3 August 2024 – Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton – words and pictures by Brad Fry
The mighty Great Western Hotel has played host to many great bands over the years. Arguably the premier venue for live music in Rockhampton and its surrounds, The Great Western Hotel has a huge capacity and the production of its shows is always top notch. The aforementioned capacity would be pushed to the limits tonight with none other than Australian rock royalty The Screaming Jets stopping in to deliver what will be a powerhouse performance. In support will be Central Queensland (CQ) band The Shortfall, who never disappoint and perform out of their skin every time they take to the stage. The first act tonight is Chris Bax and his band who are stalwarts of the CQ music scene. With roughly 900ish people packing into The Great Western Hotel the night was going to be huge and I can not not wait for it to start!
Chris Bax is a singer/guitarist from Gladstone and I have been lucky enough to photograph him numerous times. “Baxy” was one of my early victims as I entered into this live music photography game and remarkably…he still lets me shoot him haha. The band he has with him is made up of Steve Quinn (bass) Andy Marxsen (lead guitar) and Tim Keen (drums) all of whom are veterans of the Central Queensland music scene. Their role tonight was to get the punters primed and ready for action. With their easygoing nature and tight musicality they performed their job beautifully as the early birds danced and sang in all areas of the venue. Two early sets of pub staples had the vibe high and the sing along hit its crescendo with ‘The Horses’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’ bringing even the most shy punter to vocal raptures. Chris and his band are not only armed with a wide range of covers, their quiver also contains originals that are delivered with passion. Blue collar musicians working hard to deliver top shelf music. Chris Bax and his band are reaping the rewards of the hard work they put into their craft.
Chris Bax & band – Great Western Hotel – photos by Brad Fry
The Shortfall took to the stage to cheers from the rowdy Rockhampton crowd. After a quick assessment of their gear and the view from the stage, they kicked off their set with their song ‘Ballad of the Broken Road’. From the first notes, their sound and stage presence indicated that this was going to be a fantastic set. ‘Foreign Land’ and ‘Head Under Water’ were the next originals to greet the crowd. The dynamic rhythm section of Corey Owens on drums and Aarron Symonds on bass were in lockstep with one another for the whole set providing a rock solid foundation for the whole band. An energetic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ was up next and front man Angelo Conway (who also played guitar on various songs throughout the set) delivered a performance that would certainly make “The Boss proud. Original songs ‘Hold on’, ‘Start A War’ and ‘Say Anything’ allowed lead guitarist Clay Hooper (of fellow Rocky band MATH) to display his tight, ethereal lead work. The Killers song ‘When You Were Young’ had the crowd singing as guitarist, Tim McMullin, held down rhythm duties with ease. ‘Looking over my shoulder’ and ‘This City’ (The Shortfall’s latest release ) closed out a well curated and expertly delivered set. Check out The Shortfall and their music as soon as you can. They are a band that are easy to love with songs that are hard to forget!
The Shortfall – Great Western Hotel – photos by Brad Fry
The Screaming Jets have always been a feature of my music selection. One Christmas, my uncle one Christmas bought me the Jets All For One cassette (yeah I am that old) and warned me about the song ‘FRC’ and to not let my mum, his sister, hear it. I find it pops into my head regularly along with sections of Blue Sashes. To find myself standing in front of The Screaming Jets was quite a surreal experience and an opportunity that was not lost on me or, for that matter, anybody in the crowd who no doubt had their own Jets story of discovery. The lights went out and Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ blasted around the venue. Roars from a very hyped crowd met the band as they walked onto the stage. ‘Eve of Destruction’ was the first song played and the singing began. This was followed up with ‘Nothing To Lose’ from The Jets latest album Professional Misconduct. The guitar nerd in me was in heaven with the guitars, the guitar work and tone from both Jimi Hocking (stage right) and Scott Kingman (stage left). Both guitarist knew their parts, played their parts and complimented one another beautifully all night (they also made it look way easier than I know it to be). ‘Needle’ from 1991’s All For One introduced the whole room to Cameron McGlinchey’s frantic and amazing drumming. He was a man possessed and he has some of the best drumming faces I have ever had the pleasure of photographing!
Screaming Jets – Great Western Hotel – photos by Brad Fry
Dave Gleeson is the ultimate front man. His banter, his stage presence and his vocals were all on point and Rockhampton was hanging on his every word.
‘Shadows’, ‘C’mon’, and ‘Stop The World’ were up next and the crowd went wild. Paul Elliott added backing vocals to the songs along with his punchy bass tone. ‘When I Go’ (from 1997’s World Gone Crazy) made Gleeson reflect on sitting on the couch smoking bongs in the 90’s the crowd cheered “good times” he said and they cheered even more. ‘No Reason’ had everybody moving and it was about now I decided to leave the comfort of the photo pit and check out the crowd. The place was packed and I must commend The Great Western for the way they managed so many people! I retreated back to the pit not long after because the super cool Jets had told management not to worry about the “first three” rule (as if I couldn’t love them anymore!). ‘October Grey’, ‘Sad Song’ and ‘Second Chance’ brought down the pace slightly but not an ounce of the vibe! Watching everybody smiling, dancing and singing made me smile. The Screaming Jets were making memories here tonight in Rockhampton and it was a joy to see. The drums and bass started and everybody knew it was time for ‘Better’. The band jumped and sang, the crowd jumped and sang. It was the type of goosebump invoking moment that only live music can create! ‘Scar’ was followed by ‘FRC’ and given the cost of living crisis etc in Australia the song rings as true as when it was released in 1991. ‘Helping Hand’ was played, thank you’s were given and the band left the stage but Rocky was having none of it. “One more song” chants rang out around the room and The Jets obliged… with three songs. ‘Shivers’ saw Gleeson strum the acoustic guitar and given their location an impromptu ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ was played. The final song was a cover of Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ and the Jets were done!
Screaming Jets – Great Western Hotel – photos by Brad Fry
Words really don’t do justice to how good tonight was. From beginning to end every band played their hearts out! The venue did an amazing job of handling so many punters and the production team ensured the experience for all watching and listening was incredible. I kind of felt like the three bands tonight were an example of band evolution. From warming up the crowd for the show (Chris Bax) to opening the show (The Shortfall) to being the show (The Screaming Jets). Not sure what Charles Darwin would think of my example but one thing I am sure of is that Rockhampton had a fantastic night out. Rock in Rocky was alive and well tonight and it was amazing to see, feel and hear.
