Live Review: The Falling Joys & The Hummingbirds @ Newtown Social Club

That fat gay kid who always felt an outsider until he graduated from Doonside High in 1992 was in heaven this past Sunday when some of his favourite High School bands reformed for a magical afternoon of entertainment.

Back in High School I always felt a little different, the obviously gay kid in a school of “blokes”, music my only refuge. My favourite artist, Madonna, seemed to only personify my difference. My best friend, Vera, had discovered the goth life and was a massive fan of The Cure. We’re both still massive fans of Madonna and The Cure respectively. The thing we had in common was our love of Aussie Indy bands. We loved Frente! And had a disagreement two weeks ago whether it was at The Vic on the Park in Marrickville where we saw them in 1993 (can anyone confirm this?). I once did a phone interview with Jodi from The Clouds for my school newspaper and while at that newspaper we interviewed Richard Wilkins and he asked what I wanted to see more of on MTV, and I remember saying “The Falling Joys and The Hummingbirds”. And of course we both shared a massive love for The Falling Joys. So when Vera messaged me about The Falling Joys and The Hummingbirds gig, we both knew we had to go.

Now it turned out this gig was a fundraiser for super music fan, John, who is suffering from a brain tumour, a truly horrible illness. This made the afternoon feel even more special, even though it was a shame John was too ill to attend. Sierra Fin opened proceedings, and even though I hadn’t heard any of their stuff before, I really enjoyed their set. The band sounded great and the lead vocalist was enigmatic and talented.

Up next, with the backing of Sierra Fin, was Riptides and Ganggajang front man, Mark Callaghan, who came up for three songs. The first two were Riptides numbers I didn’t know, but the final track was the iconic, “Sounds of Then”. The crowd was waking up and we were singing along to every word. What a treat to hear such a legendary song live.

After Mark, the crowd surged to the front in preparation for The Hummingbirds. Admittedly I forgot how infectious The Hummingbirds were. With their driving guitars, hard beats and solid vocals and harmonises, they breezed through their incredible set. The audience were spellbound and there was an ease to the whole set. The banter between the band was fun and the crowd loved every song. “Blush” has always been my favourite tune of theirs and it was great to finally see it live. Last song, “Hindsight” was also amazing.

Earlier in the day I’d said to Vera that the day would have been complete if The Clouds were also on the line up. Well sometimes wishes come true, even for a brief moment. Because suddenly the two ladies of The Clouds were onstage, guitars in hand, and performed a brilliant stripped back and acoustic version of “Say It”. I was totally in heaven, thank you ladies. Shame you couldn't have squeezed "Soul Eater" in as well!

Finally the moment everyone was waiting for, The Falling Joys graced the stage and their set was exceptional. Suzi Higgie is such a great lead vocalist, she is captivating to watch and her vocals were so very strong. The band sounded great and there was such a great camaraderie between the band, clearly they were loving playing together again. The songs sounded great as well, “Jennifer” has always been a favourite of mine and was great on the day, as was the driving guitars in “Black Bandages”. I was content, ready to go home after I heard “Lock It”, but then the day got even better. For their encore, the ladies of The Clouds joined them on stage for two songs, one of them being “Lock it”- day made! One of the ladies prefaced the song by saying it was her favourite bass line in any song, and I have to agree. “Lock It” is one of those amazing songs I will love forever. That line, “Gave you a necklace of purple and blue, you took it so gently I felt see through” is one of my favourite lyrics ever. This number was the highlight of the whole day – just so amazing.

I had never been to a Sunday concert matinee before, but I guess all the audience are aging and we like to be home for dinner and Masterchef! This was such a special gig, a show I will be remembering for a long time. All the best John, the concert held in your honour was a corker!