RUSSELL Morris, Judith Durham, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Peter Garrett, Wally de Backer, John Farnham of course, and even Bon Scott. They all have it.
A vocal quality that rings out like a bell.
The clarity, the musicality, the tone it’s… well, it’s music to our ears.
And you’re not far into one of their songs when the star power hits you. It’s obvious.
Thirty-one years after My Friend the Chocolate Cake commandeered a line from our psyches; ‘I’ve got a plan, this time it’ll work’ and turned it into one of the tracks of our lives, David Bridie still has the same star power.
Never mind that only 120 people saw it shine out at the Archies Creek Hall last Sunday afternoon, or if you listen to David Bridie, because they heard it at the Archies Creek Hall.
“I just love coming down here. Peter (Foley) always sets it up so well for us,” said Bridie.
“I’ve played at both the pub and here at the hall several times. It’s great.
“We always love coming down, there’s always a very welcoming crowd and everyone’s so appreciative.
“It’s the same at another venue we go to, smaller than this, at Wauchope, inland from Port Macquarie in NSW.”
Mind you, like his mate, Phillip Island’s own Kutcha Edwards, who sang with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House last week, David also played the opera house last year.
Sitting at tables around the hall, the patrons also got an insight into how David makes his music and where the themes come from whether it’s the popular culture a Christopher and Pixie Skase podcast on the ABC or a home improvement show on Channel 7 or something more assertoric, more important like the Antarctic holding 90% of the world’s ice.
With his hands stroking the keys and ambient guitarist Rosie Excess complementing the sound, he builds the atmosphere, and then the vocals… the effort it takes to book the tickets and get your arse off the couch at home is suddenly worth it.
But that’s what the Archies Creek Pub crew have brought to Bass Coast and South Gippsland and David Bridie’s visit is just the start of what already looks set to be an enormous spring and summer of musical highlights.
“Yeah, we’ve already got a pretty good line-up and we haven’t announced them all yet,” says Peter Foley.
“We’re looking to broaden the program this year, getting the younger ones along as well and we’ve started that with our ‘Friday Night Knock-offs’ organised by Fergus Lawson. That started last Friday night with music and pizza and drinks and we’re continuing with that,” said Peter.
But just watch out what’s coming Archies Creek’s way over the next few months leading up to Christmas and beyond.
Here’s a flavour of what’s coming up, get your tickets online at https://www.archiescreekhotel.com.au/
- Sunday, October 26, 2025 BLUE SABBATH
- Friday, October 31, 2025 GLENN RICHARDS (Augie March) – Solo
- Saturday, November 1, 2025 GUT HEALTH
- Sunday, November 2, 2025 Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks - 50 Years Of Hits! (sold out)
- Saturday, November 8, 2025 Tropical F*ck Storm
- Sunday, November 9, 2025 Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier present 'Songs You Can Trust'
- Thursday, November 13, 2025 SYLVIE
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 ASH GRUNWALD (sold out)
- Sunday, November 30, 2025 TEX PERKINS & MATT WALKER (sold out)
- Sunday, December 7, 2025 THE AUDREYS
- Saturday, January 10, 2026 THE BLACK SORROWS
