A few days before Camp Cope’s last ever show at the Sydney Opera House, the band posted an Instagram story: a phone note reading simply, “The Opener (10 minute version)”. It’s funny because it’s not even out of the question that the beloved Melbourne punk trio might do something like that (Taylor Swift’s 10-minute anthem All Too Well played them on during their 2022 tour run). It’s depressing because there’d be more than enough content to boost the band’s signature song, a searing indictment of sexism in the music industry, to 10 minutes or much further beyond.
It’s all very Camp Cope. Since 2015, the band – made up of singer and guitarist Georgia Maq, bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich and drummer Sarah “Thomo” Thompson – has challenged and changed the Australian music landscape. From spearheading the #ItTakesOne campaign to end sexual harassment at gigs to calling out festivals for gender inequality in lineups, the band’s activism has been passionate and fearless. It’s encapsulated in a three-word chant from The Opener – “Show ’em, Kelly!” – Maq’s affirmation of her bandmate that became a rallying cry at Camp Cope’s gigs.
