Ruby Fields – Dinosaurs Tour || SOLD OUT || Fri 14th December, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Supports: Surf Trash, SCABZ
Photos by Kane Grosvenor
Another steamy Saturday night in Sydney drove out the hoards, hunting for a cold beer and a stinging hot gig. Packed out from the early hours of the evening, Oxford Art Factory was heaving with youth and older folk alike, united over a shared passion for punk revivalists and vintage band tees. A sold-out show, a reflection of her soaring popularity, Ruby Fields and her talented band have clearly struck Australian music gold; an exciting tease in the lead up to Triple J’s annual Hottest 100 with her two song nominations ‘Ritalin’ & ‘Dinosaurs’ in the running.
Kicking off the night with intoxicating guitar riffs reminiscent of early punk and powerful in sound, Newcastle boys Surf Trash had the crowd wound up early in anticipation of what was yet to come. Their youthful energy evidently a hit, the three-piece smashed out a solid set as if it were a sweet Newy surf slab, a beckoning call that Summer has well and truly begun. With an all-inclusive line up paving the way towards a fem-friendly industry, Sydney’s self-proclaimed “shittest punk band” SCABZ had the audience in the palm of their sweaty hands, a welcome reminder that chicks f*ing rock. And boy, did they. Diving into a cesspit of angsty Aussie humour, SCABZ had the crowd chanting along to their relentlessly funny yet maximum impact tune ‘Brett Lee’s got no I.D’, a comic ode to overbearingly Australian culture, drawing many a beer above heads in cheers, a priceless moment of solidarity.
After a brief changeover providing some comic relief between two passionate punk sets, beers had been topped up as the crowd’s energy picked up, restless for Ruby to take the stage. Lights dipped and voices rose to a cheer as the curtains parted, the band immediately erupting into their 2018 anthem ‘Ritalin’ much to the delight of the audience. If you’d forgotten what it felt like to be in a mosh pit it then it wasn’t long ‘til you remembered. Just seconds in, a majority of the eager crowd were right in the thick of it, breathlessly chanting every word as the confident band played an almost flawless rendition.
Starting off on an unexpectedly high note, the band followed suit with ‘Fairly Lame, Fairly Tame’ an upbeat hit from her 2018 EP Your Dad’s Opinion for Dinner. It’s hard to knock the smile off your face whilst watching the pure joy radiating from Ruby and her band, all clearly so stoked to be doing what they love whilst putting on a second-to-nothing show for their tune-hungry fans. It seems only fitting that new song ‘Trouble’ was up next, a refreshingly relatable tune about the often over complicated and seemingly uncompensated life of a young adult.
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Just when you think it can’t possibly get better, Ruby surprises us all with a cover of everybody’s favourite 80’s sing-along ‘Walking on Sunshine’, not without her
own twist and of course, nailing every note without effort, then slows things down with ‘Redneck Lullaby’ reminding us all of her often-forgotten softer side. The rowdiness starts up again as Ruby and her band get stuck into crowd favourite ‘P Plates’ a punchy song delivering another round of classic one-liners, proof the girl is a humorous and talented songwriter not shy of laying down a little honesty.
It’s nearing the end now and we’re all here for one reason, it is the ‘Dinosaurs’ tour after all and our patience was finally rewarded with a heartfelt tribute. Your eyes weren’t dry, that’s all I’m saying. Finally finishing off with where it all began, ‘I Want’ proved to be yet another hit, drawing cheers of epic proportions from the furthest corners of the venue. It stands to reason that Ruby has found her crowd, a testament to her musicianship and gripping personality. It’s safe to say she’s making her mark in the industry, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
