Melbourne natives Kingswood have been touring like crazy over the past 12 months and supporting some big Aussie talent along the way, but before heading to the United States to record the tracks for their highly anticipated debut album, they had time for one last Australian show, playing alongside British India and 90s rock outfit Spiderbait at the inaugural Winter Festival, hosted by the Eatons Hill Hotel on Brisbane’s northside.
Kingswood hit the stage with ‘She’s My Baby’, and immediately the audience is drawn in by frontman Fergus Linacre’s melodic wailing vocals.
The guitar part for this track is a hard-hitting riff, bound together with screeching solos and guitarist Alex Laska glides effortless through each verse, backed up by a solid rhythm section of Jeremy Hunter on bass, and Justin Debrincat on drums.
“Everyone take a moment and cheer for this roof” announces Linacre, referring to the ornate light-filled ceiling design of the still freshly planted Eatons Hill Hotel.
For a band that is only getting started, and are yet to record an album, these guys hold themselves together like veterans of the touring circuit, smashing out track after track with uniform precision, and taking every opportunity to thank their fans for their support.
The night becomes slightly awkward when Linacre attempts to convince the crowd that “If you’re on a date tonight, this is the perfect time for that first kiss” and gets even more awkward, with “even if you’re not on a date, just grab someone and kiss them”.
Mid-way through Kingswood’s hour-long set, the audience erupt with the harmonious introduction to the popular radio regular Wolf. This shy, melodic song builds over time to become a raunchy rock track with technically intense drum and guitar parts. This is one track that needs to be heard live, as the recorded version does not do it justice.
As the show comes to an end, Linacre announces this is the last live appearance in Australia before the band sets sail for Nashville, and they lead into the final song for the night, Ohio, probably their most popular single to date, and it shows, with the crowd singing along to every line and giving the Kingswood boys a fond farewell.
It is rare these days to see an Australian band make such an instantaneous impression on such a diverse selection of people, and you really need to experience the live Kingswood show to truly understand why these guys are making a name for themselves as one of Australia’s hottest new rock bands to keep an eye on.
