Titans of Melbourne’s live music scene Cash Savage and the Last Drinks are releasing a live LP, Live At Hamer Hall, out on Mistletone Records via Inertia on November 27. Vinyl will ship early December; pre-orders here.

 This stunning live album documents a lockdown performance by Cash Savage and the Last Drinks in the iconic venue, and captures the ferocity of the band’s live show, astonishingly without an audience. 

watch footage from Hamer Hall for the new and previously unreleased single, “Fun in the Sun”:

Cash Savage explains the grim backstory of “Fun in the Sun”: “We’ve watched the world get hotter. We’ve watched Australia burn. We’ve watched as year after year the top scientists get disregarded by the dickheads we’ve voted for. We’ve been warned, we’ve been shown, we can feel it, we know it’s real, it’s the end of mammals, it’s the end of society, it’s the end.

“But what a beautiful sunny day it is today. Better put your hat on and some SPF 50+ sunscreen and disengage, because that’s all we have left.”

Reflecting on the Hamer Hall performance, she adds; “There were mixed emotions going into this performance. Melbourne had fared well through the first lockdown, and as we were rehearsing for this, it felt like we were going to come out of it okay. By the time we performed, it was the very beginnings of the second wave. 

“Having the opportunity to play Hamer Hall was huge. It was an adjustment of expectations to think of it as a gig with no audience. We decided to make this something different — not a gig with no audience — its own thing. A performance in one movement. No gaps, no empty space. No back and forth with the crowd. Just us. 

“We didn’t intend on releasing it when we recorded it. It was performed for the moment. 

“When we received the first mix, Melbourne’s COVID-19 situation had got worse. Nao Anzai’s mix was epic, and listening to it — knowing it was going to be a while before we could perform again — made it even more precious. 

“The band and I are very proud of this performance and appreciate how special it is, in this time, to have been able to do it.”

LIVE AT HAMER HALL TRACK LISTING:

01 Intro-Falling, Landing
02 Rat-a-tat-tat
03 February
04 Human, I Am
05 Good Citizens
06 Better Than That
07 Collapse
08 Fun In The Sun
09 Sunday
10 Pack Animals

photo: Naomi Lee Beveridge

Previous albums by Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Good Citizens and One Of Us are available on mail order LPs or CDs here.

ABOUT CASH SAVAGE AND THE LAST DRINKS

“One of the most powerful bands in the country… you won’t hear much that’s better than this”  – THE GUARDIAN

“A f**king spectacular live phenomenon” – BEAT MAGAZINE

Cash Savage & The Last Drinks are a critically acclaimed, internationally renowned seven piece band with strong ties to the Melbourne music scene. 

Since forming in 2009, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks have played countless shows across the country, as well as embarking on five European tours. Some highlights include: Meredith Music Festival, Golden Plains, Boogie Fest, Wave Rock, Darwin Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival, Orange Blossom Special Festival (DE), Binic Blues Festival (FR) and Colours of Ostrava Festival (CZ).

The band’s most recent album Good Citizens (Mistletone, 2018) was universally lauded by their fans and local and international music media. Good Citizens topped The Guardian’s ‘Top 10 Australian albums of 2018’ list, and also featured in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Top 10 albums of 2018 and The Financial Review’s Top 10 albums of 2018. It was Album of the Week on RRR FM, PBS and RTR-FM. 

The album’s lead single, Better Than That, written about Savage’s personal struggle with Australia’s Marriage Plebiscite, was cited by The Guardian as one of the ‘great Aussie protest songs’; and Radio Eins Berlin placed the single Pack Animals in their Top 100 Songs of the Decade list.

In the wake of the release of Good Citizens, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks were nominated for the Music Victoria award for Best Band and Best Song 2019, as well as the National Live Music Award for Best Rock Band 2019 and Live Instrumentalist of the Year 2019 (Kat Mear, violin). Good Citizens was long listed for the Australian Music Prize.

The band’s 2016 album One Of Us (Mistletone/Beast Records) was also released to critical acclaim. It was Album of the Week on RRRFM, PBS, RTR-FM, Beat Magazine, received 4.5 stars in The Age and 4 stars in the Herald Sun. 

Current Last Drinks:

Cash Savage Vocals Guitar / Joe White Guitar / Dougal Shaw Guitar / Nick Finch Bass / Kat Mear Violin / Roshan Khozouei Keys / Rene Mancuso Drums