Protis Reviews

Tiger Eye Bar Open Mic Night - 28th April 2026

This evening in Petrie Terrace had just about the best array of musical talent ever seen at this venue! It was absolutely astounding, as act after act blew everyone away! Tiger Eye is definitely THE place to be on a Tuesday night! Especially when crowd favourite Frog The Baddie Hunter provides the ivories! He had recently purchased a foldable keyboard with 88 keys, which is the same full seven octaves found on an actual piano! He brought this instrument along with him, and allowed anyone to get up on stage and use it during their respective sets.

Halimah was the first to take Frog up on his offer, and she kicked off the live music entertainment. Her set began with a self-penned song played on said keyboard, and it sounded as beautiful as ever! Her other two originals were both performed on acoustic guitar, and her set concluded with “Warmer Heart.” Halimah was making a rare appearance at this venue, and Dan Whittam the organiser remarked that her performance was the best he had seen from her! Halimah was flattered by this, and the compliments are definitely well-deserved!

Pablo De Jesus was also making a rare appearance at Tiger Eye, and he played some instrumental original works while strumming an electric guitar. Frog The Baddie Hunter returned once again, and it was very much a case of a crowd favourite performing crowd favourites once again! The final song of his set was a duet with Dan (not Whittam), and it was an exellent rendition of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. Pink Diamond was not overly happy with her time on stage, but we are all our own worst critics. She plugged her upcoming gig at Tiger Eye on Saturday the 2nd of May, where she will perform a song with Electric 80s who have taken the stage at this venue in the past.

Jen-E’s unique a ca****la stylings were stunning as always, while Mark Shannon impresses whenever he graces this venue with his presence. Colleen South took to the stage with her trusty ukulele, and it’s always a pleasure seeing what she’ll come up with. Shaunagh Lee is a singer-songwriter originally from the UK, and her set began with her being accompanied by Kam. Gradually, more and more musicians joined the duo until it became a jam session for the ages! The highlight of their time on stage was undoubtedly “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis. Shaunagh has an amazing voice, and she has only just started venturing out to the open mics around Brisbane. There will be plenty more to come for sure!

Nick James provided a unique male twist on Amy Winehouse’s timeless hit “Valerie”, while Grant from The Brannds did his usual thing. Rach Shine made a very welcome return to Tiger Eye along with her new partner in music and life, Jared Hyams. Their set included “Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse, “Pony” by Ginuwine, and “The Best” which was most famously covered by Tina Turner. The local music scene has a new power couple with these two, and rest assured there will be plenty more performances such as this.

Dan (not Whittam) has been a semi-regular at this event, and he performed the first two songs of his set by himself. His partner Alex joined him for the final number, and they did a great job despite not having rehearsed the song previously. Alex has discovered a passion for baking, and she brought along some danishes that she had prepared earlier that day. This was a very generous gesture from her, and they were snapped up quick smart! Paul was the penultimate act on the night, with Roddy and Rob wrapping up proceedings.

As for me, the first two songs of my set had not been previously performed at this venue. For the final number, I had set myself a challenge to not laugh at all while I played and sang. All of my previous performances of this particular song were punctuated by uncontrollable fits of laughter as the audience sang along! There was none of that this time around however, and it was very much a case of “Achievement Unlocked” for me! I used the keyboard that Frog The Baddie Hunter had provided, and the songs in my setlist were as follows:

1. Live It Up (Mental As Anything cover)
2. Happy Together (The Turtles cover)
3. Go West (Pet Shop Boys cover)

Open Mic Double Header - Chapters Book Shop & Milton Common, 19th April 2026

This afternoon was the second time that I had taken on two open mic events in a single day! The live music entertainment began over at Karalee in the early afternoon, where David Truong aka Ambition was the feature act. He was able to perform a 30-minute set, with the assistance of Paulina and Halimah on backing vocals. Halimah also played flute during the trio’s time on stage. Paulina took lead vocal duties on one of David’s songs, and it added a touch of variety to their set. Another one of his numbers was “Missing Gypsy”, and it sounds like it has been transformed with the addition of Paulina’s lush harmonies. I often liken that song to “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc, and I could totally hear “Missing Gypsy” with that full choir sound in a somewhat further transformation.

