Spring Loaded

Hastings Point

After several attempts, reschedules & line up changes, Spring Loaded finally made it, & was well worth the wait!

If you had closed your eyes, it felt like it could have been 1996 all over again, with Oz indie royalty – Screamfeeder, The Fauves, Custard, Killing Heidi, Frenzal Romb, Regurgitator, You Am I & Grinspoon. 

Set in the idyllic location of the beautiful Hastings foreshore & weather to match, the day kicked off with host MC Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall introducing Screamfeeder.  Blasting through a nostalgic set of familiar tunes, The Fauves, Custard & Killing Heidi were quick to follow, all exceptionally happy to be playing music again after long forced hiatuses. 

Moving into the second half of the day, Frenzal Romb energetically ripped through a bunch of songs, followed by Regurgitator playing a solid set of hit after hit.

You Am I graced the stage with energy, intensity & humour offering a classic retrospective of tunes coupled with new, soon to be hits.

As the sun set, Grinspoon brought a riff-laden guitar fest of their best tunes & even though age has come, there was no lack of intensity, emotion & fire.

So good to see all these bands on one stage, almost like a mini Big Day Out…..oh the nostalgia, long may it run.

Words & photos – Lucas Packett