So I happened to hear that Powderfinger were doing three free, surprise gigs in Australia on Friday (October 2nd). Brisbane had been first on the list and when I found out that they were only giving 30 minutes or so warning (of the exact location) before the next gig via their twitter page, they were heading to somewhere in Sydney. I think most people assumed Melbourne would be the third and final stop, so when I left work I went straight into the city (which was confirmed as the location shortly thereafter) and headed to Federation Square, which to me seemed like the only logical place they might appear. There were already a few others there too, iPhones and laptops in hand and at around 5:30PM Powderfinger announced that they would be there for a 5:50PM performance. By the time they arrived at 6PM, probably a couple of hundred people had gathered. Having been one of the first there, I was fortunately just a couple of people back from the front.

The band were traveling light, bringing with them just their guitars, a small wooden box to substitute drums and a small amp & microphone for vocals. They were promoting their forthcoming album Golden Rule and played a small set consisting entirely of new material. It was a casual gathering and was over within 30 minutes, but everyone seemed to love it. I was pretty disappointed that on the day I decided to leave my camera backpack at home (with camera in it) I missed a prime opportunity to use it. However, I did have my mobile with me which I used to get a photo and a video of the second song they played.

It made for quite a sweet Friday evening.