When One Door Closes, Another Hot Tub Opens
David Bath and the Hot Tubs step in to save the day
Sometimes the most memorable gigs are the ones that almost didn’t happen.
We have some bittersweet news about this Sunday’s ArtSound FM Garden Party (February 22, 2–4pm). Carnival Road, our originally scheduled headliner, has had to pull out due to unforeseen circumstances. We’re gutted for them, and we’re already planning to bring them back for a winter Garden Party later in the year.
But here’s where Canberra’s tight-knit music community shows its true colours: within hours of getting the bad news, Carnival Road called in favours and found us a replacement. Enter David Bath and the Hot Tubs—a Canberra three-piece who blend 90’s grunge, modern alt-country-rock, and surf guitar-blues into something that feels both familiar and thrillingly unpredictable.
If you’ve caught David Bath performing around Canberra, you’ll know this isn’t just a band filling a gap—it’s a completely different kind of afternoon, and one that promises to be just as compelling.
Meet David Bath and the Hot Tubs
Led by David Bath—a Canberra songwriter and guitarist who released his first EP, Do What You Must, in 2018—the Hot Tubs draw inspiration from early Australian, British, and American rock periods while keeping their sound firmly contemporary. David’s songwriting tackles social issues, contemplation, and general wellbeing for the planet, telling stories about life and how we adapt as it unfolds.
The current lineup features Katharine Hagan on drums and Gerry Andrew (known for his work with People I Love) on bass. Together, they bring what the band describes as “super laid back psyched-out vibes” punctuated by “punchy, blues, surf edged numbers at the junctions”—music that knows when to ease you into a groove and when to wake you up with a jolt.
David’s Bandcamp catalogue showcases this range beautifully—tracks like Starting from Scratch, Arabia, Been Here Before, and Screen Girl move between experimental instrumentals and lyric-driven alternative rock with the kind of confidence that only comes from years of refining your craft. It’s music for people who appreciate songcraft, instrumental interplay, and lyrics that don’t waste your time.
Opening the afternoon: Poetry in Motion
Before David Bath and the Hot Tubs take the stage, we’re still delighted to welcome Poetry in Motion—the Canberra duo of Paul and Kate who transform classic and modern poems into soulful alt-folk songs. Their adaptations of Dorothea Mackellar’s “My Country” and William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” sit alongside compelling original songs about landscapes and the people who inhabit them.
As it happens, David and Paul know each other well and have worked together in the past—so while this lineup change was unexpected, the chemistry between the two acts should make for a particularly cohesive afternoon.
Join us in the garden
On Sunday, February 22, from 2–4pm, Poetry in Motion and David Bath and the Hot Tubs will bring poetry, psych-rock grooves, and surf-edged storytelling to the gardens of the Manuka Arts Centre. It’s the kind of afternoon where dappled sunlight, great company, and fiercely original Australian music come together under the trees—and where last-minute changes remind us why live music matters.
Tickets are still $20 ($15 for current ArtSound members, with the discount applied when the online payment is charged). If you’ve already bought tickets expecting Carnival Road, we hope you’ll give David Bath and the Hot Tubs a chance—we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And if you haven’t grabbed tickets yet, now’s the time. This Sunday. Don’t miss it.
Listen before you come:
Check out David Bath’s music on Bandcamp and Poetry in Motion on Facebook.
And a promise:
Carnival Road will be back for a winter Garden Party. Stay tuned.
Sources:
- David Bath and the Hot Tubs (2026). Band bio 2026 (unpublished document provided to ArtSound FM).
- David Bath (n.d.). Music | David Bath. Bandcamp. https://davidbath.bandcamp.com
- David Bath and the Hot Tubs (n.d.). Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/davidbathband/
- Poetry in Motion (n.d.). Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Paul.and.Kate.unite/
- ABC Canberra (n.d.). Poetry in Motion [Facebook video]. https://www.facebook.com/abccanberra/videos/poetry-in-motion/1849071558473661/
- Poetry in Motion (n.d.). My Country [Facebook video]. https://www.facebook.com/Paul.and-Kate.unite/videos/my-country-by-poetry-in-motion/381149976664916/
- Smith’s Alternative (n.d.). David Bath EP Launch. https://www.smithsalternative.com/events/david-bath-ep-launch-43273
