Tag: Ettalong Diggers

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Thirsty Merc @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 25 January 2020

You know a band is enjoying an extensive tour of the country when they call into the Central Coast. Gigs are a little light on in my part of the world, so when they do happen there’s a real sense of occasion. Looking around the auditorium at Ettalong Diggers last Friday night I saw people from all walks of life, the die-hard fans and the people who enjoyed a few Thirsty Merc songs on the radio and thought they might as well come along. And for $35 for members, why wouldn’t you?

Up-and-coming local talents Toby Wells and Elaskia joined forces in the supporting slot. They were lovely together, although you got a sense that they were still figuring out how to meld their material as a double act. While their set could have been more cohesive, their voices complemented each other beautifully. When they harmonised it was really something special. The set was also an excellent opportunity to showcase their strong original songs. They’re young, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they become truly great with a little seasoning.

Thirsty Merc are one of the most reliable rock bands in the country, and they didn’t put a foot wrong on the Ettalong stage. The set was the perfect mix of album tracks for the die-hards and radio hits for those people who just had nothing better to do with their Friday night. My husband and I put ourselves in the former camp and were thrilled to hear such stellar renditions of “Build a Bridge” and “Undivided Love.” Rai Thistlethwayte is such a charismatic frontman and an accomplished musician, whether he’s on the keys or guitar. He’s such a star, but the show wouldn’t be as good if this band wasn’t as tight. Most of these guys have been playing together for nearly 20 years (are we feeling old yet?), and that shared history shows in what they do on stage.

We left the auditorium buzzing and thrilled we only had a couple of minutes’ drive to get home. What a treat. Keep booking gigs of this quality Diggers and we’ll be there every time! Thirsty Merc have a handful of shows left on their Thirsty Merc Live! tour. Catch them at the following venues.

8 February 2020 – Charles Hotel, North Perth
29 February 2020 – Rainbow Beach Sports Club, Rainbow Beach
6 March 2020 – Brighter Days Festival, Bright
14 March 2020 – Riverdaze Festival, Barham

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Baby Animals @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 8 February 2019

The quality gigs are coming thick and fast on the Central Coast. It’s rare that I can see two great shows back-to-back without travelling to Sydney or Newcastle, but it’s a sign of the buzz around the Coast at the moment. I only hope the music industry’s enthusiasm for my local area continues.
Ettalong Diggers is booking so many quality acts of late; the Baby Animals are the latest in a long line. The band room in Diggers is fairly unassuming, but it’s the kind of place where a rock band like the Baby Animals feels right at home. I’d previously seen the band play Red Hot Summer. I was impressed, but there was something that felt a little off about catching them in the harsh light of a summer’s day. They seemed more at home here, with enthusiastic punters with beers in hand happily singing along to more than just the hits.

Shows like Red Hot Summer give bands limited time, so the hits always come out early. I thought I might be left waiting at this extended gig, but instead the band wanted to fire us up from the get go. “Rush You” and “One Word” got us all singing along. I must admit, I’m not as familiar with the songs that didn’t make the charts, but it matters not with a woman like Suze deMarchi on stage. She’s such a compelling frontwoman, a force of nature that has the audience in the palm of her hand from the start. The natural chemistry she has with her bandmates is a joy to witness.

This was my third Baby Animals gig but in some ways Friday night’s show felt like an introduction. This was the way I was meant to see the band. Now to explore the back catalogue so I know a few more of those killer cuts for next time! I’ll get my chance when the Baby Animals kick off their greatest hits tour, supported by Killing Heidi, in May.

3 May 2019 – Revesby Workers Club, Revesby
4 May 2019 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
10 May 2019 – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
17 & 18 May 2019 – The Gov, Adelaide
24 May 2019 – Astor Theatre, Perth
25 May 2019 – Metropolis, Fremantle
31 May 2019 – Southport RSL, Southport
1 June 2019 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Glenn Shorrock @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 11 August 2017

When Lizotte’s closed its doors at Kincumber, I was worried I might need to travel to Sydney or Newcastle to see great live music. However, a handful of other venues have stepped up and filled the void. I don’t feel quite as pampered heading out to Ettalong Diggers. The meals are fairly standard pub fare (although improving with a new chef!) and the wine list isn’t quite as refined. The auditorium doesn’t have the Cubby House’s ambience either. However, Ettalong Diggers is doing enough to attract performers like Glenn Shorrock, which gives it a big tick in my book.

One thing I do admire about Ettalong Diggers is the commitment it shows to the artists it books regularly. The local musos who slog it out in the main bistro area, competing for attention with meals, boisterous conversation, and footy on the big screen. Rather than looking elsewhere for a support act, organisers chose local favourite Shane Edwards. He’s far from a household name but the oldies who frequent the club love him, whether he’s playing a relatively modern song like Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You” or tackling an operating classic like “Nessun Dorma.” He seems to do it all effortlessly, even while flirting with clearly besotted senior citizens!

