Two quality Australian acts before a Sundance award winning film on St.Kilda beach is a unique way to spend a Sunday night. Top it all off with free ice cream from the Openair Cinema’s major sponsor Ben & Jerry’s and you’re set for a solid Sunday evening.
The opening night of this year’s season of outdoor cinema with live music on Saturday and Sunday (marketed as the ‘Sundae’ Session) nights wasn’t quite sold out. This is despite the day’s warm and sunny weather, which one would think would make this outdoor setting even more appealing than it already is.
The event was also a charity night for Fairtrade, an organisation which works to improve the working conditions of people in developing countries.
Early on a cover band serenaded the audience with X Factor-style covers of the latest hitmakers, from Rihanna to Jessie J, along with a few originals of their own.
The acoustic set seemed an odd choice to begin the night that was showcasing some great original local talent that appeals to a far less mainstream audience than who this three piece were supposedly singing to.
While the crowd slowly settled into their deckchairs or bean bags, with ice cream in hand, local five piece Loon Lake began their set.
With a few questionable facts thrown in from frontman Sam Nolan about the night’s major sponsor, the band played songs from their two EPs Thirty Three and Not Just Friends.
With their catchy garage rock tunes providing highlights through ‘Bad To Me’ and ‘Cherry Lips’ it seemed as if members of the crowd were too cold to clap, as they snuggled under their blankets with the sunset making way for a cool ocean breeze.
Surely though, despite the band’s energetic set, this was just another case of the audience knowing little of the support band?
But as Bertie Blackman took to the stage, it became clear that the crowd were largely apathetic to the music on offer. Blackman has been around for more than just a few years now, with the songstress releasing four albums since 2004.
Her latest, Pope Innocent X was released just months ago, and it made up all but one song of her set. With ‘Heart’ being the only song from her back catalogue (from 2009’s Secrets and Lies).
Her new record sounded better in the flesh, allowing the audience to appreciate the complexity of her songs. This was despite only three musicians, including Blackman, recreating her music in a live context.
But it became clear early on in the set that the cinema-goers were still barely able to muster up the energy to put two hands together, or even pay attention. Not the right atmosphere for a gig.
It seemed that the audience were more interested in the movie, but given the film was music oriented; perhaps many were there just because being at an outdoor cinema was perceived as ‘cool’.
It was as if the live music on offer was the equivalent to a stereo providing background music.
