Gig Reviews

The Beautiful Girls

Fri Jan 7 2005

A mostly beach orientated crowd began lining up a whole hour before even the doors were to be opened. These surf-crazy young adults constitute the kind of people The Beautiful Girls appeal to. It was odd seeing people of the 'surf' variety (tanned skin, windswept, blonde-tipped hair, surf brand t-shirts and boardshorts and looking like they just walked off the beach) dominating the crowd; usually the Palais would not be their preferred 'hang out' spot. Odd but positive, the more different people that come, the more experience the magic of the venue. However there was a downside. The unfamiliarity with venue policy showed through when many arrived intoxicated, intending to enter the venue, and even bring in the alcohol in their clutches.
The moment the doors opened, a horde of fans surged towards the merchandise table and the room filled quickly. DJ Kuya, the support act, began before not too long. Unfortunately, most of the attendees were not terribly interested, as a result of two contributing factors - many were too eager for The Beautiful Girls to play to bother with much else; and secondly, no matter the standard, it was unusual for a DJ to support an act such as The Beautiful Girls, and for most, it was probably conflicting with their musical interests.
The atmosphere before The Beautiful Girls came on the stage was intense and full of anticipation. For many, this would be their first time seeing their music idols. Whenever passing through Newcastle, The Beautiful Girls would usually choose to tour at over 18s venues, disappointing younger fans every time.
When they stepped onto the stage, the venue was ringing with cheers. The crowd went crazy for the laid-back performers, as they began performing their somewhat mellow but captivating tunes. After what seemed like minutes for some, the heroes of the night ended with a four song encore, and stepped off the stage.