LIVE REVIEW: Reliving a moment with Butterfingers @ Badlands
It seems there is a bit of a 2019 trend of bands from the early 2000s to reform for tours, playing their most popular album in full for fans. While this creates heady nostalgia for generations that are still struggling to assume the mantle of adulthood, it does not necessarily make for a satisfying night of music. Punters are spoon-fed tunes they’ve had blasting from their car stereos for years rather than recognising the talent of today’s scene. This was the case on Friday night, as Butterfingers — they of the first wave of Aussie hip hop — hit the stage at Badlands with their Breakfast at Fatboys show.
What can happen is that the support acts are provided a chance to connect with an audience they may not otherwise connect with — widening their base from Triple J unearthed music geeks to include the undeniably middle-aged fans of their predecessors. The support acts getting a boost this time are The Donald Trumpets and Fresh Violet — both acts who are arguably far more sophisticated in their infancy than Butterfingers were at the height of their success.
The Donald Trumpets had a small but enthusiastic group of punk fans cheering them on in what could have been a disastrous start to the night. They were in the unfortunate position of playing first on the bill to a handful of diehard Butterfingers fans who remained largely still and quiet during their set. Undaunted they embraced the tenets of punk, giving a joyous middle finger to the man while playing some bouncing melodies which eventually had the most reluctant dancer nodding their head in time.
If The Donald Trumpets are a growing force, Fresh Violet is a revelation. The antithesis of mumble rap, she spits bars with fierce conviction. Like a foul-mouthed kindergarten teacher, she bribed the crowd with snacks. Perky and befringed she begged the crowd to come up the front and dance, and slowly they did. By the time she brought out her latest track, Left Right, she had them in the palm of her hand.
Finally, the crowd got what they were waiting for — Butterfingers took to the stage and let us relive those heady days when Breakfast at Fatboys ruled the airwaves.
The next day though, it wasn’t Butterfingers I was playing in the car — it was The Donald Trumpets and Fresh Violet.
