Gig Review: South Summit at The River, Margaret River, 15 April 2023
I am currently driving around the country with my family, squeezed into a campervan and living the dream. It’s allowed us to see some of the best beaches of the country, take in Australia’s bizarre practice of building “big things” in every second town, and be amazed and terrified by the various creatures that call this land home.
It also gave us the opportunity to take in a gig at Margaret River’s famous venue, The River, by one of Australia’s hottest up and coming bands: South Summit.
We were a touch late, courtesy of the outstanding food at local Italian restaurant La Scarpetta. So unfortunately we missed the first band on the line up – sorry Sophian!
As we walked in, we were instantly entranced by the hyper charismatic front man of Perth alt-rock band Tied Down. As opening acts go, they certainly did the job revving up the crowd – the DMAs-esque sound of their music contrasting nicely with the energy and fun of their between-songs banter.
Next up was Slim Jimz, across from Sydney. A bit of a slow start, but they found their groove. Definite Sticky Fingers vibes (musically, I mean). New track ‘25’, yet to be released, is set to be a cracker. They whipped the crowd into a frenzy with a high energy, paced-up cover of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s classic, ‘Can’t Stop’. Their lead guitarist is an absolute gun, but unusually, the star of the show was their distractingly handsome bass player. Who would have thunk it?
We swung by the merch desk (because you’ve got to), and picked up a T-shirt and, adorably, a pair of earrings that South Summit’s lead singer grandmother made. Bloody cutie.
And then, the band of the hour emerged. I initially wasn’t sure how South Summit’s chill coastal folk-rock would translate to the stage. I needn’t have worried.
They. Were. Awesome.
Lead singer Zaya walked on stage with an unassuming, understated presence, but by the end of the night there could be no doubt: the guy is a superstar in the making. His voice is even better live than it is recorded – it’s powerful but not showy, a quiet magnetism that commands your attention without demanding it. Very sexy, according to my (sober) wife. Hard to argue with her.
‘Runaway’ is a stone cold killer – a brilliant crowd pleaser with a belter of a chorus and a chunky bass line that gets the crowd moving. ‘River Days’ is a favourite, given a slightly alternative treatment that still worked. A fantastic psych-rock cover of MGMT’s ‘Electric Feel’ was a surprise, while their other cover version of the night proved there is still a lot of inexplicable love out there for Kings of Leon. New single ‘Just Like You’, ostensibly the reason for this tour, is a really interesting change up on their established sound – jaunty, upbeat, fun. And ‘Tired Of Waiting’ was exactly the kind of mammoth send off this show deserved.
For a band that formed just three years ago, and whose development was interrupted at various times by during the COVID-19 pandemic, their live performance is tight. Electric, really. It takes talent and confidence to move so seamlessly between chilled out coastal folk ballads, upbeat alt-rock, funky reggae jams, and even jazz inspired pop-rock. The crowd was rowdy, but South Summit was up to the challenge.
Tickets to this show were less than $20. Incredible value. If can see them in the next year, you should. Because these guys are going to blow the fuck up very, very soon.