While Beer & BBQ Festival was a hot ticket last year, any backyard barbecuer knows that you never just let your sausages sizzle; you need to keep turning them over and over again.
This year’s iteration had all the meat and hop juice that we know and love, but also new innovations designed to make the event more eco-friendly while also supporting the local music and hospitality industry.
Bands
On the Friday night, Frenzal Rhomb came to the stage with all the cheer that you would expect of a band of ageing vegan punks on a freezing night at a BBQ festival.Although lead singer Jay’s hair was dreaded way back in the early '90s, he swiftly informed the crowd that theirs would not be a set list that simply pandered to the sentimental, saying “this song is for those feeling nostalgic for 2017”, before burning through a flurry of minute-and-a-half cuts from their most recent album, 'High-Vis High Tea', such as ‘Storage Unit Pill Press’ and ‘I’m Shelving Stacks (as I’m Stacking Shelves)’.
There was ample time in between acerbic critiques of the necessity of Golden Gaytime-flavoured craft beer for all the hits from their golden run of albums from the mid-'90s to early 2000s, such as Triple J favourites ‘Mr Charisma’ and ‘You Are Not My Friend’.
Prior to Frenzal were two emerging Australian bands to keep your eye on: VOIID and Cash Savage And The Last Drinks, each of which are fronted by dynamic and magnetic women with something to say and a knack for delivering their message like a punch to the gut.
Cash, whose band features Adelaide’s Jess Zubkevych from Hana and Jessi Lee’s Bad Habits, warmed this cynic’s cold heart with her social commentary on ‘Good Citizen’, while VOIID, like our own Wing-Defence and London’s Dream Wife, are leading a riot grrrl renaissance.
In her long-sleeved black Pallbearer top, VOIID lead singer Anji - like a punk-rock Harley Quinn - rolled her eyes and snarled her way through Nirvana’s ‘Aneurysm’, scorched male audience members with one-liners and, with the rest of the all-girl band, heated up a frosty night with tracks like ‘Dipshits With Nice Tits’.
BBQ
My first culinary foray wasn’t your stereotypical barbecue: fire cooked Spencer Gulf Kingfish, plated up by Food For Thought founder, Newcastle’s Mal Meiers. Food For Thought is an organisation devoted to raising funds for and awareness of the mental health struggles related to working in the food and hospitality industry.Having ingested some healthy omega-3 fats for my brain while handing over cash to help the brains of others, I traded in my plate at the next stop, Burn City Smokers, for a cheesy smoked kransky with jalapenos in search of some some burn-on-burn action.
Having resisted the urge to return for their 200g smoked brisket, my willpower was exhausted, leaving me an easy victim for the purveyors of the vegan macadamia brownies.
Also, do you know you can get 15 different flavours of jerky? Thank god for Heavenly Jerky; I thought there were only three flavours: salty, not salty enough, and too salty. The garlic jerky is to be commended, although maybe save that odorous delight for a lonely night at home and not for a night on the town.
Beer
by Eamonn Maloney
The Side Project Coffee Amber Ale: outstanding twist on a classic bock amber from the south east concern; instantly likeable.Uraidla Brewery Session Ale: a former Pirate Life brewer operating out of a cafe/bakery in the hills has produced a relaxed, fruity session pale here that doesn’t insist too much on hoppy pedigree.
Barossa Valley Brewing Red Weisse: it makes sense for the Barossa to be producing some great Germans and this doesn’t disappoint - a light berry touch that isn’t cloying or too sour gives a smooth finish.
South Coast Brewing Co Porter - chocolatey; a touch on the heavy side for anything other than dessert drinking but a weather appropriate entry from the Willunga natives.