Halimah was second on the board at Chapters, and the first song of her set was a stunning rendition of her original “Warmer Heart”, with David on keyboard and Paulina on vocal harmonies. Without fail, this song always makes me stop dead in my tracks whenever I hear it! Her second was just her with an acoustic guitar as she sang, and the final song of her set had her borrowing David’s keyboard. He was gracious enough to allow other performers to use his instrument for their sets too. Gerry Miller started his time on stage with an original song, then followed it up with two of his favourites. Frog The Baddie Hunter brought the goods once again which comes as pretty much standard for him. He was accompanied by Mick on bass, for something a little different.

As for my set at Chapters, I decided to debut two new covers that I had been working on. As mentioned before, David allowed other musicians to use his keyboard and that’s exactly what I did. Unfortunately though, I forgot the words to the first song of my set but managed to get through it alright. It happens to the best of us! I repeated these three songs at Milton Common later in the afternoon, and thankfully I nailed that opening number the second time around! I was relieved to have been able to have another crack at my set, which was as follows:

1. Live It Up (Mental As Anything cover)
2. Happy Together (The Turtles cover)
3. Go West (Pet Shop Boys cover)

As Frog The Baddie Hunter and I were leaving Chapters, we briefly saw a four-piece band featuring the event’s host Garth O’Mara on acoustic guitar and lead vocal, Mick on bass, David on keyboard and Paulina on cajon. Her versatility really has to be seen to be believed! Saxophonist and keyboard player Roland also performed at Karalee, but we were well on our way to Milton Common by then.

We arrived at the second leg of our open mic double header after the first act had finished his set there. His name was Josh, and he received plenty of compliments from the packed house. Dr Michael Free was second on the board at Milton Common, and he performed a series of original songs. This venue was then treated to a keyboard player and singer named Bronte, as she began her set with a song that she will be playing at a wedding in a few weeks time. Her remaining two songs were covers, with one of them being “The Sound Of White” by Missy Higgins.

Claudia then joined Bronte on stage for a double act, and they started off with another Missy Higgins song entitled “Ten Days.” These two ladies had studied together, and one could clearly see and hear the chemistry between the two of them. Surprisingly though, they had never performed together before this open mic! I for one hope to see more of both of them in future. Claudia is a regular at the event at Manly Deck on Thursday nights, and I’m still yet to check that one out for myself.

Pink Diamond took on a French stage name, and was known this afternoon as Le Diamonte Rose. She has been offered a great opportunity to perform four songs with a duo called Electric 80s at Tiger Eye Bar on Saturday the 2nd of May. One of these is a Blondie number with plenty of French in it, so Pink Diamond was able to showcase her skills in that language. As it turns out, she had gone to school in Montreal in Canada. As most people may probably know, French is spoken in that country as well as in France. I found it really impressive, to say the least! The rest of her set consisted of “You’re The Voice” by John Farnham, as well as “The Biggest Dick” by Amy Shark.

Billy T had brought along his own fan club for this open mic, and everyone absolutely lapped up his performance. Two songs of Frog The Baddie Hunter’s set at Milton Common were “Old Time Rock & Roll” and “Home Among The Gum Trees.” For both of these, he was joined on percussion by Dr Michael Free and a friend of Pink Diamond’s named Adam. I followed Frog on stage, performing the same songs that I had done earlier this afternoon. Dan Whittam finished off the live music entertainment with a cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones. That had everyone singing along, and the good vibes were maintained throughout the entire day! Not just at Milton Common, but also over at Chapters Book Shop as well!

Bardon Bowls Club Open Mic Night - 20th March 2026

Something was decidedly different about the open mic this evening. It was held in a different part of the venue, due to the usual room being booked for a 21st birthday celebration. It felt like a unique experience, and Dan Whittam was able to make it work even though the stage area was smaller when compared to the other room. The open mic shared the space with the musicians, punters and those who liked to play pool. It sounded quite rowdy at times, but things quietened down as the evening went on. The sign-up board was full to the brim with initially 17 performers, but then a few pulled out which made things a bit more manageable.

Red Meridian went first, and they are a trio that have performed at this open mic in the past. The same could be said of Free Association, who took to the stage as a duo on this occasion. Catfish were third on the board, with Cynthia playing keys and singing and Joe strumming acoustic guitar and also providing vocals. Joe returned to the stage later in the night with Red Centre, who are also no strangers to the Bardon Bowls Club. They presented a series of well-rehearsed covers for the adoring crowd, and were by far the loudest act of the evening.

Dave and Shelly were a duo, and they sounded so beautiful together. Halimah did her usual schtick of playing her original songs, with at least one of them being performed on an electric guitar for the first time. Halimah would return later in the evening to ti**le the ivories as accompaniment for both Lenora and Kath, and both were so appreciative of the assistance provided. Halimah and Lenora in particular make quite the dynamic duo, having performed together on a number of occasions already!

