It doesn’t take a lot of coaxing to get one out to a Grates gig. One of the finest bands to come out of Brisbane’s always busy garage scene, their shows are known for their unhinged raucousness and uplifting spirit.
Much of this is thanks to frontwoman Patience Hodgson, who imbues every performance with heart and humour. Her stream-of-consciousness asides between songs are as entertaining as the songs, which Hodgson performs with total abandon.
But there’s an added layer of intrigue when one hears that one of Australia’s best live bands will be taking the stage inside one of the country’s most esteemed art galleries. But that’s what Friday Nights at NGV is all about.
On the surface it seems as though higher-ups at the NGV are simply looking to put the space inside the sprawling gallery to good use (concerts take place in the large foyer towards the back of the gallery, just before the garden).
But Friday Nights at NGV is in fact the gallery’s strategy to secure its own future and ensure it remains an integral part of the Melbourne’s cultural fabric, just like it’s always been since it was established in 1861.
After passing crowds of people on their way to dinners, nightclubs, parties, shows, or home, you enter the gallery as night falls and are instantly met with a bustling, buzzing space filled with excited fellow ‘punters’.
They’re of all ages and the gallery is not a stuffy, bourgeois place plastered in ‘Please Be Quiet’ signs. It’s vibrant and lively and everything, from the staff to the space itself, is encouraging you to roam and engage.
Friday Nights at NGV is gallery management resting safely in the knowledge that if they can just get the younger generations into the space, they’ll become lifelong patrons, nay fans, of Australia’s oldest art gallery.
Like the saying goes, “You never know if you never go.” Once you’re actually inside the splendrous gallery, you see all that there is to do and observe. You check out all of the free exhibitions and notice the changes since you last visited.
The gallery’s current Degas exhibit is more than extensive, it’s comprehensive, and even if you’re not a fan of impressionist art, once you’re immersed in the work, you’re bound to find something that speaks to you.
And oh yeah, the music. Like we said, The Grates are one of Australia’s best live bands and NGV have certainly kept their ear to the ground in booking a superb lineup of relevant contemporary music acts.
Surveying the lineup of upcoming performances you’ll see names like Jen Cloher, Jess Ribeiro, Mick Harvey, Pierce Brothers, and Augie March. So come for the music, but stay a fan for life.
