Small Fry Rock offers daytime live music for kids and parents alike
Event creator Kristie Tainton found even the most ardent concertgoers tend to disengage from the live music scene once they start families, not out of choice but necessity.
At a music venue in inner-city Sydney a daytime revolution is under way; once or twice each month, Marrickville’s The Great Club comes alive at midday on Saturdays with the sound of pop, folk and rock ’n’ roll for children and young families.
The lights are darkened to mimic the feel of a night-time gig, but the shows are over by 1.15pm, leaving plenty of time for afternoon naps for kids and parents alike.
Named Small Fry Rock, these all-ages gigs have been played by singer-songwriters Josh Pyke, Bob Evans and Elana Stone since the series debut in March, with Ben Lee booked for June 26.
Event creator Kristie Tainton found that even the most ardent concertgoers tended to disengage from the live music scene once they started families, not out of choice but necessity, as late nights and small children tended not to mix well. Small Fry Rock, then, was designed to fill a gap in the market.
“It’s created to offer families a love and appreciation of music, but it’s also aiming to provide disengaged parents with the chance to see the music that they love without having to organise a babysitter or sacrifice valuable bonding time with their children,” said Tainton, who booked artists at former Sydney rock ’n’ roll venue the Annandale Hotel between 2007 and 2012.
Last Saturday, a midday gig, headlined by ARIA Award-winning folk/pop singer-songwriter Josh Pyke, was a sold-out affair before 150 ticketholders of all ages, while an encore performance on June 12 is at capacity, too.
“When the venue is full of families, kids and balloons, and you can see parents up the back having a beer and chatting to each other while the kids are running around, it’s actually quite magical,” Tainton said.
Last weekend’s gig marked the first time that Pyke had performed a set aimed primarily at children and he rose to the occasion with gusto. “Once you get them warmed up, most kids are usually pretty stoked to get involved in some way,” said the singer-songwriter, whose fourth illustrated children’s book, Chatterpuss, will be published on July 1.
Pyke’s children have seen him perform many times, but they’re usually the only small fry in attendance.
The Marrickville gig was different, though; his children were thrilled to be singing and dancing along with their cousins and other friends from the neighbourhood.
For Tainton, who plans to seek funding to extend Small Fry Rock into the regions and interstate, that scene captured the inclusive concept she had in mind.
“What a great experience for him as a dad,” she said, “and for his boys to be able to say, ‘Hey, that’s my dad up there’.”