Mat McHugh and the Seperatista Sound System - Adelaide, 25th September 2013
Words: Jo Taylor

The third installment of the Rockford Winery Courtyard Concert series was greeted with less than ideal weather. A blistery and unusually cold Spring evening descended on the Barossa Valley with dark clouds threatening to rain out the event. Luckily the rain held off and due to some fine organisation from the Rockford Winery crew, the night was still a success.
Kicking off the event was local talent Sam Brittain. Having released his debut LP Our Shining Skin and having success with lead single Bruises claiming the number 1 spot in the Triple J Unearthed Roots Charts at the beginning of 2013, he was indeed a fitting opener for the night, with his solo bluesy roots guitar style and haunting vocals drifting through the courtyard. Brittain played a stunning cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer, which perfectly suited his vocal style, as well as his single Bruises and a couple of new tracks. Guessing by the fingerless gloves he was sporting, it was a little cold on stage as well. Definitely an act to keep eyes peeled for.
Meanwhile, the crowd was busy devouring Chef Sandor Palmai’s entree of pumpkin samosa, tomato arancini, apex salt sticks with olive tapenade and onion marmalade, all washed down with the complimentary (yes, free!) glass of Rockford's wine. It was a divine dish with a rich taste and there can’t be enough good things said about the onion marmalade! Or the pumpkin samosa or... OK, well, you get the idea. It was damn good food.
Soon three-piece outfit Blueprint, another Barossa Valley local took stage. The all-instrumental act incorporate a variety of instruments including acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and the more daring charango and dan bau, which made for intriguing watching for those music geeks in attendance. It’s always great to see bands indulging in some more exotic instruments and it really works for
Kicking off the event was local talent Sam Brittain. Having released his debut LP Our Shining Skin and having success with lead single Bruises claiming the number 1 spot in the Triple J Unearthed Roots Charts at the beginning of 2013, he was indeed a fitting opener for the night, with his solo bluesy roots guitar style and haunting vocals drifting through the courtyard. Brittain played a stunning cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer, which perfectly suited his vocal style, as well as his single Bruises and a couple of new tracks. Guessing by the fingerless gloves he was sporting, it was a little cold on stage as well. Definitely an act to keep eyes peeled for.
Meanwhile, the crowd was busy devouring Chef Sandor Palmai’s entree of pumpkin samosa, tomato arancini, apex salt sticks with olive tapenade and onion marmalade, all washed down with the complimentary (yes, free!) glass of Rockford's wine. It was a divine dish with a rich taste and there can’t be enough good things said about the onion marmalade! Or the pumpkin samosa or... OK, well, you get the idea. It was damn good food.
Soon three-piece outfit Blueprint, another Barossa Valley local took stage. The all-instrumental act incorporate a variety of instruments including acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and the more daring charango and dan bau, which made for intriguing watching for those music geeks in attendance. It’s always great to see bands indulging in some more exotic instruments and it really works for

these guys. The crowd were mostly immersed in their main course and the lack of vocals had the band slightly lost in the background of the evening, but that is to be expected when food and wine is involved. The wind, crowd chatter and general noise made it nearly impossible to hear anything the band said, but none-the-less, their roots fueled tunes fitted the ambience of the evening nicely.
During this set, the main course was served. After previous Courtyard Concert Series experiences, expectations were high. Most enjoyed the house-made Rockford Dog, a pork, fennel and chili sausage in a rye roll, with Helen’s Shiraz sauce accompanied by a crisp slaw on the side. Vegetarians in the crowd were treated to a falafel-type patty in place of the sausage, which met all expectations and then some. It was filling, tasty and unique. Though admittedly, if going back for seconds of the main or the entree, the entree would be the food of choice.
Exquisite Rockford wines like 2009 Moppa Springs (Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro), 2013 White Frontignac or the slightly pricier (but well worth it) 2011 Rifle Range Cabernet amongst many others were available by the glass or bottle and helped to keep the cold bite from getting its grip. Outdoor heaters dotted around the courtyard could possibly have stopped some of those early leavers seen sneaking out during the final set.
During this set, the main course was served. After previous Courtyard Concert Series experiences, expectations were high. Most enjoyed the house-made Rockford Dog, a pork, fennel and chili sausage in a rye roll, with Helen’s Shiraz sauce accompanied by a crisp slaw on the side. Vegetarians in the crowd were treated to a falafel-type patty in place of the sausage, which met all expectations and then some. It was filling, tasty and unique. Though admittedly, if going back for seconds of the main or the entree, the entree would be the food of choice.
Exquisite Rockford wines like 2009 Moppa Springs (Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro), 2013 White Frontignac or the slightly pricier (but well worth it) 2011 Rifle Range Cabernet amongst many others were available by the glass or bottle and helped to keep the cold bite from getting its grip. Outdoor heaters dotted around the courtyard could possibly have stopped some of those early leavers seen sneaking out during the final set.

The main act, Mat McHugh and The Seperatista Sound System (McHugh formally of The Beautiful Girls) took stage just before 9pm. Kicking of the set with Strange Days from his solo album Love Come Save Me, with its beautiful guitar, McHugh quickly had most of the crowd forgetting the cold. Much of his set was from Love Come Save Me, including the title track, the beautiful Under the Landslide, the upbeat Fools, which got more than a few of the crowd dancing, the haunting Pocket Full of Shells and the highly additive Go, Don’t Stop including Bob Marley's Is This Love? thrown in the mix. They also indulged in some old favourites from The Beautiful Girls era like Let’s Take The Long Way Home, crowd favourites Music, La Mar and the track Black Bird with some Eurythmics Sweet Dreams included. When ending the hour long set with Periscopes (dedicated to presumably a crowd member) the audience got to their feet and the night ended on a high with plenty of dancing and singing to be seen and heard.
Though the weather wasn’t ideal for the event, the amazing food and wine provided by Rockford Winery, as well as the warm and friendly staff, good music and relaxed atmosphere made this a night to remember as evidenced by the growth in numbers to a sell out event. A truly unique and exquisite experience. Don’t miss the next one!
Though the weather wasn’t ideal for the event, the amazing food and wine provided by Rockford Winery, as well as the warm and friendly staff, good music and relaxed atmosphere made this a night to remember as evidenced by the growth in numbers to a sell out event. A truly unique and exquisite experience. Don’t miss the next one!