On Saturday night I took my dad to a gig at the zoo – a small venue in Fortitude Valley. The gig was part of The Zoo’s “Anti-Social” series which is basically them putting on a bunch of small gigs, supporting local artists through these new and challenging times. It was a small, intimate gig with only 100 people in a venue which usually holds 500 people (everything was within covid restrictions and guidelines). Everyone was sat at little tables and we weren’t really allowed to leave (except for bathroom breaks and to get up and grab a drink). We went to the second session of the night which, although later than my bedtime (it started at like 10pm!!) – was totally worth it.
It was probably one of the most memorable gigs I’ve been to – which is saying a lot. I’ve definitely been to my fair share of gigs but this one was extra special. I have been aching to see some live music ever since the opportunity was taken away from me (if you wanna check out some of my other posts about live music see here and here). I’ve always said that live music, for me is one of the greatest pleasures I will ever experience. If there was one word that I would use to describe the night it would be: wholesome. I couldn’t help but smile throughout the night and even though I was bound to my chair, it didn’t stop me from having a (seated) boogie.
Make the Moon were the support act for the Dreggs. They’re a small band from Brissy/Sunny Coast that play alternativey-folk kinda music. I’ll be honest and say that I hadn’t really listened to them or heard much of them before so I was pleasantly surprised to see and hear how talented they were. They are a very groovy band with some equally groovy songs. They have one song out on Spotify which I definitely recommend checking out.
Now onto the main act – The Dreggs. I discovered them fairly recently – loving their vibe, finding it relaxing to listen. The band is made up of two guys (shout out to paddy and zane) who grew up in the sunny coast. Their music is indie folk and roots that are mixed with a coastal-beachy-surfy kinda vibe. They had a way of effortlessly capturing the attention of the crowd by their confidence and bang-on stage presence – with the right amount of jokes and banter onstage. Both Paddy and Zane bounced off each other’s energy which was very cool. I’ll add in the fact that they are two very beautiful people so I’ll admit that I was fangirling hard as soon as they came out.
Their set was dreamy – with beautiful vocals and sweet sweet guitar. There’s something about having just two guys playing the guitar, making it feel even more intimate. Their catchy songs meant that it was impossible to not tap your feet or nod your head to the beat. One of their songs ‘Simple Question‘ I felt a particular connection to. It’s a song about suicide awareness – which I didn’t know until Paddy spoke about it. Throughout the whole song, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears (when I say a few I really mean a lot of tears) as I’m one the many people who have been affected by suicide and I’m continually struggling with my own mental health. He shared the really important message of asking others if they are okay – which I think everyone (including myself) can get better at.
They played my favourite song of theirs: Give Myself to You – which the crowd went crazy for, everyone singing all the lyrics. It is such a banger. They played “A song to be named” which comes out on August 14 – so look out for that one – it is not surprisingly – also a banger.
I’d say that the whole night was a huge success. The kind of music played was perfect for an intimate gig and I didn’t feel that in any way the authenticity was sacrificed along the way. I feel lucky that I am able to support the local live music scene even during a pandemic. The Zoo did such a good job hosting the gig in a way that was safe and fun (which can be hard). I think that live music is such an important part of so many people’s lives – especially mine. The night literally could not have gone any better. I can’t wait to see more gigs and hopefully as restrictions are eased I can have a proper boogie.
clara writes 
Thanks for taking me! I had a great night. The things I took away were
1) often the best experiences are when you have no expectations. I liked the idea of a nice acoustic set, but didn’t really know what to expect, not particularly familiar with either band. And turns out I was completely blown away by make the moon and their musicality, and the dreggs completely won me over with their presence.
2) you can see bands from all over the world, but sometimes the best shows come right from home. It was extra special to have a connection with one of the bands. Shout out to Ru.
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