Words by Mark Griffin.

Photography by Taylah Chapman.

17/02/2023 - Sydney - The House of Music and Booze

It’s boiling hot and humid as all get out at The House of Music and Booze. Sydney has served up a classic February evening, and the crowd at outdoor bar suggests I’m not alone in thinking it’s perfect drinking weather. The House of Music and Booze is an old pub that’s been turned into something decidedly hipper. The band is set up in a front room that can probably hold about 150 odd people at capacity, and you can imagine that even in winter it’s a sweat-box of a venue. It’s windowless, but with beautiful high, moulded ceilings, and we quickly figure out the best placed to stand is right up front, under the air-con vents. 

First up is Aloe Vera with a breezy, chill, surf-rock set that has the crowd swaying and bopping. The venue fills up quite early, and by halfway through the opening set there’s easily thirty-odd people in the room, by the end closer to fifty. Next Doris, bring the intensity and volume up with a heavier, darker set.

People keep filtering in, and there is now palpable excitement as GRXCE start setting up. The extra bodies in the room have done nothing for the heat, and our spot under the air vent is getting crowded. Drummer, Alex, is first to take the stage, the crowd cheers, and he immediately bangs out a mid-tempo tom-groove. The crowd instantly starts moving to his beat. He’s joined by the rest of the band and some more cheering. A short instrumental gives way to Novocain and the gig is underway. They close out the first song and Alex immediately puts four-on-the-floor, his kick drum echoing throughout the room. Jamila shouts, “Let’s go!” into the mic, and everything kicks up a gear. There is no doubt at this point that the band is in total control of the 70-odd strong crowd. 

They move through the set fairly quickly. Stopping now and then to tune and introduce the band or songs with deeper lyrical significance. Alex is a flurry of ghost-notes and tight fills, Jonathon wows with his frequent wah-wah solos, and Emily projects energy on bass on the opposite side of the stage; but it is Jamila front and centre who owns the show. Her energy and sheer excitement to be in front of this crowd is electric. I’ve seen GRXCE play support shows before, but headlining to a home crowd has clearly kicked their performance up a notch. The best way to describe the band is if Missy Higgins or Holly Humberstone was fronting The Buoys or Middle Kids, with a bit more of the epic sensibility, and guitar work of Sam Fender— if you imagined that you’d be getting close.

This is the first leg of their Family Traditions Tour, marking the release of the single of the same name, and each stop sees them playing in one the band members home town. It’s a strategy that ties in well with the themes of their latest single, but also playing to a home crowd clearly has advantages. The crowd is filled with friends and family who know the songs, and are clearly proud to see GRXCE belt out such a commanding performance. Before they play the final song, Jamila throws out homemade merch that she and Emily had created earlier, and the crowd fights aggressively to catch each shirt or jumper that comes their way.

The band remains high energy from start to finish, Alex even cracks a stick blasting fills in the obligatory cover. They have the crowd singing along to the chorus of their previous single, Pretty Boys, and close out their set with the new single after an emotional introduction from Jamila. Johnathon jumps on the mic to thank the crowd as well and is visibly emotional at the warmth of the response the band has received.

At one point early in the set Jamila implores the crowd to boogie saying, “We like to play sad music you can dance to…” And she’s right, the songs may be sad, but the crowd moves. GRXCE are still very much in the early stages of their career, but they already know how to take charge of a room. Their performance is tight, engaging and energetic, you can feel the warmth between the band members and the love for them in the room. On a humid summer night, with a couple of bevvies, nothing beats this sort of live music.  If you’re looking to see a band on the rise, before they hit the big time, you should definitely grab yourself a ticket.

You can catch GRXCE on their Family Traditions Tour at….. 

Feb 24– Bootleggers, Sydney (support show)

Mar 17– Buckettys, Brookvale (support)

Mar 24 TBH Fridays, Towradgi (support)

Mar 25 Cronulla RSL, Cronulla

Mar 26 Stag & Hunter Newcastle

Mar 31 The Front Canberra

Apr 1 Glenorie RSL Glenorie

Apr 2 Burdekin

Apr 8 Hoey Moey Coffs Harbour

Apr 14 Beach Rd Bondi

Apr 16 Tom Cat Brisbane