INTO THE MOSH 045: WINTERBOURNE | GIG REVIEW | LA LA LA'S | WOLLONGONG

Words by Mark Griffin.

“They have like thirty instruments and they all play all of them, they’re good looking and they have nice shirts… I hate them.”

It’s Saturday night. I’ve spent the afternoon drinking a few beers at Bellambi Bowlo for a mate’s birthday, and now I’m at La La La’s in Wollongong. The weather is pretty average. It’s been raining on and off all day, but next door, Bevanda Bar is heaving outside and in, and across the way The Prince is sure to fill out. Here at La’s the downstairs bar is already going strong. Nightlife in Australia, and more specifically New South Wales, may be on life support but nobody told that to the Gong’s Globe Lane.

Wollongong’s live scene is pretty tight-nit and I’m met with a slew of familiar faces as I make my way upstairs, not least of all onstage.

First up are locals, Sult. I’ll admit to a bit of bias here. I’m just a straight up fan and I’ll take any opportunity to see or play with Sult. I first saw the girls play at the inaugural (and only) Mumfest up at Scarborough a couple of years ago, and I’ve seen them a good six or seven times since. Tonight, they’re playing a stripped back acoustic set, and twins Cory and Paige are only joined on stage by guitarist, Izaak. It doesn’t matter. By the time Paige has belted out the final chorus of their first single, Caroline, the growing crowd is suitably impressed, and the night is off to a solid start.

The great thing about small venues is the chance to actually meet and interact with the artists, and La’s— with only a balcony for a greenroom— is an excellent venue for just that. Between sets I catch up with Cory from Sult, still buzzing from last night’s sold-out Winterbourne show in Sydney, and James from Winterbourne. 

James is impressed by his openers and genuinely excited that after a three-year break from touring anyone is still keen to see them play. They sold out Fremantle and had a line out the door at Mary’s Underground in Sydney, and as if to prove the point, people keep filtering in as we speak. It may have been a while but the fans are still there.

Cory was worried they weren’t going to pull off an acoustic set— it’s been a while since they played without the band. They nailed it I assure her— even with Izaak’s enthusiastic foot-stomping triggering a voiceover meant for a Winterbourne track mid-song.

We turn to watching fellow local, Joe Mungovan, set up and both express disgust (jealousy) at just how talented he is. Joe drums in local duo, El Grande, and tonight is playing guitar and singing as a solo artist. It’s a stripped back presentation for Joe and he’s only joined by Evan Kerr on keys and backing vocals. 

I haven’t caught Joe like this before and… damn. The harmonies are amazing and the songs are killer, closer Lemon + Lime sticks in my head for days after, a Summer anthem that cuts through the dreary weather— I’m still dismayed by how talented he is. I joke (but not really) to Cory that he’s better at playing every instrument than every member of my band.

The room already looked pretty full during Sult’s set, but it’s really starting to fill out now and there’s a lot of love for Joe.

Finally, we reach the main event. James has changed into a different shirt; that Cory and I both comment on approvingly, and the band emerge. In fitting with tonight’s theme, it’s again stripped back. Tonight Winterbourne are a simple trio with James and Jordan joined by Josh Rea playing bass, keys, guitars and cello as needed.

By the time Jordan’s ‘foot drums’ kick in and they’ve blasted out a high octane rendition of Long Distance Runner, the crowd is fully on board and La’s hardwood floor is regularly pulsing with a hundred foot stomps. This is my first time seeing Winterbourne live. In fact I’ll admit I wasn’t particularly familiar with them prior to taking this assignment. One track in however, and I’m already converted. I even bought the t-shirt.

Winterbourne continue to impress with stunning harmonies and well-crafted songs that run the gamut from upbeat and catchy to hauntingly heartbreaking. There’s maybe a few cobwebs in their stage banter, but if anything that only endears them to the crowd more. They joke that they sound too much like Mumford and Sons and are trying to move away from that folk sound (of course they’re not) and even pull out a tongue-in-cheek Mumford and Sons cover mid-song. But I’m not sure Mumford and Sons is the best frame of reference for their sound. There are definite elements of the 00s folk revival there (think Mumford, the Lumineers, Boy and Bear, Iron and Wine and all that) but if anything there music is a little closer to the garage revival that happened at the same time. 

Imagine if Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes or The Kaiser Chiefs went folk and sprinkled in a bit of the more pop-folk sensibilities of Peter Björn and John for good measure. They play a mix of new and old stuff and a healthy portion of the crowd (now getting pretty close to capacity) is singing along. The musicianship is amazing throughout with the three regularly swapping instruments and Josh absolutely wooing the crowd with his stunning electric-cello playing. The first time the cello comes out I noticed Robbie who’s meant to be downstairs checking tickets sneak up to see what sounds so good. But the real showstopper comes toward the end of the set when James and Jordan come into the crowd for an intimate, fully acoustic rendition of Cold.

It’s a powerful moment. Doors downstairs are closed to block out the rowdy Bevanda. The crowd is whisper quiet until urged by James to start a clap. It’s this kind of magic that makes small-venues so valuable. By all means go and see your top-40 acts at stadiums and arenas, but if you’ve never experienced a 100 odd people standing in near silence, transfixed by two lone voices, a mandolin and a guitar— all without the aid of any form of amplification— then you’ve not yet had the full live music experience. In a month when Australian’s could have seen Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran play to tens-of-thousands a night, Winterbourne are making a compelling case for continuing to support local venues as well. All that production at the Ed and Harry gigs is absolutely incredible I’m sure, but at its core music is about people coming together to express themselves in song and in the shared experience of playing and listening and dancing, and as I clap along with the crowd at Winterbourne, watching these two sing barley a metre away from me… well I wouldn’t trade the experience.

You know it’s a good moment when two singers from two different bands come up to me afterwards and say they’re already figuring out how to steal the idea for their shows.

The finale of the show I was promised in my interview with the boys a few nights ago doesn’t disappoint. The hold up curtains as a sort of meta encore before launching into a cover of Mama Mia that has the whole crowd singing and dancing.

Finally, they wrap up and had up to the merch-table to chat to fans and sling some t-shirts. I head home. Outside Globe Lane is absolutely pumping. I jump in my car and head home with Long Distance Runner playing on my stereo and a small on my face. Tomorrow I’ll wear my Winterbourne t-shirt out, a freshly minted fan. But for now, long live small venues, intimate shows, and line-ups full of locals. But I’ll leave you with my favourite review of Winterbourne from a fellow musician in the crowd, “They have like thirty instruments and they all play all of them, they’re good looking and they have nice shirts… I hate them.”

So if you missed Winterbourne this time around, they’re planning a tour later in the year, so keep your eyes out. Hopefully they don’t leave it so long between drinks this time around.