We Went To Australia's First Drive-In Gig - Here's What Went Down

Like any group therapy session, I'll start with this - it's been 75 days since my last live concert. For someone that frequents dark, loud venues a few times a week, the last few months have been akin to torture.

Whilst the pandemic has affected many industries significantly, the music and arts have been among the hit hardest of all as the revenue from live music and touring ground to a halt in early March. So, when an opportunity came up to see live music, albeit from the safety and comfort of the car, we searched for the long-lost car keys and hoped it would start.

Punters attending the show

Some alternatives to cramming into a sweaty venue have been explored with the proliferation of streaming gigs, but the distance between the performer and the viewer can still feel isolating despite the chat room.

At midday on a Thursday, in a small carpark in Tempe - adjacent to the quieter than usual Sydney Airport, around 50 cars filed in snugly. The drizzling rain and grey sky would normally make for a cold, dirty and wet concert-going experience, but as the opening act, Cass Hopetoun and Blake Dantier began, we were tucked away in our cars, the windscreens fogging up the more we sang along.

READ MORE: Live Music Is Returning To Queensland - You'll Just Have To Stay In Your Car For It

Their set of country-inspired originals will go down in history, along with the first crowd participation using car horns in a cover of Dragon's April Sun In Cuba. 

A full stage set-up was built for the gig, including a decent sound system, meaning – if you were close enough – you could roll down the windows on your car and hear it or chose to turn up your stereo, tuning in to a specific frequency just for the show. 

Cass Hopetoun & Blake Dantier

In between acts, the MC tried to keep things warmed up with car horn Mexican waves and light flashing. It all felt just a little weird to hear cars honking together and flashing light.

There are certain things you’d do at as normal gig that you can't do at a drive in one. An alcoholic drink, for the driver at least, is out of the question. Bumping into mates or a potential date on the way to the bathroom is unlikely (in fact, I don’t know if there were any loos). Sharing bodily fluids with hundreds of other people is also avoidable, but right now, I guess we'll take that as a plus.

Watching live music, even through a constantly fogging up windscreen, wipers and your car sound system may not be the way we’d chose to consume live music, but it's actually not too bad. With a car full of people, some snacks, phones chargers and the heater, you have all the creature comforts. The addition of a Zoom meeting on your phone, with images from the crowd projected onto a big screen was a novel touch, but in these days of Zoom fatigue, it certainly wasn’t a vital part of the experience.

Attendees appearing on Zoom during the show

Casey Donovan, as she always does, rose to the challenge and delivered a sparkling and fun show. With a mix of originals and covers, the audience showed their appreciation with spontaneous honks and flashing lights when she hit those high notes. In return, her cheeky wit was a joy in between tracks. “You did very well, Mazda”, she quipped at the front row car, whose hands were waving around outside of the car. “Look at all you horny people!” she exclaimed with a grin after a stirring rendition of John Farnham's You’re The Voice. It has to be the first time the bagpipe solo has ever been taken over by car horns. 

With live music in venues still possibly months away, the drive-in concept is taking hold and with a promise of a string of gigs from July onwards, it will be interesting to see if people jump at the chance to catch a gig. 

It’s recommended to get in early to snag a good position as there’s no chance of sneaking to the front at a gig like this. Also, stock up on food and drink as it may not be easy to buy anything when you’re there. Make sure your radio works and if you have a mate with a convertible, hit them up for a loan!

For gig-starved people, this is a way to see live music and to support the industry at a very tough time, so hopefully it takes off until that day we can all get sweaty and cosy again in a moshpit.

Casey Donovan

Cass Hopetoun & Blake Dantier

Casey Donovan