Dr Michael Free performed an acoustic set, while Frog The Baddie Hunter once again pulled out some crowd favourites. This time they were “Two Strong Hearts’ by John Farnham, “Reckless” by Australian Crawl, and the timeless classic “I Am Australian.” Frog also made some new fans, in the form of Georgia and Cecilia. They are Bardon locals, and offered to assist with backing vocals at the next open mic here in a month’s time.

Jen-E ventured out to Bardon to try her hand at this event, and excelled as always with her unique takes on popular songs in the form of a ca****la vocals. Chris P was celebrating his birthday this evening, and was joined by Dan Whittam’s partner Lisa for the final song of his set. The number in question was “Rattlin’ Bones” by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson. These two proved to be at least one of many dynamic duos to grace the stage at Bardon Bowls Club, and surely there will be many more performances to come from them! The highlight of Redux’s set, apart from the use of several keyboards, was a cover of the clean version of perhaps one of the greatest break-up songs of all time. It was Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You”, which is also known by a different title featuring a certain four-letter word.

Exit 21 was making its second appearance at Bardon Bowls Club, and the first with their new female singer Wanda Swan. They made the wise decision to have a quick run-through of the songs in their setlist before heading to the venue. This truly paid dividends for them, as they pretty much knocked their performance out of the park! Their frontman Jason Meadows is a massive fan of the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League, and was able to celebrate their win this evening with the Bardon faithful! The songs in Exit 21’s setlist were as follows:

1. Sk8er Boi (Avril Lavigne cover)
2. Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)
3. In The End (Linkin Park cover)

Tiger Eye Bar Open Mic Night - 3rd March 2026

The theme for this event in Petrie Terrace may have been “Country Music”, but it also could have been “Stunning Voices.” Performer after performer took their turns on the stage, with each and every one of them delivering powerful vocals! I had rarely seen this kind of consistency at a single open mic night, and it was simply a treat for the eyes and ears! Most of the people in attendance dressed up in their finest “country-ware”, while music of that genre blared out through the venue between each performance.

Mark Shannon kicked off proceedings, and this is what he has pretty much become known for. Jen-E made the audience sit up and take notice of her a ca****la stylings, yet she was not the only one to sing without music this evening. More on that later. Frog The Baddie Hunter played another three classic songs for the Tiger Eye faithful, and this time around they were “Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver, “Home Among The Gum Trees”, and “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus.

Something special would accompany the final song of Frog’s set. Lisa, the partner of Dan Whittam who organises this event, managed to get all of the ladies in the venue to do a choreographed line-dancing routine along to “Achy Breaky Heart.” Protis had a front-row seat to the action, and there was an awful lot of boot-scooting going on! It was truly a sight to behold, and something that is rarely (if ever!) seen at an open mic night! Frog remarked that he had never had anyone dance to his performances before! Well there’s a first time for everything!

The ladies line-danced to the first song of Garth O’Mara’s set as well, and he had learned it specifically for this occasion. Everyone enjoyed what they saw and heard, and maybe more of these performances should be accompanied by dancing! It’s a way to get everyone involved, that’s for sure! Marky Boy Tea and Baker One took to the stage after Garth, and both were absolutely outstanding! This was Marky’s very first visit to the Tiger Eye open mic, and he pretty much smashed it!

When a lady wrote the name Dan on the board, Protis initially thought that Dan was short for Danielle. As it turned out, she had put her partner’s name on the list of performers. Her name was Alex, and she sang only one song in the a ca****la style. She was so impressive, that everyone hoped that her performance would have been longer. She vowed to be back the following week though. As for her partner, Dan’s powerhouse performance was unexpected but totally grabbed the attention of the audience! He even did a cover of a song that has also been tackled by country-folk artist Clare Cowley. Pink Diamond had another go on the stage, and excelled yet again!

The act that well and truly stole the show was Londe, who was a well-travelled performer. At Tiger Eye, she was joined on stage by Dario Giubileo on bass and Dan Whittam on acoustic guitar. Her throat-searing vocals just about lifted the roof of the venue! She kept it up for all three songs of her set too, and she received one of the loudest cheers of the night! The final performer was Jared, who once again brought comic relief without all the bells and whistles. Just an acoustic guitar and a few songs, including one about a pony.

