Spinifex Gum

The Act: Spinifex Gum

Where: The Myer Music Bowl

There are all sorts of things going through my head at the moment. I've just been to see LIVE MUSIC! Prince Philip has shaken this mortal coil. I was out on a Friday night. And I've been to see LIVE MUSIC. I'm more excited about the live music, knowing how lucky I am to be living here in Australia where we can do such things. 

Let's unpack this. I received a call from my friend earlier in the week. She had a spare ticket to see this group playing at the Myer Music Bowl. Would I like to come along. I'm known to go to the opening of an envelope, and with the night free, I said why not. My friend is big into aboriginal and indiginous culture and issues, and as a fledgling ally, I though it a good thing to go to. Besides, at $25 for the ticket, the offer was too good to refuse.

We met in front of the Art Gallery and wandered up to the bowl. I think the last band I saw there was Mumford and Sons in January 2019. Things have changed a lot since COVID. The outside venue lends itself well for live music. Instead of the normal free for all on the lawn with eskies and picnic blankets, they now have these pods which have up to six people in these built up pods, in which there are six chairs and a small table which attaches to the railings. You're free to dance, sing and enjoy the concert in your pod. In some ways it's better thanit used to be as you bum doesn't go numb sitting on the ground. 

We got there early. My friend, another friend of my mate, her daughter and two of her grandkids, aged seven and four. The kids provided some entertainment as we waited for the warm up act. 

And then it started. The first act had a traditional welcome to country first up. I've grown to love the welcome to country most acts will have now, especially when they are done by local elders. This one was moving. Seeing the line up was made up of indiginous acts, it made sense to do more than te cursory aknowledgements. 

Then Allara Briggs Patterson came on. A woman, some tech and her double base. Glorious, haunting music. She made the audience sing along too. 

She was joined by Lauren Sheree joined her for a duet, which was also excellent. Then a brother on the didgeridoo joined them. I love the didgeridoo - it cuts me to the quick. It always has. After this, the Djirri Djirri dancers came on and performed a couple of dancers. 

What I loved about this first set was the stories they told. The song lines are amazing, heart felt, honest and brave. 

After a short intermission, the main act came on. 

Spinifex Gum are a choral group from Far North Queenland, consisting of indiginous girls. They met up with some of the founding members of the Cat Empire.

It's easier to provide the blurb from the Arts Centre. 

"A compelling performance celebrating the passion and talent of our Indigenous youth with Spinifex Gum – a show-stopping collaboration of voice, sound, movement and change featuring Marliya Choir, an ensemble of Aboriginal and Torres Strait teenage singers, together with Emma Donovan, The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl and special guest artists.

Part protest, part celebration, Spinifex Gum is a uniquely modern Australian song cycle. It has the power to disarm, inspire, and speak to us in a way that no individual voice can. This work addresses pervasive issues from the social disparity present in the Pilbara to deaths in custody, disproportionate incarceration, land rights and more. Marliya Choir – who sing in English and Yindjibarndi – bring a vibrant young voice to the Australian issues in Spinifex Gum through their compelling blend of harmony and protest, while trailblazing a new pop-choir genre."

They were awesome. Loud, proud, professional, their harmonies were spot on and their message on point. The song about Lang Hancock was laced with anger. They sang about the waterways. The song about Miss Dhu, a woman who died in police custody was stirring. 

The evening was  thoroughly enjoyable - thought provoking, eye-opening and very, very present. These young women are fantastic. 

What inspires me is that these young women have the courage (and talent) to sing about things when others can't say it. They are a fantastic mouthpiece for indiginous issues. 

But along with the gorgeous music and the on-point messaging, what struck me was how wonderful it was to see live music again. Just to be outside on a cool night at the Music Bowl with other people. It's something I've missed. 

Then, walking back to catch the tram home, it was so good to see that the streets were fairly busy. Okay, it's not back to pre-COVID levels, but there were people out and about - coming and going from Comedy Festival show, meeting friends for drinks. The buskers were back playing down Swanston Street. There were more than a handful of people on the 109 tram home. 

It's nice to feel just a bit normal again. 

Today's song: