Fans from all over Australia gathered at Brisbane's Hamilton Hotel (31 May) for the release party of Casey Barnes's new album 'Mayday'.
For a week leading up to the show, Barnes and Josh Setterfield humorously teased their new sunglasses, urging fans not to buy the other one's glasses. Their playful banter set the stage for the light-hearted and entertaining night that was about to unfold.Setterfield, the opener, drew a packed crowd right from the start of his set, with devoted fans flocking to the front of the stage. Performing his songs like 'Better Off' and 'Nothing Like Me', Josh also delighted everyone in the room with a cover of Hardy's 'Truck Bed'. He even surprised the country fans with a hardcore metal breakdown, sending the room into an excited frenzy.
Josh took the time to thank everyone who turned out, with a focus on his newly gained fans by stating: "Whether or not you want to or not, you're being inducted into team Setterfield tonight and we do everything together."
Josh Setterfield - image © KealiJoan Studios
He finished his set with his hit song 'Right About Now' and introduced the song by saying: "We are gonna take you guys out with a song that's taken me on a world tour last year, this one has been number one on CMT and the charts and it's all because of you guys supporting us, so thank you so much."
Whether you were already a fan of Josh Setterfield or not, there was no doubt his genuine love and devotion to his fans captured the hearts of everyone in the room. That was confirmed when after the show, half the crowd eagerly lined up to meet Setterfield and get a photo with the artist and his band.
Josh Setterfield - image © KealiJoan Studios
It came to that part of the night where KIX host, Justin Thomson, graced the stage to introduce Casey Barnes. "Are you feeling good? How good was Josh Setterfield? That sounded amazing. Are you ready for a big night tonight? It's the album launch so a very special show tonight too. Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Is in the house, are you ready for a big Casey Barnes concert tonight?!"
The award-winning artist and his band were a hurricane of energy from the very start of their set with Barnes stating: "We are here to celebrate a little thing tonight called an album launch." He later went on to talk about the album. "I know a lot of artists say this, but this has been the most work I have ever put into an album."
Casey is well known for his ability to write a catchy song, and 'Ain't No Buddy Better Than A Beer' is no exception to that rule with Casey introducing the song with: "This song, we think this could become the new national anthem for every pub in Australia, and we got to shoot the music video for this one last weekend."
Any great artist is always backed by a talented band, and Casey Barnes consistently proves this show after show. With his wife providing vocals by his side, Jeremy Barnes on guitar, Ben Crawford on bass, and Wazza Bray on drums, Casey is supported by a team of renowned musicians.
Casey Barnes band - image © KealiJoan Studios
Casey took a moment to deliver a heartfelt story about his drummer Wazza talking about how long they had been together. "We've been together for a long time my friend, Wazza and I have been playing together, in the same band since 2004, 20 years; 20 years ladies and gentlemen!"
From birthdays and hens' nights to line dancers at the back, Casey knows how to create an unforgettable experience and fill a venue. His ability to engage a diverse crowd and bring people together for a night of music and celebration is a testament to his wide appeal and charismatic stage presence.
Casey slowed it down a bit, with a memorable dedication to his wife avowing: "This next song, I wrote as a beautiful dedication to my beautiful wife Michelle.
"When we were coming up with this chorus, it's really tough, there's a lot of love songs, there's been a sh.tload; we were trying to come up with a line in the chorus that is the ultimate tribute to your partner, and we came up with this line of, whoever created you, obviously took their time with you, whether you're religious or not, because you're absolutely perfect, and I think my wife is. So for anyone who's in love, this is called 'God Took His Time On You'."
Casey Barnes - image © KealiJoan Studios
Throwing in some generational covers amongst his original songs, Casey and his band treated the crowd to 'Black Betty' by Spiderbait (originally written by Lead Belly and covered by Ram Jam in 1977) and 'Nothing But A Good Time' by Poison.
As he wrapped up his set, Casey expressed heartfelt gratitude to the crowd, showing genuine appreciation for his fans, which was a sentiment that was clearly reciprocated.
"Wherever you've come from, I just want to say thank you for being here tonight. Because without you guys, this sh.t doesn't happen, I don't have a career and I don't get to bring out albums. So, I sincerely want to say thank you.
"I had this dream, I wanted to do music, it started out as a little pipe dream, I never thought I'd be here on a stage, actually doing this, releasing albums, and I'm very grateful to be doing this."
Casey Barnes - image © KealiJoan Studios
With a final, heartfelt thank you to his devoted fans, Casey Barnes left the stage, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement and appreciation. Many stayed behind to buy merchandise and get a photo and a signature, eager to extend the memorable night.
More photos from the concert.
