This was my first time hearing The Ra Ta Tas and with the impressions they each left, it won’t be my last! They performed alongside some new stars in the Brisbane music scene; Granddaughter, Margaret and The Ides for the release of their first single ‘Best Before’. 

Black Bear Lodge is one of my favourite venues to return to. It was the perfect environment, complimenting the vibe each of these bands brought. Even after all these years, the venue balances the aesthetics of punk and conversation with warm yellow lights and speakeasy-style decor on one half and a grungy dance floor and stage on the other. There are few venues left like this in Brisbane; that balance being a social space and somewhere to throw down so well.

Opening the night was Granddaughter, featuring Jade as their frontwoman on vocals and guitar, Heath as their lead guitarist, Ky as their bassist and Jayden as their drummer. You can absolutely hear these are good friends, smiling and caring for each other while they share the stage. Their set featured entirely original songs with such powerful and emotional energy. 

Jade discussed having a background in theatre and writing, so gravitating to music as their creative home came naturally. The lyrics they write are hard hitting and emotional, even if they downplay them through titles like ‘Tuna’ and claiming it's only about a fish. I won't spoil the emotional energy it brings (hearing it live is most authentic), it just perfectly captures lonely feelings in such a poetic way, with Jade's vocals there to help float you through the journey.

Heath and Jayden are brothers. Their background came from picking up the guitar young and playing in a few bands with friends through the years before landing into Granddaughter. You can hear that background pay off with the way they play and sync together. Musically, the band plays like a mesh of greats, similar to Wednesday, Swampmeet and Villagerrr. The way the instruments compliment Jade's haunting lyrics in this almost midwestern indie punk style, Jade and Heath's guitars screaming in unison, Ky’s bass lines gluing it together and the pace being set by the wonderful drums of Jayden.

Following them was Margaret. This band was beyond unique. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite the same, and it was such a pleasant surprise! There really was no comparison for this band, but I was floored by how dynamic they were and their originality - seriously, go check them out. Featuring Lani, vocalist and guitarist, as their front person, August as their lead guitarist and vocalist, Ton as their bassist and on vocals and Esther as their keys, synth and everything technically unique. 

When I asked what brought them to music as their creative home, they all expressed a deep passion and desire for the emotion in music that pulled them in, along with a background of writing. Lani describes a love for indie folk sounds from the 2000s, August described a love for more modern indie folk in Australia, and Ton gravitates to genres like jangle, blues, jazz and folk. Meanwhile, Esther is an avid fan of chiptune-style sound effects like those from the soundtracks of Undertale and flash games.

With a range of musicians with such differing tastes, it's inspiring to see the way they mesh each of their sonic elements. They all share the same love and joy for folk music, breaking the ‘traditional’ rules that we know about composition, which leads you to something truly unique. Their combination of two guitars, played by August and Lani, the bass lines leading the pace from Ton. Accompanied by the unique hodgepodge of old technology through things like synthesizers, Game Boys and self-crafted vocalizers by Esther, it felt like something so truly fresh.

They played beautiful originals with deep emotional lyrics. You can really see the joint effort between these four in their performance. Unfortunately, you won't find any recordings aside from a single obscurely linked forty-minute recording of a live gig on their linktree, but here's hoping they can make some proper mastered recordings in the future!

Next up is a group of lads with superb energy and political minds, The Ides. Featuring DanEddy as their guitarist and vocalist, Josh Pinsker as their lead guitarist and vocalist, SheaBowden as bassist and vocalist and Kye Nelson as their drummer. This set was electric, from their crowd work to the original songs that you could throw your whole body into.

Nothing makes me happier than hearing a welcome to country before a set. Especially when it's before some good old-fashioned politically charged punk that makes you want to create a mosh in the crowd. It absolutely sets the tone of who they are as a band, so there are no mistakes about who you're here to see. They have this clear love for the music they make, and it shines through when answering what made music the creative home for them. Most of the band formed after seeing the legends Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. After hearing a performance from them in person, they said they immediately collected instruments and wanted to forge a path of their own. 

Musically, they draw elements from The Chats, Tropical Fuck Storm and their personal favourite Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. The way they know how to interact with a crowd to hype them up, followed by a small introduction of each song to set the stage. Their music is political and filled with social commentary that they'd love for you to not just hear but listen to. The standouts for me were ‘Fake The State’, a song about stolen land, property and colonisation, and ‘No Mates’, which felt like a discussion of modern loneliness for young people. It pointed at the feelings you get when you'd like to do more, but your friends are all swamped with their own lives, like work and academia.

The headliners, The Ra Ta Tas, feature Cleo Shave as their lead vocalist and guitarist, Shannon Tighe as their lead guitarist and backup vocalist, Willow Giles as their drummer and Sylvie Morse filling in for their usual bassist Ella North. It's such a genuine delight to see an all-femme band commanding the stage. The crowd was absolutely electric for this group. Watching a bunch of queer people fill the front and absolutely throw down to the performance is something that shouldn't be missed.

In the interview, the group discussed listening to their favourite bands as they grew up and wanting a slice of that for themselves. Their guitarist, Cleo Shave, also mentions having training in classical piano as a kid. Naturally, when you want to create your own path in music, what better way than to build something with your friends and community? When asked who they wanted to welcome to their shows and to their music, the main theme was wanting to make a space for everyone and a desire to create a space where people can just unleash themselves freely without fear.

Their set featured a few covers, sprinkled with their own originals. The most notable cover was of ‘Knifey’ by Amyl and the Sniffers - a great song to add to the powerful mood of the night, and something that almost flipped a switch in the crowd to really let everything go and let loose on the dance floor. Their most notable original was their newly released song ‘Best Before’, an almost heart-wrenching song about how relationships with people can become sour over time.

Musically, this group reminded me of heavy hitters like Amyl and the Sniffers, SunsickDaisy and Lambrini Girls. Their sound is like this blend of shoegaze and post-punk. The way they can absolutely shred it on stage and command the crowd really plays into this vibe. Cleo and Shannon's vocals absolutely know how to take control of the room. While Willow and Sylvie control the pace of it all with a consistent thrumming of energy.

The Ra Ta Tas aren't just good on stage; they know how to support other acts as well. It's such a significant thing to see a band call their friends to fill the floor with them. Throwing themselves into the music to let the other fans know it's a space they're welcome to get into. It shows this understanding that, yes, they're the headliners, but it's also the other performers night as well.

Overall, this night was a strong showcase of who these talents are and the art they had to offer. It felt ferocious, cathartic and freeing. If you ever see any of these bands out in the wild, you'd be an absolute fool not to grab your tickets and support some future greats!

Words By Olivia Morgan 

Images By Taylor Arnold