Photos and words: Dameeka Middleton

YELO photographer and Grinspoon superfan Dameeka captured the Lismore legends at Brisbane’s iconic Princess Theatre on Saturday. The sold-out show marked stop 19 of their 46-date “Whatever, Whenever, Wherever” Australian tour.

As some of you might know, my love for Grinspoon is like no other.

After waiting 14 years for more music from my childhood rock gods, Grinners finally delivered earlier this year with their eighth studio album, “Whatever, Whatever”.

With news of a new album and national tour, I did what any music nerd would do to celebrate: I secured tickets to as many of their South East Queensland shows as I could possibly get myself to.

That’s right, I have almost wrapped up my own five-stop tour, having already seen Grinners at the Gold Coast’s Miami Marketta, D’Aguilar’s Dag Pub, The Station on the Sunshine Coast, and The Princess Theatre in Brisbane.

And tonight I shall see them again at Distillery Road Market in Beenleigh.

From small country pubs to bigger stages, their sold-out show at The Princess on Saturday night hit differently.

It felt like a pure, goddamn rock show.

The atmosphere of the theatre, the light show, the superbly balanced sound, and an audience that knew how it was done all helped create the spectacle.

You’d think the night couldn’t get any better, until they announced the support acts — Melbourne punk-rockers Press Club and Brisbane’s homegrown teenage indie rock stars IXARAS — and just like that, it did.

IXARAS Photo Gallery

With only 20 minutes to kick off the evening’s entertainment, 17-year-old Filipino-Cambodian frontwoman Ixaras Dorizac got straight to the point.

IXARAS felt like the embodiment of self-expression and youth right now. With seriously soothing yet powerful vocals, you could sense the indie-pop-rock queer artist was fully invested in her music.

Whether it was teenage angst she was drawing on or something deeper, Ixaras let it all out on stage. Having seen IXARAS play at The Zoo’s farewell party in June, I could already see a marked difference in their stage presence and audience engagement.

Scanning the crowd, Ixaras noticed a few people standing at the back with crossed arms and bored looks. Pointing them out, she decided to win them over, launching straight into the head-banger “What The F**k”.

And win them over she did.

The song, with its heavily 90s-influenced sound, was produced through a dial-up telephone, proving the kids these days also yearn for a time when things felt a little less complicated.

It was the perfect way to rile punters up for Press Club.

Press Club Photo Gallery

Bursting onto the stage, the incredible Natalie Foster took up a prowling stance. Like a cheetah hunting prey, she twisted, turned and moved between guitarist Greg Rietwyk and bassist Ian McRae while singing her heart out into the microphone.

Natalie was energetic, confident and powerful, eyeing off the audience while carrying the emotional weight of “Headwreck”. Even the security guard scored a bit of serenading — though I’m not quite sure he enjoyed it, and he may well have worried he’d become prey too.

Pulling a tune from their 2022 album “Endless Motion”, the band smashed straight into “Cancelled”. As they drew on their earlier Melbourne punk roots, the crowd began clapping along to drummer Frank Lees’ drum fill.

Lees seemed to be having an absolute ball, smiling through the entire set. Natalie then made her way into the middle of the crowd, sending security stress levels to an all-time high.

As they untangled her mic cord and she ventured deeper into the room, it was clear Natalie was enjoying every second of it. Making her way back out, she swung her blonde locks around the stage like the rock icon she is.

With the crowd left buzzing, fans hungrily watched the stage get set up for the band we had all come to see: Grinners.

Grinspoon Photo Gallery

As smoke covered the audience’s view, lead guitarist Pat strummed into the intro of “Unknown Pretenders” — a belter of a song to open with. Positioning himself on the top ledge of the stage, frontman Phil Jamieson walked out with a beer in one hand, launching himself straight to centre stage just as the song kicked into gear.

The track drew from their “Guide to a Better Living” days, reviving the spirit of the iconic debut album released 26 years ago. After the crowd’s thunderous reaction, it was straight back to an old-time classic: “DCX3”.

Swaying his hips and burning what I reckon was about 500 calories a set, Phil lashed out in true manic-rock-star fashion, pouting at the crowd as he went. With the audience now louder than Phil, it was obvious this one was a crowd favourite.

Later in the set, Phil said, “It’s been 12 years since we’ve released a new album, do you mind if we play some new tunes?” It is usually a difficult task to win over old-school Grinspoon fans, but not this time.

Phil steered the boys through some heavier tracks — “Never Say Never”, “Nasty”, and “(ILYSM)” — as their sweaty bodies pressed together and they shimmied through the setlist. They were perfect choices from the new album to sit alongside some Grinners classics.

Consulting the crowd, Phil asked, “How are we all doing tonight, Brisbane?” After an exhilarating response, he followed with, “Are you ready, Brisbane?”

Overriding their enthusiasm, Joe sprang into “Ready 1”, while Phil was already in the moment, sprinting from one side of the stage to the other. Having a good old hip twist during the instrumental, he pounced back onto the mic, but not before sound tech Gordo stepped in to add another one.

The band then gave themselves a moment to take in the atmosphere. Phil took the time to thank everyone who had worked alongside them on the tour, as well as the amazing support acts IXARAS and Press Club.

Intimate Acoustic Moment Before the Final Celebration

Phil then brought Natalie back onto the stage, introducing her as “one of his favourite front-people ever!” Slowing it down, he stood behind an acoustic guitar to perform a ballad version of “Underground (Hell On Wheels)”.

It was an intimate moment, showing not only Natalie’s incredible vocal range, but the musical chemistry between the pair. I will be needing a recorded version of this on a streaming platform somewhere ASAP, please.

Now, if you thought “1000 Miles” was a killer tune, you need to experience it live. Putting the crowd into overdrive, Pat stretched the intro longer than usual while Phil paused to put the spotlight on each member of the band.

Dividing the room into teams Pat, Joe and Chris, Phil watched each roar get louder before introducing himself with boyish charm and a friendly wave, sending the theatre into another eruption. They moved on to crowd-pleaser “Chemical Heart”, signalling the night was soon coming to an end.

Looking around at the mix of new and old faces, it was obvious just how influential this band from Lismore has been across the decades. As the lights flared between the boys and the crisp sound complemented Pat’s graceful guitar, Phil took a seat at the end of the stage.

The audience’s faces said it all as they sang the song’s heartfelt words back at him with pure passion. Ending the set on a high with the moshier “Champion” and “More Than You Are”, the crowd looked completely satisfied to have just witnessed Grinners at their finest.

As Phil pulled out more killer dance moves, confetti fell from the ceiling and swallowed the fans in a final act of celebration for a band that has brought joy to so many. From raunchy guitars to distorted bass, it was the perfect ending for fans who came to relive their past and experience Grinspoon as they are today.

I’m pretty certain they rocked just as hard as they did 30 years ago — maybe even harder. If you ever get the chance to see these Australian rock royals live, you must.

Not only did each show feel like a first-time experience, but the commitment and energy the boys put into every song is like nothing else.

Now to do it all over again tonight.

See you soon, guys!