YOU ONLY THINK YOU’VE SEEN AND HEARD IT ALL!
Sometimes in life, you come across those times when you realise you’ve seen and heard it all before, but really, when a quaint little festival on a beautiful sunny, but not smolderingly hot day boasts a line-up featuring national rock legends such as Wolfmother, Eskimo Joe, Jebediah and Magic Dirt, plus international rock legends The Dandy Warhols, well… what’s the harm in a little bit of familiarity right? But that’s the thing, although I’ve seen most of these bands perform live before, will this festival bring a sense of familiarity?...
What better way to start the day, than by chatting to some Aussie rock veterans before catching the rest of opening band Even on the main stage!
I’m definitely feeling pumped and ready for the day ahead after that awesome interview, and keen to get up on stage and do the chicken dance with Magic Dirt! But for now, Even’s 90’s psychedelic/indie-rock tunes are rather refreshing and aromatic, like the scent of flowers that takes you back to your childhood home, which is quite a nice way to kick off the day!
I know it’s still early in the day, but so far the vibe is not that of most festivals I’m familiar with. Everyone, staff, artists and general festival goers are all relaxed, in high-spirits and the atmosphere is just generally pleasant! I mean even backstage, instead of people rushing around like headless chooks trying to keep to the schedule down to the second, stressing out and what not, everyone back here is calm, happy and relaxed, and yet everything is still professional and without incident! (what you don’t see behind closed doors right?!)
Now for Magic Turd, I mean Magic Dirt, this should be good! Adelita told me at the start of the day, how in the absence of Dean, who tragically passed away in the early 2000’s, which resulted in the bands hiatus, that getting back on stage now, they’re driven by Dean’s memory and although he’s not with them on stage, he’s like Ben Kenobi, he’s always with them, guiding them and make them stronger in the way of the musical force. And their performance today? Well, strong in the force, this one is! Even though I can’t see their body language and what have you, I can feel the raw honesty feeling they’re putting into their performance, and Adelita sounds like Ben Kenobi and the crowd’s positivity is filling her up, driving her. She’s belting out all the notes perfectly, as if she’d just written them yesterday, she really sounds like she’s having a ball! When she invites me plus a few others up to dance around in ‘Dirty Jeans’, then I can see Adelita’s and the rest of the bands positivity up close, and believe me, it’s radioactive!
I feel kind of famous now, with everyone passing me saying good on ya mate, I saw your daggy dance moves up on stage! Well, I mean they didn’t say daggy, but I’m sure they were thinking it! But no time to bask in the glory, ‘cause Sneaky Sound System is up next. I thought it was rather odd, that Sneaky Sound System, an electronic duo (singer and DJ) are on the main stage, amidst all these rock legends… this should be interesting! Somehow, Sneaky Sound System’s dance anthems may seem starkly out of place on the main stage, I mean you’d expect them to be headlining the smaller stage with some electronic acts for those who feel like boogying right? On paper, yes, but it somehow fits perfectly on the main stage to help lift the atmosphere even higher!
I must say, even as the afternoon crawls on, and the big-guns on the line-up start to emerge, Wickham Park is still spacious and rather easy to navigate, even if you’re blind-drunk or like me, simply just blind! On top of that, the vibe is still laid-back, easy-going and not obnoxious which is a much-welcomed contrast to a lot of festivals!, oh, it’s time to go chat to Even, then catch the last bit of Jebediah and first few songs of Alex Lloyd, before an impromptu unrehearsed chat with The Dandy Warhols… what could possibly go wrong? B.R.B.
...Ok, in my defense, 1; Alex Lloyd was playing on the main stage like, right behind the tent me Courtney and Brent were in. 2; I’m terrible with names and 3; I didn’t know who I was interviewing until I entered the tent.
After grabbing the biggest burger I’ve ever enjoyed at a festival for the normal festival price, if not slightly less, I get to just sit back, shake off the embarrassment from the interview with The Dandy Warhols and enjoy the last few bands!
As you could probably tell in the interview with Courtney and Brent, Courtney seemed a bit… uhm, well… spaced out? After fixing the technical faults at the start of The Dandy Warhols set, the band put on a really great set! Although, it did sound as though Courtney may not have been at his best. But still, the rest of the band kicked-ass! Some might say that the band’s two biggest hits 'Bohemian Like You’ and ‘We Used To Be Friends’ are a vast contrast to the rest of their hits, but live on stage today, the way the band flow seamlessly from one song to the next, and mix up the live rendition of ‘We Used To Be Friends’, brings nice continuity in the flow throughout the set!
Honestly, all the acts on the line-up kicked-ass and took everyone here, in the still spacious, easy to navigate, pleasant atmospheric park back in time, rediscovering their youth and giving you the nostalgic tingles! For me personally, hearing Eskimo Joe and Wolfmother live always take me back to my early teens, and hearing them today, it’s like being reunited with old class-mates from high-school in a way, and both these bands never disappoint in their live shows that’s for sure! Plus even though The Dandy Warhols are arguably the most established/successful band on the line-up and in that case, fitting to be put last on the schedule, putting Wolfmother last really blows the energy out of the park! But even with the spike in energy in the park, the vibe is still surprisingly laid-back and all-round ace!
At the end of the night, you may have seen and heard festivals like this, which too boast killer line-ups, but have you seen and heard a festival so enjoyable as a whole as this? I tell you, that’s a tall order!