The Producers Bar, situated down the east end of Adelaide’s city district, is not a venue I would’ve associated with a bustling live music and entertainment environment. It’s a venue that has seen shut down to then be rebranded, to then be shut down again, a few times; a venue that has always shown potential, but hadn’t really kicked into a solid rhythm.
It’s latest makeover could change this trend though, as I was to find out on Saturday night. With some friends DJing in the front bar, I arrived at The Producers Bar (or as I knew it once upon a time, The Electric Light) not quite knowing what to expect. I’d been told there were three indie bands lined up in the beer garden, plus the three band line up capped off by the Philadelphia Grand Jury. A bit of a head scratcher.
Walking into the venue, it was nothing like I had remembered. The decor was different, there seemed to be new rooms to be discovered at each turn and true to description, there were indeed three bands on outside and three bands on a separate stage in the room next door. All ticketed shows which, as the night would go on, seemed to see rather okay for a Saturday night in a new Adelaide venue.
The main stage had been erected in a separate bar that I only associated with some shady nights during second year Uni on nights out you’d want to forget. Surprisingly, the sound quality wasn’t too bad considering the logistics of the room (long, kinda cavernous and still coming together to be equipped for full live shows). Access was easy between this room and the main bar area, though by the time the Philly Jays were a half hour deep in their set, the temp had risen considerably to the point where you swore the walls were sweating.
Which brings me to the Sydney trio who, until only a few weeks before the show, I had no idea were even touring. Turns out Berkfinger was back in the country from Germany for a short trip and the band had been performing a select run of cheeky shows for fans. There was a bit of a low-key nature about the tour, not much promotion, but the room was decently full of fans wanting to party.
The show was as you’d expect, if you’ve seen the Philly Jays before; the band has no qualms in completely involved with the crowd during the show, with Berkfinger landing himself in amongst the audience as he does, while MC Bad Genius would hover over and demand synchronised clapping, singing and general ultra-enthusiasm, before resuming his always entertaining-to-watch thrashing around like a man crazed by the music.
I can only assume a full tour is soon to come from the Philly Jays, who have been working on new music (some of which was showcased in Adelaide at this show), because as an Adelaidean, it felt weird to be one of the only cities to get a show while Sydney and Melbourne missed out. I remember when the status of this band was up in the air for so long – I’m so happy they’re in a good space to be making new music as on stage, the trio look like they’re really feeling it too.
The fans got ‘the hits’ and were given ample opportunity to go nuts to the likes of “I Don’t Want to Party” and “Going to the Casino”, but it was more exciting to see where they’re going next. The band themselves were in the same kind of awe we were about the nature of our surrounds during the night, trying to work out why they hadn’t played The Producers Bar before. As I left the venue, I wondered the same thing but, the potential is clearly there for it to be one of the city’s new drawcards.
A fun night out with some old favourites in a potentially new favourite joint.
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