Brit Fest @ The Dalrymple Hotel - Oct 24 2026

Spanning several decades of British music, Brit Fest caters to a wide audience while proving just how deep the UK songbook runs. The touring outfit returned to the Dalrymple Hotel after bringing their American rock tribute show to the venue last year, when Green Day, The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Blink-182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers were among the acts given the tribute treatment.

This time though, the attitudes and anthems were distinctly British. The evening eased into gear with an unplugged solo set from Brendan Gaspari, providing a warm and relaxed opening built around The Beatles. A fun medley threaded Back in the U.S.S.R. through Get Back and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, while the bounce of Can’t Buy Me Love and We Can Work It Out quickly got the room involved. I Am the Walrus added some welcome psychedelic weirdness before Hey Jude delivered the inevitable mass singalong.

Then it was time to jump several decades forward. Joe Boshell, aka JoeBo, appeared as Ed Sheeran, complete with a red wig peeking out from beneath a Ringers Western cap. Armed with Sheeran-style looping techniques, Boshell delivered a strong vocal performance across Thinking Out Loud, Castle on the Hill, Galway Girl and Shivers. The rest of the band joined him towards the end of the set for Perfect, before the mood shifted sharply from contemporary acoustic pop to the punch and urgency of The Jam.

Another vocalist Michael Slitenbachs looked immediately at home in his Fred Perry polo, channeling Paul Weller and fronting a terrific three-piece that captured the propulsive energy of the mod revival era. For me, there was some added nostalgia here. Hearing The Jam took me straight back to living in London in the mid-2000s, listening to them on my Discman while travelling to work on the Tube. Town Called Malice, That’s Entertainment, Going Underground, In the City, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight and The Eton Rifles came at a cracking pace, driven by fast, energetic guitars and tight playing from drummer John Reece. Special mention has to go to Stefano Bonfanti on bass, whose enthusiastic playing and stage presence were impossible to miss. He looked like he was having the time of his life, and that enthusiasm was infectious.

Boshell then returned for his second transformation of the night, this time upgrading the headwear to a Chris Martin-style beanie for Coldplay. The set leaned heavily into the crowd favourites, with Yellow, Viva La Vida and A Sky Full of Stars before Fix You brought plenty of audience participation to the finale. Personally, I would have loved Shiver from Parachutes to sneak into the list, but something had to make way for the arrival of Robbie Williams.

And Robbie brought plenty of laughs along with the hits. Boshell returned to the microphone for his third lead role of the night, now decked out in a full red tracksuit and clearly enjoying the theatricality of the part. One woman down the front became Kylie for a few minutes during Kids, remarkably nailing her lyrics, while Rock DJ and Let Me Entertain You turned the pub into one big singalong. Angels and Feel supplied the emotional peaks and reminded everyone just how many crowd-pleasers Williams has accumulated.

The finale belonged to Oasis and was also a timely reminder of just how good (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? remains, regardless of the Gallagher brothers’ famously combative history. Naturally, Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova were all present, but it was great to hear the set venture deeper with Some Might Say, She’s Electric and Morning Glory. Roll with It would have rounded things out nicely, while Rock ’n’ Roll Star and Cigarettes & Alcohol were excellent additions.

Gaspari returned as Liam Gallagher and committed completely to the role. Hoodie, sunglasses, hands clasped behind his back, accent, posture and swagger were all in place, but thankfully without the hostility and unpredictability famously associated with the Gallaghers. There was also something fitting about Gaspari beginning the night with The Beatles and finishing as Liam, given the very obvious Beatles influence running through Oasis. And, as a bonus, nobody got into a fight on stage.

From Brit Fest’s previous shows, the group clearly likes to reshuffle its British catalogue, with acts such as Madness, Arctic Monkeys, UB40, Blur and The Stone Roses appearing in other versions of the show. There was even mention during the night of a possible return around May next year. A completely fresh combination of British favourites would be a welcome excuse to do it all again.

One of the nicest details of the evening was happening away from the stage. Throughout the night I caught several British accents around the room. There was something fitting about seeing expats flock to a Townsville pub to enjoy music from home, much the same way Australians have long sought out Aussie pubs like The Walkabout while living or travelling in London.

Brit Fest delivered exactly the kind of Saturday night a tribute show should: familiar songs, strong musicianship, plenty of humour and a room willing to sing along. If they do make it back next year, there is still plenty left in the British songbook to explore.