Feb 20

Feb 20 LIVE REVIEW: Joyride overcomes a disappointing turnout with infectious energy

You ever hear something on the radio and think “yep, this would be great live”? Well I had just that one late Triple J evening. Sydney producer and voice of an angel, Joyride, was on the station, explaining how he wrote the ever so catchy Aunty Tracey’s Cookies; “It’s someone you see when you’re in party mode”. Following that release along with singles such as Blue Batmans and the infectious 6am taken from his debut album Sunrise Chaser, Sydney-based Joyride graced our shores with a number of shows set to put anyone in party mode.

There to kick off the feel-good night were two of Perth’s favourite local talents, Heaps Good Friends and Approachable Members of Your Local Community. Approachable members were up first, with all band-mates wearing a distinct uniform of white, carrying the theme of light-hearted fun throughout their set. As excellent as ever with a few new treats for the growing 8.30pm audience at Jack Rabbits. Continuing the party, Heaps Good Friends came on shortly after, with the trio of Emma, Nick and Dan adding a slower element as Emma’s angelic vocals proceeded to grab everyone’ attention.

Both supporting acts were sensational, with their performances definitely on the same level as Joyride, cancelling any myths that support acts are not all that memorable. The main event then came on, performing his set with band mates, HANDSOME and Sarah Corry (leftprojects). The larger than life Don had the amped up crowd in awe as he showed everyone what his incredible and moving voice can do. Sunrise Chaser was the story, with the themes of enjoying life while realising deep inside of yourself what you really want it to be about came to the forefront. Not only were people having a good time, but they were listening and taking it all in, which is something that is usually unseen at a venue where the drinks are aplenty and the crowd are rather loud.

Unfortunately for how good he actually was, Joyride’s set never reached its peak momentum. Following the venue change from Capital to the much smaller Jack Rabbit Slim’s, the turnout was disappointing to say the least. The multi-talented 32-year-old truly gave a great performance, with his two bandmates also giving 110%, which really led everyone who attended to shake their heads in an agreement of “He Deserved better”. The set list was comprised of all Sunrise Chaser tracks of course, with 6am’s heart-thumping beat and relatable, woeful lyrics being the standout.

Closing his set, Joyride’s energy and happiness to be there with us never wavered. The crowd that was there loved it. Never have I seen a more infectious and enjoyable show that really made the most out of the small numbers they got. Not every act can still command a small room like that, but Joyride really stood up to the plate, presenting a masterclass in Aussie talent.