The second show of our double header away weekend.
We made our way up the freeway from the Central Coast ( where we played the previous night) to the quaint suburb of Tea Gardens situated on the majestic Myall River on the north side of Port Stephens.
The first time we played Tea Gardens Hotel it was the Myall River Festival. An awesome annual street festival.
Then last May – 2019 we payed in midwinter.
Now it was summer time and the grass was high, the sun was hot, the cool beer was flowing and being a summer holiday destination there were also a few tourists around.
Jason the soundy was there as usual super early, setting up his rig, this time in the outdoor beer garden area which is covered by a tin roof, which of course provides a very bright sounding soundscape.
We checked into our nice hotel cabins which are attached to the venue and double as a dressing rooms during our set break.
The place was buzzing by the time we started our first set at about 8.30pm.
We had some crazed dancers in the first set, a bunch of middle aged ladies who swooped into the hotel basically running directly onto the dance floor. They seemed so excited to be there.
It was clear they’d started celebrating some time before they’d arrived. They proceeded to dance and pout as if we were the Rolling Stones.
We didn’t mind a bit.
In our break I got chatting to them and they informed me they were Nelson Bay locals having a girls night out by way of Ferry boat from Nelson Bay to the local Tea Gardens Hotel wharf.
They had rooms for the night so they were in for a big night one bleary eyed young lady enthusiastically explained.
Some of them joined us in our room during our break and ‘short sheeted’ one of the band guys beds as their practical joke contribution to our show – nice work, they were fun.
Again I was pleased my paid facebook ad had worked, some of then had seen it, then gathered a girl clan for a Sat night adventure away from their hubby’s.
The place was packed and the second set was pumping.
The chef – Shazza had knocked off work and was front stage rocking her hardest, proclaiming her love for us all.
And the end of the set Shazza begged and pleaded with me to borrow my Enz jacket, promising me she’d return it and explained she lives in a room next to ours and that she’d be back to party with us soon.
Once we’d packed down and loaded out and bid farewell to 3 of the group who hit the road home as they lived in Newcastle, myself, Alexie, Vince and his wife Ulrika had a few quiet drinks outside our room enjoying Nelson bay temperate climes.
Then Shazza came bounding back wearing my jacket regaling us of the story of her taking an evening walk riverside whilst doing interviews on our behalf from passers by who recognised the band jacket.
Shazza then pulled out a case of Canadian Club cans and joined us for an after gig chin wag outside the rooms.
We went until the wee hours trying our best to be quiet.
It was a fantastic weekend of gigs.
The next week we got an instant rebooking for another double header weekend in October the same venues we’d just played (Shelly Beach Golf Club) and this one the Tea Gardens Hotel – see you soon!
Short clip from this show – Alexie doing a Stevie Wonder song and offering the audience some cold chips.
Tim
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