Victorian band and punk scene stalwarts The Meanies have teamed up with Queensland band Dad Fight to release a 7” vinyl. With one song from each band, they are calling it a split single and are currently on tour together.

The bio of the gig piqued my interest a few months ago when I read ‘the old bulls have teamed up with the young calves’. Back in 1995, The Meanies delivered a very energetic punk show which left a long-lasting impression on my teenage brain. I was interested to see how the old bulls would bring the vibes to a modern show, as I hadn’t seen them perform in 30 years.

The first band were Murwullimbah teenagers Da Manager, consisting of Banjo Golder on vocals/guitar, Arlo Kirk on lead guitar, Phoenix Preston on bass and Cruise Kill on drums. Da Manager have been together for about two years, and they were a tight unit, looking very relaxed on stage from the very first song. They played all originals, with their opener being an instrumental called ‘Intro Song’ followed by songs with rap and heavy rock riffs including ‘Resentment’, ‘Time for Change’, ‘Strangers’ and ‘Max20’. After playing their song ‘LBS’, Banjo announced to the audience that he couldn’t divulge what that stands for. After the gig, I caught up with the band to try and find out.

When asked what their highlights have been as a band so far, Banjo spoke of the Bluesfest under 18’s busking competition in 2023 they won, which gained them a spot to play at the festival.  Lead guitarist Arlo said, “every gig we do, I feel like we’re improving and we love writing songs”. Arlo also mentioned the bands new EP on the way, which blends rap, rock and nu metal. As for ‘LBS’, Banjo said “we’re not going to tell you what LBS stands for, you have to use your imagination”.

Second on the bill were Gold Coast band Jollee made up of vocalist/guitarist Brooke, bassist Jacko, lead guitarist Michael and drummer Baiden. Jollee has been together for seven years with the current lineup being together for two. It was apparent the band has a local following, as I noted some fans singing along in the crowd to songs such as ‘I Want You’, ‘Gypsy Man’, ‘Homewrecker’ and ‘Spaceship’. Jollee's style could be described as grungy or bluesy, but with an upbeat party vibe. During the song ‘Stir It Up’, the band called for a conga line and the crowd didn't need much encouragement. 

When I asked the band about this after their set, Brooke told me, “We’re about bringing a good energy, the sole purpose of Jollee is cheer and it’s a natural flow wherever we go”. Micheal said “‘Stir It Up’ particularly lends itself to a conga line, so it has to happen”.

After a recent fundraiser the band held, they’re looking at touring and releasing an EP, as well as some vinyl releases. Brooke also mentioned that bassist Jacko, makes quite a bit of the band’s merch and they “have some diamante g-bangers for those who want to feel a bit saucy. We’re a bunch of quirky turkeys and that’s how we like it, it’s all about having fun”.

Brisbane based punk/rock/metal band Dad Fight were up next. Members Jacky on vocals, Sambo on drums, Lenny on guitar, Riley on guitar, Jack on bass or "another form of guitar”, have been together for about five years. 

As this was an all-ages show on a Sunday afternoon, with quite a few small children in the audience, the punters kept a chill vibe despite the explosion of music that came from Dad Fight with frontman Jacky jumping off the stage a few times to mingle with the crowd. Jacky reminisced about being too young to get out to gigs and gave a few shout-outs to the younger audience members. After the show, I asked the band what they were listening to as teenagers and responses included Nu Metal bands like Linkin Park and lots of old school punk like The Exploited, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Johnny Thunders, Dead Boys and Australian rock like Billy Thorpe and You Am I. Lenny, who was born in Goondiwindi, chimed in with Slim Dusty of course!

When asked where they’re off to next, Lenny told me “Next, we’re going to Melbourne with The Meanies. They’ve come up here and we’ve shown them around. And then they’re going to show us around down there”. Guitarist Riley spoke about the 7” vinyl they released with The Meanies, containing one song from each band. This being the first vinyl release from Dad Fight, the idea came from Wally Meanie. Riley said, “we couldn’t have done it without them”. The band also have shirts and hoodies with the album cover on them. 

Old bulls, The Meanies, headlined the show and delivered their twenty-song set at the fast and furious pace their fans have come to expect. Frontman Link Meanie proceeded to throw himself on the ground numerous times during the set just like the 1995 show, except with the addition of some old jokes thrown in. It occurred to me while listening live how Link and bass player Wally deliver very sweet-sounding harmonies, which is something I hadn't thought about whilst enjoying their recorded music. There is something kind of wholesome about that. After the show, I caught up with Link to ask about their longevity as a band and reminisce about old times.

I mentioned to Link that I’d seen their 1995 show supporting Pearl Jam. He spoke highly of them, telling me “I really respect Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder was such a lovely dude and totally looked after us”. Link said their secret to staying together for so long as a band is “getting older and wiser, being respectful of each other, recognising your own faults and just becoming a better human being”.

Words and Images By Natalie Molyneux