Live Review: Beer & BBQ Fest Day One

There are beer festivals. There are meat festivals. There are music festivals. But what if someone came up with the idea to combine the three? Born in Adelaide, and here for the first time in Sydney, the aptly named Beer & BBQ Fest does just that; bringing together local restaurateurs, brewers and some of Australia's best acts for a weekend at Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park.

With an entertainment line-up curated by Cattleyard Promotions (Groovin' the Moo, Newtown Festival), there was an air of expectation over the event and they certainly didn't disappoint.

The soothing sound of Mojo Juju was the first thing we heard upon entering the site. An early smattering of people gathered under the inordinately big stage area to watch the Melbourne artist perform her captivating style of music. Her rollicking music promoted some dodgy hip gyration in the crowd, but slower jams provided a great soundtrack for chilling out with your buds drinking a beer.

The break in-between bands was a perfect time to check out the site. Over 60 brewers took up space under the cover of the market area. There was literal A-Z of local and interstate brewers and, unlike other such festivals, there was ample space to discuss the various beers with the vendors. A dancefloor and DJ pumped some tunes in the beer area and there was a definite vibe going on.

Back at the main tent, Jen Cloher took to the stage with her band and eased into Regional Echo. Cloher owned the stage in a subtle way. Her voice is strong, her lyrics are powerful and her stage presence, without doing too much, is magnetic.

Playing cuts from her outstanding self-titled album of last year, including Forgot Myself and Sensory Memory, tracks could transition from quiet and intimate to total rock-out. There was something nice about seeing guitarist and partner, Courtney Barnett, thrashing on the guitar, pick-less and carefree. Their duet in Stone Age Brain was a highlight of the set. Although there was little banter, Cloher expressed that she'd had fun and finished the tight set with Strong Woman.

Speaking of strong women, The Preatures' Isabella Manfredi is a live-wire on stage. Headlining the first night of the festival, the group kickstarted with the title track and opener from 2017's Girlhood. Manfredi kept warm by bouncing, dancing and spinning around the stage, at one point mounting the drum kit before launching off in pure rock 'n' roll fashion.

After congratulating the other women-led groups who played the first night, the four-piece tried out a new song with a refrain of "Mark (or Mach?) Two" in the chorus. They then mixed it up with Ordinary, along with a sneaky Stone Roses intro. Playing to their audience, The Angels' Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again garnered the crowd response you'd expect from the half-soused and full audience.

The festival is a great mix of popular pastimes and, despite it landing in the middle of winter, there was a good chance of a solid turnout for the inaugural Sydney event. There seemed to be a lack of food vendors though, ranging from your Mary's and Bovine & Swine crew to Matty Matheson's 'It's Suppertime' and Black Star Pastry, who offered a very unique take on s'mores covered in maple and stout besides their famous strawberry and watermelon flavours.

While queues may become a problem with a bigger crowd, the site was well laid-out with a killer line-up (Holy Holy, The Gooch Palms and Maddy Jane still to come on Saturday). Along with workshops, masterclasses and demonstrations, plus a family day on the Sunday, there's something for everyone.