ESKIMO JOE

Many Australian bands owe their success to the time when they weren’t receiving hours of airplay, the time when ‘tour van’ didn’t mean chauffeured car, a time when simply being nominated for an ARIA was the best thing ever. For Eskimo Joe, this seems to be an issue hot in the minds of their many loyal fans.

May 30 saw Eskimo Joe stop into Wollongong Uni on one of the final dates in their ‘Beating Like a Drum’ tour. They brought with them fellow Perth based group, Little Birdy and with over 1000 tickets pre-sold, this show was sure to be one to go down in Uni folk law.

First up on stage were Little Birdy and with the elegant Katy Steele at the front, most of the males in the house flocked to the edge of the stage. As a band with five ARIA nominations to their credit, Little Birdy’s musical abilities cannot be disputed and their set on this night did not disappoint. They played a mixture of older and newer material, including the ARIA nominated ‘Beautiful To Me’ and their biggest hit to date, ‘Come on, Come on’ which came in number 11 on the Triple J Hottest 100 last year.

Next up were the band most were there to see, Eskimo Joe. After forming 10 years ago to compete in the National Campus Band comp, they went on to win this competition and get substantial airplay on the national youth radio network, Triple J. Since this time, they have had their fair share of success in the Australian mainstream music industry, boasting eight ARIA awards, and numerous nominations.

Their set featured their latest hits including ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine,’ ‘New York’ and ‘Sarah’ and they showed their national pride by performing a cover of the Crowded House hit, “Weather With You.” One notable absence from their set was the classic “Sweater,” which they recorded after winning the Campus band comp back in ’97. This was very disappointing to many onlookers who have been supporters of the group since the early days on Triple J. Whilst bands should embrace their success and continually look to advance their music for the changing influences they encounter, they should not forget their roots and the music that got them to where they were.

That being said, the grand production that was this Eskimo Joe show provided great entertainment for all who attended and we look forward to the day that a band as big as this return to UOW.