Exit 21 went on stage relatively early in the evening, and unveiled their brand new female singer. Her name is Wanda Swan, and this was her very first open mic performance. She has been a trained vocalist for over 20 years, and has fine acting credentials as well. She is looking to spend more time in Brisbane fairly soon, so she can attend more of these events moving forward. Wanda and Jason Meadows also go back a long way, and the chemistry between them was clearly on display for all to see and hear! She has been a wonderful addition to the lineup, and Exit 21 performed the following songs:

1. Sk9er Boi (Avril Lavigne cover)
2. In The End (Linkin Park cover)
3. Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)

Milton Common Open Mic - 22nd February 2026

This event has now been moved back into the venue’s upstairs room where it was previously, and this is a permanent change. Everyone in attendance this afternoon agreed this was the best location for the open mic to take place. It was a lot cooler too, given the smaller space and the air conditioning pretty much on full blast. It proved to be the perfect antidote for a particularly hot day outside. Dan Whittam was back on deck to host this edition of the open mic, as he had been performing at other gigs on previous Sundays.

The live music entertainment got underway with Ambition Road & Friends, which consisted of David Truong and Paulina. Their set was made up of two of David’s original songs, as well as a cover thrown in for good measure. This afternoon and evening would prove to be a very busy one for these two, as their next stop was a gig over at Sandgate. Following that, they would drop in to The Cave Inn in Woollongabba for that venue’s weekly Close Enough For Country open mic. Three events of this nature in one day must be some kind of record for David, but he always takes it in his stride!

Second up this afternoon at Milton Common was another guy named Dan, who is an Irishman. He has been at many of Dan Whittam’s open mics in the past, and he is always a delight to witness. Every song he performs sounds like a traditional Irish folk song, even if it wasn’t originally. Today he went by the name “Dublin Dan”, and I hope it sticks for future events he plays at. Halimah was third on the board, and once again she sang three of her original songs. The last of these was called “Warmer Heart”, and it has to be perhaps Protis’s favourite song of hers so far. Protis wonders if she may release it sometime in future, but only time will tell.

Pink Diamond challenged herself in the usual way, much to the appreciation of the audience. Frog The Baddie Hunter made those in attendance sing along in the usual way, and his setlist today included “The Horses” made iconic by Daryl Braithwaite, “Tucker’s Daughter” by Ian Moss, and “Way Out West” by James Blundell and James Reyne. Once again he plugged the return of Sizzler, and invited anyone along to join him when the restaurant chain reopens in Brisbane. His band Shadow Force is playing their third ticketed show at Milton Common on Saturday the 28th of February, and tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. They are $15 online or $20 on the door, and can be purchased at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/out-of-the-shadows-milton-common-28th-february-2026-tickets-1979131877723

Dr Michael Free also had people singing along to two Rolling Stones covers, as well as an additional song too. Brad & Bryn were an acoustic folk duo new to this open mic, and they looked and dressed pretty much identical. Their set consisted of songs that sounded part traditional folk song, and part sea shanty! They would not have been out of place at The BUg music event, held on Tuesday nights at New Farm Bowls Club. Everyone at Milton Common enjoyed their set very much. Others who performed this afternoon included Garth O’Mara, Coombesy, Angie Davidson with Dan Whittam, and Torben.

Speaking of Dan Whittam, history was made the previous week at Tiger Eye Bar when his partner Lisa joined him on stage and they sang a duet together. That may have been the very first time that Lisa had sung at an open mic, and it went down a real treat! Just about everyone was hoping for a repeat performance at Milton Common, and their wishes were granted! Dan and Lisa just about brought the house down with a rollicking rendition of a song that was rather comedic in nature. It was the same one they performed at Tiger Eye the previous week, and it’s believed that more songs are in the works.

Exit 21 relished the opportunity to play in the upstairs room at Milton Common again, and it sort of felt like home to them. Three of their band members are also part of Shadow Force, and as such they will return to this venue later in the week. As for today’s open mic performance, they were joined by Pink Diamond and Angie Davidson. Both ladies sang two songs each, and it was a similar arrangement that had with Pink Diamond and Louise D’Arcy of The Brannds at Tiger Eye some weeks ago. Exit 21 performed the following songs at Milton Common, with a little help from their friends:

1. Love Story (feat. Pink Diamond) (Taylor Swift cover)
2. This Love (feat. Angie Davidson) (Maroon 5 cover)
3. Teenage Dirtbag (feat. Pink Diamond & Angie Davidson) (Wheatus cover)

Bardon Bowls Club Open Mic Night - 20th February 2026

The sign-up board was full just before this event was about to get underway! When I saw that the first name on the board was Paul Mac, I was wondering if it would be that electronic dance musician known for such hits as “Just The Thing” and “The Sound Of Breaking Up” from the early 2000s. As it turns out, this Paul Mac was an acoustic guitarist and totally not what I was expecting! He did a fine job nonetheless, and was followed by Halimah. Once again she sang her original songs, with the first two seeing her play acoustic guitar and the final one had her on keyboard. I always love being in her presence whenever she performs!

