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The Bakery
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Seemingly the entire Perth music industry turned out for The Bakery’s last hurrah on Saturday night, and though the crowd ebbed and lowed over the long day’s journey into night, it was never far below capacity.
It was a bittersweet event, the excellence of the entertainment on hand counterbalanced by the grim reality that the current economic climate and the value of the land it stood on meant that the iconic venue was worth more dead than alive now. Still, even when the battle is over and the field is lost, the crowd managed to pour one out (more than one, really – the bars were crushed all night) for the defunct venue in fine style.
With so many fine performers on hand, including Felicity Groom, Rachael Dease, Smrts, The Weapon Is Sound, The Wednesday Society and more, it’s hard to pick out highlights. Perpetual Perth presence Tomás Ford pulled a surprisingly early slot, much to the consternation of some dogs in the courtyard, who made a good show of trying to savage the lanky showman when he attempted to lure punters inside. Later on in the proceedings, Injured Ninja’s Epic Of Gilgamesh project saw an impressive number of drummers, professional and otherwise, joining in for an epic, mythical soundscape.
Still, it felt more like a party than a gig, and while the stage was never short of a large audience, the courtyard was likewise packed with the friendly and familiar catching up, commiserating, drinking, laughing. and generally doing their best to mark the occasion as indelibly as possible.
It’s a difficult time for the Perth music scene, with The Bakery being just one of many venues closing their doors, but rather than dwell on the negative, let’s remember the fine times that were had. Thanks, Bakery crew: you were the best.
TRAVIS JOHNSON
Photos by Daniel Grant
