up the crowd, even though it was harder with an older crowd. ‘Joker and the Thief’, ‘Woman’ and ‘Apple Tree’ were stand outs in a fantastic set. The musicianship and guitar skills on display were terrific. I would really love to see this band again as they were so good – as Wheatus’ Brendan Brown said – Wolfmother are like Led Zeppelin with bigger, better hair.
Wolfmother – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
Wheatus had some sound issues with the backing singers but they just played on regardless. The band’s interactions with the fans were terrific. The banter on stage was fun and they were genuinely enjoying performing. They played a gem-filled set with songs like the AC/DC cover of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation’, ‘Lemonade’, ‘Fourteen’, an excerpt of ‘Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree’ during ‘Leroy’, and a seven minutes version of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ which Brown forgot the lyrics to, but not the crowd, and we all had to backtrack and sing it again. The crowd ripped into singing it back at the band with real joy.
Wheatus – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
The Psychedelic Furs set was interesting and much better than I expected. They were the kings of the English New Wave sound when they formed in 1977 and I am such a fan. They played a wonderful set of their back catalogue with ‘Love My Way’, ‘Heartbreak Beat’, ‘President Gas’, ‘Heaven’ and ‘Pretty in Pink’. The lead singer Richard Butler sounded great from where I was standing. It set just felt way too short. Maybe I was enjoying myself too much.
Psychedelic Furs – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
Blondie was up next. Blondie was the very first concert I ever attended at 11 years of age in Glasgow. I will love Debbie Harry and the band until the day I die. So, it was with a big inhaled breath, as Blondie hit the stage led by Debbie Harry, resplendent in a yellow suit with those funky black and white checked shoes, followed by drummer Clem Burke who was incredible and bassist Glen Matlock (ex-Sex Pistols). Their set is laden with hits ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, ‘Long Time’, ‘One Way or Another’, ‘In The Flesh’, ‘Heart of Glass’, ‘Denis’ ‘Rapture’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Call Me’, ‘Island of Lost Souls’, and ‘Maria’ which was a delight. It was amazing. Happiness! (Even the hardcore Alice Cooper fans were impressed).
Blondie – – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
Alice Cooper wrapped up the day with an amazing OTT set, full of theatre and bombast. I had left the stage area and watched this set from further out. The crowd loved Cooper as he stalked across the stage, menacing and divine all at once. After the insane lead up to Pandemonium, seeing Cooper in the flesh serving up amazing songs both new and old like: ‘Lock Me Up’, ‘Welcome to the Show’, ‘Feed My Frankenstein’, ‘Killer’, ‘Poison’, ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’ and ‘School’s Out’ made all the pain I had with this festival worth it. The crowd threw themselves into the set and Cooper delivered. It was pure rock ‘n’ roll theatre. Cooper’s set was high calibre and so much fun from beginning to end. I wish I had stayed at the front!
Alice Cooper – Pandemonium Gold Coast – photos by Bec Harbour
What to say – the musical acts at Pandemonium for the Gold Coast were amazing. However, the actual organisation was a bit amateur hour – the sound was not great, the location was an interesting second choice, they needed more food vans and toilet facilities. But in the end what mattered was – I had a wonderful day, I met some incredible music fans who believed that it would all be fine (and it was and I thank them all for their great spirit, sense of fun and openness) and the music was awesome.