Unusually balmy winter conditions, a great line-up of bands and an enthusiastic crowd made for an excellent way to kick off the 2023 Beer & BBQ Festival at the Adelaide Showground.

Given the location, the night-time line-up on the main stage that paired The Living End with Magic Dirt certainly created some nostaglic Big Day Out vibes. Both acts, who were BDO mainstays in the event’s late nineties / early two-thousands hey-day, made mention of this significance during their sets – Magic Dirt’s Adalita noting that the main difference was the former festival’s uncompromisingly hot weather conditions.

And the music was great, the bands still pulling a crowd and playing with an intensity to match these former performances.

Clearly enjoying their time on stage, Magic Dirt delivered a tight set peppered with Triple J favourites such as ‘Superglue’, ‘Plastic Loveless Letter’ and ‘Dirty Jeans’, mixed with some deeper cuts for the devotees. Adalita reminded us that she is one of the best figures to front a band in this country, with rockstar poses, big guitar sounds and a fantastic voice to match.

The Living End saw the beer hall empty just before 10pm, as the stage area filled to capacity. It was an energetic set that had the audeince singing along, fuelled by the collective craft beers consumed to that point. While it was difficult to get a vantage point down the back, it still all sounded great – and was the epitome of a crowd-pleasing set right through to the ‘Prisoner of Society’ encore. ‘All Torn Down’ was a highlight, with an extended jam-filled arrangement.

Earlier in the evening, Katy Steele remind us of her superb voice, with a set of high-energy pop-rock that leans a little more on synth sounds than her previous Little Birdy iteration. These new solo compositions stack up well against the old material, and have a warm sense of familiarity about them, particularly catchy tunes such as ‘Come and See Me’ and ‘Feel So Bad’.

Adelaide locals Stiff Necks enjoyed one of the early evening sets. Having found national airplay with their song ‘Modra’, they finished their peformance with a rendition of the song featuring the great man himself (and I write this as a Port supporter), who kicked merch out into the crowd and joined in with a few backing vocals.

As for the beer hall, the choices on offer can be a little overwhelming, but you are bound to find something to suit your palate. For what it’s worth, my best pick for the night was the Nowhereman Haze and Oats IPA.

Another hot tip is to find the secret speakeasy bar behind a couple of portaloo doors on the way to toilet area. On Friday night Chris Cheney could be found in there having a sneaky jam.

The Beer & BBQ Festival contines all weekend, with details and tickets here.

Written by Matthew Trainor

Photos by Kay Cann