Camp Cope have shared details of a new live album, Live At Sydney Opera House, which is an official recording of the band’s final show from October 2023. It is set for release on Friday, October 17th both physically, on vinyl, and digitally via Bandcamp exclusively. The limited vinyl release will be distributed via longtime home Poison City Records locally, as well as Run For Cover Records in the United States and Specialist Subject Records for its release in the UK.
“This release is special, because it’s a record of the very last time we were in a room together,” said Georgia Maq – the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, in a press statement. “Kelly [Dawn-Hellmrich, bassist] and Thomo [Sarah Thompson, drummer] changed me, and the three of us will always be Camp Cope.” Hellmrich, for her part, recalled the fateful evening of their final show as “a room full of people who’d probably been told they were ‘too much’ of something”.
“Too loud, too weird, too soft, too angry, too emotional, too queer, too honest,” she said. “I’m so grateful this album exists as a forever record of the night we all loudly filled one of the greatest rooms in the country with everything they had wanted to silence.”
Camp Cope – ‘Running With The Hurricane’
Speaking on the band’s decision to circumnavigate major streaming services for the album’s release, Thompson said that it was “really important that our last-ever full-length album was presented in a way that felt like us”. “From our beginnings rehearsing with amps that we couldn’t hear, our first shows in warehouses and small Melbourne venues, through to touring the world and releasing albums, the one thing that has never changed has been our focus on staying independent,” she said.
“Major streaming platforms, such as Spotify, have never – and will never – care about artists. No matter how they package themselves, [they] will never care about music or art. Thanks for sticking it out with us as we did things our own way from start to end. This one is for you, not for the industry that tries its best to keep bands like ours from existing.”
The core trio of Thompson, Maq and Hellmrich were joined at their final show by longtime touring guitarist/keyboardist Jenny Anslett (formerly of San Cisco and Boat Show). Julia Jacklin also joined the group for guest vocals on ‘The Screaming Planet’, and a choir of the band’s family and friends joined them on-stage for ‘Sing Your Heart Out’. The trio’s final song performed was their signature song ‘The Opener’, which began with Maq solo at the piano sharing new verses to the song, and ended with Jacklin and Melbourne singer-songwriter Rin McArdle joining the band on guitar.
Since their split, all three members have moved in different directions. Maq relocated to Los Angeles to continue her solo career; her third solo EP, God’s Favourite, is set for release next month. Hellmrich began working with Briggs‘ label Bad Apples, and recently signed a book deal for her debut memoir – which is set for release by Penguin Random House in 2026. Thompson, meanwhile, still works for Poison City and also manages Indigenous rapper Barkaa. She still occasionally performs, having most recently played in Grinspoon tribute band Binspoon with Jacklin and Anslett.
Live At Sydney Opera House can be pre-ordered by clicking here.
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