Gig Review: Red Hot Summer, Bendigo Racecourse, Saturday 4 January, 2020

What a cracking line up and start to the 10th anniversary of The Red Hot Summer Tour. Set in the glorious town of Bendigo on Saturday 4 January 2020, there was little wonder as to why today was a complete sell out.

Kicking off the day and welcoming Dale Ryder back to the stage, were Aussie favourites Boom Crash Opera. Never a bad performance had, these guys are still super tight and a delight to watch on stage. The chemistry between Ryder and lead guitarist Peter Farnan was electric and even stealing a kiss between the long time musical partners with much laughter coming from both of them and cheers from the crowd! Always a thrill to see perform live, it’s no wonder Boom Crash Opera were first up on the bill as the party starters.

Following suit and keeping the party going were Killing Heidi. After touring extensively last year, it was great to see the Violet Town rockers give it their all on this year’s bill. There is one thing you can say about Killing Heidi and that is that they really enjoy being on stage. With Ella Hooper as one of the most entertaining female leads around today, you can not help but be pulled in by Hooper’s contagious energy, smile and love for performing. A pure joy to watch perform!

Rocking the bill next were Aussie musical icons Baby Animals. Sauntering on stage to a cheering crowd, Suze DeMarchi has always been up there with the best of the best female leads. With their huge catalogue of hits, they had the crowd eating out of their hands! It always seems so effortless for Baby Animals especially DeMarchi who is the epitome of cool! Having this much talent on stage was definitely a drawcard on today’s bill. I’m really looking forward to catching the Killing Heidi and Baby Animals Tour later this year!

A festival isn’t complete without the Brewster Brothers and co rocking it out on stage. Can you actually call yourself Australian if you have never sung the call backs to ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? The Angels will forever go down as one of Australia’s best rock bands and today was the reason why they still have many fans! They still rock it! I have always said that Dave Gleeson is a superb frontman and today he had the crowd exactly where he wanted them; mesmerising them with his vocals and showmanship! Definitely one of my favourite bands to see live!

One of my favourite bands of all time- The Living End, followed The Angels. They never disappoint and today was no exception! Seeing The Living End live is what music is all about! Hearing their cracking tunes and superb musicianship is where joy comes from! The Melbourne locals are always welcomed at these festivals and always pull a crowd! It’s just a shame that their set doesn’t last for longer, but at least we got to see Chris Cheney play the slide guitar with a Vic Bitter beer bottle.

Next on the bill was Aussie Legend and ex Aussie Crawl frontman James Reyne. Donned in all white, the legend rocker impressed his fans with playing hits from his vast catalogue. A highlight for me was ‘Reckless’ which has always been a favourite of mine. Reyne’s vocals are still in superb condition and his band tight! Clearly a drawcard today as seen by the packed standing area at the front of the stage!

Finally, headliners Hunters and Collectors reformed and smashed it out of the park! Mark Seymour‘s vocals were in superb shape and his stoic persona wowed the crowd! Hearing them play again after all these years was a definite highlight. The band still has a magic that made them so popular all those years ago! Hoping that a solo tour comes from this, especially if they continue to play together like this for the other shows in this tour.

After a scorching temperature in the high 30’s at the start of the festival, it was no wonder that red faces and limbs were the flavour of the day! Promoters ensured that misting tents were scattered across the Racecourse grounds to ensure that no punters were left to overheat and with free water stations ensured that people could keep hydrated.

The Red Hot Summer Gigs are always a great family day out. Having Aussie legends on the bill, solidifies that tickets a definitely worth the money. Happy 10th Anniversary Red Hot Summer! We love hosting you and hope you come back next year.

Limited tickets are still available for this tour! You can find out more information at https://www.redhotsummertour.com.au/