With the crowd well and truly warmed up, it was Glenn Shorrock’s turn to hit the stage. The man is a true living legend who’s brought us some of Australia’s most beloved songs during his time in The Twilights, Axiom, and of course Little River Band. His set touched on hits from all those years in the business. If you were waiting for a “loo break” song you weren’t going to find it. There were no lulls here; just a whole lot of singalong fun.

So many years in the business seem to have taken a toll on Glenn. He sat down for much of the set, resting his legs for those numbers that called for a dance break. The years might have wearied his body, but his voice is still on point. Supported by an excellent band, you couldn’t hope for the show to sound better. The enthusiastic Ettalong crowd were in raptures, singing along to every song and clapping and cheering as it finished, only to eagerly await the next one. When Glenn was saying his goodbyes we were having none of it, and so he obliged with an unexpected finale, The Beatles’ “Carry That Weight.”

I looked around the auditorium as we filed out and saw so many smiling faces. What Glenn does isn’t particularly flashy, but he does it so well.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ross Wilson @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 27 December 2016

After an unexpected death in the family a couple of weeks ago, my family has been having a fairly tough time. We needed some fun, but even Christmas couldn’t seem to pull us out of our funk. Last night at Ettalong Diggers, Ross Wilson managed to do what the silly season couldn’t and put a smile on the faces of my parents, my husband, and myself.
Ross Wilson gives a masterclass in the art of performing. He doesn’t rely on bells and whistles, just great music and a superb backing band. At times I found myself marvelling at the prowess of his keyboardist and guitarist. However, while they’re good they never overshadowed the main man, a man who has created countless hits in his solo career and time with Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock. All of the biggies were performed in Ross Wilson’s own inimitable style over two sets.

Ross Wilson is the kind of performer that just makes you feel good. His loud shirt was every bit as bold as his presence on stage. And that voice, it’s lost nothing over the years. He had us captivated in powerful numbers like “Touch of Paradise” and on our feet with “Come Back Again,” “Hi Honey Ho,” “Cool World,” and of course, “Eagle Rock.” I’m not sure there’s anything more Australian than being at a club dancing around to the Daddy Cool smash.

I always think music finds you at the time you need it. At a terrible time for my family, a night out with the musical gifts and generous stage presence of Ross Wilson was just what the doctor ordered.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Reece Mastin @ Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach – 10 January 2016

When Lizotte’s Kincumber closed its doors last year, I worried that it may spell the end of great live music on the Central Coast. Thankfully a couple of other venues have taken up the mantle. One of them is Ettalong Diggers, an RSL club conveniently located just down the road from me. Sure, the deep-friend lamb cutlets and chips weren’t a patch on anything Lizotte’s ever served, and the raffle for Dyson fans that accompanied it didn’t great quite the same ambience as the chilled-sounds piped through the Lizotte’s PA. But any venue that can attract big name acts like Reece Mastin has my vote.

I’ve been keen to see Reece live since he released Change Colours, one of my favourite albums of 2015. The allure of his acoustic Down to Earth shows proved difficult to resist, especially when located so close to home.

Reece was ably supported by Alys Ffion, a gorgeous young thing my husband described as a cross between Taylor Swift and Lisa Loeb. I can definitely see where he’s coming from. Her songwriting has that diary-confessional feel of early T-Swift material, but her voice has a little more earthiness and quirk, just like Lisa Loeb. It takes a lot for a solo support act to command a room with just an acoustic guitar by her side, but the crowd seemed to be hanging on her every word. I know we were. She treated us to a generous set of original songs, yet it was so good that it felt over far too soon. Thankfully she was back after the break, providing backup vocals and guitar parts during Reece’s set.

While I couldn’t take my eyes off Alys during her earlier performance, the charismatic Mr Mastin stole focus during his set. He has such a strong voice that reminds me a little of Jimmy Barnes; clearly the time they spent recording this album has been a good influence. There’s also something special about watching an artist who believes so strongly in the music they’re making. He gave it his all, and that passion he has shone through. He was so giving both in his performance and the moments between songs, when he shared tales of time in the studio and the stories behind the songs.

It was telling that despite releasing four top 20 singles from his first two albums, Reece played just two songs from these early days, “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and “Rock Star.” Instead he focused on the new album Change Colours, which suited me just fine. His performances of “For You,” “Stand Up Be Proud,” “Heartache Blues, and the raucous closer “You Gotta Go” were especially strong. Reece also hinted at what’s to come. I wish I recalled the name of a new song he played; it was stunning. He also covered “Muddy Water,” telling us that the music of the original artist Paul Rodgers and his band Free reflects the kind of music he wants to make. As a fan of Free (the only one in the audience apparently!), I was so excited to hear the cover and what an influence this sort of music is for him.

Reece Mastin might have started his career as a fairly lightweight pop act, but his music today has so much more weight. This Ettalong Beach show might have been my first Reece Mastin show, but given what I saw on Sunday night it certainly won’t be my last.

Image source: Stephen Katulka