Our friendly petals at live music venue The Triffid are celebrating ten years of thriving in the Brisbane jungle, so they're throwing a five-day marathon of the trademark activities they've perfected: a comfortable, industrial thicket of grooves and good times.
The Triffid's versatility has to be one of its strengths. On any given week there could be staple programming such as Know Your Rider trivia nights, brand new originals outdoors in the fading sunlight alongside regular pub games, then ticket holders filtering in for a legacy metal act like Hed PE., Harajuku-core rockers HANABIE., Americana crooner David Rawling, or a private function, even a kids show."We always thought the space was there to try to use it as much as we can and make it work for everyone," John Collins (JC) says, founding father of this hub of festivities planted in the shade of a World War II hangar. "It's just been good to have, over the ten years, the flexibility to be able to do different things.
"[We've] gotta have the larger acts to pay the rent, and we want to provide a great space for people to come and see bigger acts, but it's not lost on us as a developmental venue that we've really gotta be nurturing the next group of talent."
JC says he feels really lucky they've built a beer garden that can have solo artists on a Wednesday night, original music on Saturday afternoons, and other cool stuff on Sundays, with acts like Suicide Country Hour and Mojo Webb.
"I think it's a very eclectic group of people we have in The Triffid. . . that's a win for me. . . We're all united by one thing – we all love music. . . any type of music." - John Collins
He's motivated to "get them playing and get them paid and having gigs and having fun".
"It's about the whole ecosystem and trying to look after all parts of it. There's nothing greater than seeing a band start out playing first spot as a support and next minute playing headlining support then playing The Tivoli, and then going to [The] Fortitude Music Hall."
The Triffid really put their compost where their seeds are, demonstrating their commitment to cultivating musical seedlings through initiatives like the MIC (Music Industry College) Scholarship programme and the prestigious Album Of The Year initiative, which will be announced and unveiled on Wednesday 13 November, the kick-off night for their five-day birthday shindig (13-17 November).
"That's the way for us to pay back," JC says, "to give the young bands a leg up. . . the response to that has been amazing, the artists have all really engaged and taken it on so it's just grown into a really good thing. Very exciting."
It's on the side wall in the beer garden, where one new artist gets to have their name on a list of big, historic names – a single spot parked in between The Saints and The Go-Betweens that gets painted over each year for the accolade.
Although it can be a difficult trot running a music venue in 2024, John has a pretty positive report about the live music landscape. "I think the quality of venues has gone up [in Brisbane] over the last ten years. When you have competition, too, the public win. Everyone raises the bar a bit.
"[Our vision] is an evolving thing. The music styles have changed since COVID, too. . . it's a different scene than it was before COVID.
"As venue owners we're really mindful of how we can keep improving the space, and keep up to date, and make sure it doesn't feel really old and run down. . . that's something you do because you care about what people's experiences are." It's clearly working. The array of experiences you can have at The Triffid are exciting, and as fellow musicians attest, downright encouraging.
The Triffid during construction in 2014
Michael Cook, frontman for Darling Downs-based Americana act Rusty Pickups, had this to say about the artist experience. "It's great to be a band that's seen dozens of acts we respect and emulate, play live in that beautiful hangar, but then to also be able to drop a guitar in there too before you play in the beer garden on a Sunday.
"Don't get me wrong, seeing 'Rusty Pickups' on a poster for the inside stage is written on our band goals whiteboard, but the support they offer to emerging acts playing the smaller stage isn't something we take for granted."
Folk-country artist Clare Cowley is looking forward to gracing the beer garden stage as part of the birthday programme. "I love playing at this stage because there's a good community vibe and love for music," she says.
Ten years ago, John told us he wanted The Triffid to be Newstead's backyard. "I think we've succeeded there, I honestly do.
"We've got a group of locals that come in just for the afternoons, people come on Saturday and Sundays to listen to music and grab a burger. I'm really proud of the way the beer garden looks and feels, there's not many of them around anymore."
JC wanted a place where it wasn't fashionable, or anything else cliquey that brought people in to the space. The flexibility here is designed to be diverse and inclusive (there is even a family-friendly rave for Halloween!), but they're not pretentious about it, and it's effective.
"I think it's a very eclectic group of people we have in The Triffid. . . that's a win for me, I didn't want it be [any] certain group. We're all united by one thing – we all love music. . . any type of music.
"The thing that really makes me happy is seeing young artists develop from there, to go on to great things. Seeing Jungle Giants do a couple of shows then playing to a packed out Splendour In The Grass audience."
There's seriousness in his reverie, too. "We've always been championing Queensland bands. That's been a really good thing. Dune Rats, Ball Park Music, artists like Tia Gostelow.
"All these young, great Brisbane musicians and artists, engaging and going on to do better things. It's one of the proud Dad moments." The Triffid really does do what it says on the packet.
10 Years Of The Triffid: Banger In The Hangar (Brisbane) runs 13-17 November.
10 Years Of The Triffid 2024 Concerts
Wed 13 Nov - The Triffid QLD Album Of The Year Party & The Grates With MatesThu 14 Nov - Yard Act
Fri 15 Nov - Tall Paul (main room) + Sundowners (beer garden)
Sat 16 Nov - Small Fry Rock feat. Dan Sultan (from 11am)
Sat 16 Nov - Matt Hansen (main room) + Asha Jefferies (beer garden)
Sun 17 Nov - Real Estate (main room) + Clare Cowley, Suicide Country Hour & Mojo Webb (beer garden)
