Hard to imagine nineteenth century convicts glancing around the exercise yard and thinking: Mmmm, great spot for a rock concert!
But great spot it was. Ulumbarra Plaza drew hundreds of students—and staff—with rock and jazz pieces that turned BSSC’s lunchtime into a feast of sound.
The first band—Tess Challis, Billie Taylor, Kyle Langford, Brad Woodward and Jack Johns—smashed out ‘Golden Ceiling’ and ‘Use Somebody’. They were followed by a fantastic ten-piece Jazz ensemble, conducted by Wendy Laidler, who performed ‘New Orleans Strut’ and ‘Cantaloupe Island’. Emily Bibby, in her ‘Adele’ alias, was backed by Mitch Hartmann, Cooper Bennett and Sam Gutteridge.
The hour finished with Sam Noske, Sean Nudl and Innes Walker rocking the Plaza, college grounds, and possibly all of central Bendigo. Quote of the day comes from Ryley Field: “I just came out of the library and this (gig) brings a whole new feel to BSSC—it just sort of makes you feel happy.”