The next two performers were Chris P and Andy. The former was another acoustic guitarist, as was the latter. With Andy however, his instrument was hooked up to a looping device. I have always thought that live looping is the coolest thing ever, and Andy built up complex arrangements one part of a time. The theme of the whole evening seemed to be Aussie classics, and Andy’s set in particular was met with applause whenever he played one of many signature guitar solos from the very recognisable tunes in his arsenal.

Frog The Baddie Hunter began his set with a song from Ian Moss’s solo career, entitled “Tucker’s Daughter.” He followed that up with “The Horses”, which was made famous by Daryl Braithwaite. He then brought the house down with “I Still Call Australia Home.” During his time on stage, he plugged the return of Sizzler as well as Shadow Force’s upcoming gig at Milton Common on Saturday the 28th of February. Tickets for the show are now on sale through Eventbrite, and are $15 online or $20 on the door. The link to purchase tickets can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/out-of-the-shadows-milton-common-28th-february-2026-tickets-1979131877723

Another highlight of the evening was a 13-year old named Lila, who had her family and friends in the audience to cheer her on. She possesses a stunning singing voice, and her guitar-playing is right up there as well! She quite rightly received a standing ovation after her set of three songs, and I for one would love to see her perform again in future. Other musicians who took to the stage included Dr Michael Free, Ben Kelly, Free Association, Redux, Smithy, and two performers who were both named Scott.

As for me, this was my fourth appearance at the Bardon Bowls Club open mic. I started off with an original song that I had written ten years ago! Then followed two Crowded House songs, and much like with any artist it’s hard to choose a favourite from their vast discography. It was fun to play a solo set again, as it’s something I find myself doing less these days due to focusing on my two bands Shadow Force and Exit 21. The songs that made up my setlist were as follows:

1. Belly Shirts In Winter
2. Pineapple Head (Crowded House cover)
3. Four Seasons In One Day (Crowded House cover)

Open Mic With Mike - Kerwick Hotel, 27th January 2026

This event is located in the suburb of Redbank, which is a part of Ipswich. It’s hosted by Michael “Mike” Barber, who has had a rich history of various musical endeavours, be they performing or hosting open mics. He was previously at the helm of a similar event at Brewski, which used to be on Caxton Street just down the road from Tiger Eye Bar. That venue was taken over by new owners, and the open mic went with it. That was almost two years ago, and it had been that long since Protis had seen him so it was a nice little “reunion” of sorts.

This was the first time that Exit 21 had ventured out of Brisbane for an open mic event, and they enjoyed the evening immensely! It was a somewhat quiet night in Ipswich, but those in attendance were very attentive and supportive. It’s always fun to set foot in a venue for the first time, and Kerwick Hotel has quite the relaxed atmosphere. Performers at this event were permitted to play four songs each, and Exit 21’s set consisted of the following:

1. Don’t Look Back In Anger (Oasis cover)
2. Bloke (Meredith Brooks parody)
3. Nobody Likes A Bogan (Area 7 cover)
4. Stacy’s Mom (Fountains Of Wayne cover)

Other performers included several solo acts who were then joined on stage by others later in their respective sets. Michael Barber even got up himself and did some finger-picking on an acoustic guitar, while in other songs he sang harmonies and even shredded on some guitar solos! Songs that stood out during the night included “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty and “A Horse With No Name” by America.

Frog The Baddie Hunter relished the opportunity to perform at a new open mic, even though it’s held on the same evening as his favourite one at Tiger Eye Bar. Nonetheless, he still had the same level of enthusiasm at Kerwick Hotel which is always great to see. Highlights of his set included the now iconic “The Horses” which was made famous by Daryl Braithwaite. The final song of his set was the timeless Cold Chisel hit “Flame Trees”, where he was joined by a drummer for the first time! Yes, Kerwick Hotel is equipped with a full backline that includes a drum kit. Exit 21’s frontman Jason Meadows remarked about how this venue is more suited to bands than others, and he is definitely not wrong! This was a very fun night!

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