Future Music Festival @ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (08/03/2015)
The peeps at Future Music Festival put on an epic display for the Labour Day long weekend and their 2015 instalment.
The weather turned on for 10 hours of pure bangers, live at the Flemington Racecourse for thousands of bejewelled, glittered and heavily inked punters. From midday at the Supernova stage, Throttle's club mixes of mainstream hits (think Sam Smith's Stay With Me) warmed the swelling crowds and prompted some synchronised hand clapping. It did take some time for the masses to pour in, despite some of the best acts appearing early on. Klingande made for a strong start with some super sexy live saxophone that took us right to Ibiza. |
Before the pulsing house beats built and the bittersweet vocals turned up, the good vibes were already soaking in. It's fair to say this was a highlight of the day.
We were again treated to the vocals of recent Brit award favourite Sam Smith as the French native worked La La La into his set, along with fellow Londoner Paloma Faith belting out Sigma anthem Changing. He teased with tastes of Jubel throughout the set, alongside classic Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Otherside, enjoyed for not the last time of the day). Finally, he played his smash hit of last year in its entirety to wind up a stellar Klingande show.
Kiesza has a damned impressive set of pipes, and a loyal following, who stayed until well into Robin Schulz set at the next-door stage. The German producer's jam packed set included mixes of Coldplay and Lykke Li, before delighting with recent hit release that's enjoying airplay on mainstream radio to the point of saturation, Sun Goes Down.
Surprise of the day came from English garage duo Gorgon City, who play inspiring, soulful house. Hit Unmissable had all hands in the air from an adoring audience. Their lineup of female and male lead vocalists sets them apart from others, she comparable to Mary J Blige in tone.
A clear crowd favourite came later in the afternoon from Sigma, whose hip-hop flavours precipitated the uplifting piano-heavy house we all know and love him for. Naturally, standouts were Changing, Show Me Love and Euro Summer '14 anthem Somebody To Love.
Beloved homegrown Adelaide hip-hop crew Hilltop Hoods chased that feeling on a belter open, with live horn section in tow. I Love It took on new life with a stripped back prelude launching into the original, complete with Sia's air-pumping chorus. Introducing Nosebleed Section as the song they simply cannot get away with omitting from any set, the Hilltops finalised their epic set with crowd-pleasing and inordinately catchy Cosby Sweater.
The irony of 2 Chainz performing single I'm Different must be noted, as he played it to a crowd that is remarkable entirely because of how the same everyone is. Impressive lineup aside, Future is the best example of a crowd turning up for the name of the festival, not the line-up. It's a crowd in which everyone is a carbon copy of each other, and barely-there tank tops on shredded physiques are an example of the over-dressed. This is, of course, more than a little terrifying.
Knife Party's massive drops could be heard from the lawn, where many were reclining after 2 Chainz set. Afrojack put on an impressive stage display, with hard-core smoke machines and fireworks, albeit on-screen, to match his out-and-out bangers.
We had to wait for after sundown and the likes of Avicii for the real deal. Dazzling fireworks momentarily entertained the increasingly impatient crowds waiting for a beyond fashionably late Drake.
Once the Canadian R&B heartthrob did grace us with his presence, 28 minutes after his allotted 8:30 start, he charmed a mostly-female audience into a fever-pitch frenzy of drooling shrieks. Drake can easily have anyone eating out of the palm of his hands as he is affable, well-mannered and notably without the oft-brandished arrogance of his American counterparts.
Next door to the Future Live stage at Supernova, Avicii's show didn't hold back on showmanship and nor should it - the Swedish-born producer having produced some of the most played, most recognised dance tracks of recent years (Wake Me Up, Addicted To You, and most recently The Days). His was a fittingly enormous stage show to cap off a festival where showing off is expected.
It's hard to imagine how anyone was left to see The Prodigy, who closed the festival elsewhere in the racecourse grounds. Undoubtedly they were, though, as one of the biggest outfits of the 90s presumably made a hella lot of noise at the FutureDome.
Miscellaneous highlights of the day included: unlimited free salty snacks provided by sponsor Pringles, relentless sunshine paired with a cooling breeze, pulled beef and cheeseburger slider in the Sunset Club.
Rebecca McCann
We were again treated to the vocals of recent Brit award favourite Sam Smith as the French native worked La La La into his set, along with fellow Londoner Paloma Faith belting out Sigma anthem Changing. He teased with tastes of Jubel throughout the set, alongside classic Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Otherside, enjoyed for not the last time of the day). Finally, he played his smash hit of last year in its entirety to wind up a stellar Klingande show.
Kiesza has a damned impressive set of pipes, and a loyal following, who stayed until well into Robin Schulz set at the next-door stage. The German producer's jam packed set included mixes of Coldplay and Lykke Li, before delighting with recent hit release that's enjoying airplay on mainstream radio to the point of saturation, Sun Goes Down.
Surprise of the day came from English garage duo Gorgon City, who play inspiring, soulful house. Hit Unmissable had all hands in the air from an adoring audience. Their lineup of female and male lead vocalists sets them apart from others, she comparable to Mary J Blige in tone.
A clear crowd favourite came later in the afternoon from Sigma, whose hip-hop flavours precipitated the uplifting piano-heavy house we all know and love him for. Naturally, standouts were Changing, Show Me Love and Euro Summer '14 anthem Somebody To Love.
Beloved homegrown Adelaide hip-hop crew Hilltop Hoods chased that feeling on a belter open, with live horn section in tow. I Love It took on new life with a stripped back prelude launching into the original, complete with Sia's air-pumping chorus. Introducing Nosebleed Section as the song they simply cannot get away with omitting from any set, the Hilltops finalised their epic set with crowd-pleasing and inordinately catchy Cosby Sweater.
The irony of 2 Chainz performing single I'm Different must be noted, as he played it to a crowd that is remarkable entirely because of how the same everyone is. Impressive lineup aside, Future is the best example of a crowd turning up for the name of the festival, not the line-up. It's a crowd in which everyone is a carbon copy of each other, and barely-there tank tops on shredded physiques are an example of the over-dressed. This is, of course, more than a little terrifying.
Knife Party's massive drops could be heard from the lawn, where many were reclining after 2 Chainz set. Afrojack put on an impressive stage display, with hard-core smoke machines and fireworks, albeit on-screen, to match his out-and-out bangers.
We had to wait for after sundown and the likes of Avicii for the real deal. Dazzling fireworks momentarily entertained the increasingly impatient crowds waiting for a beyond fashionably late Drake.
Once the Canadian R&B heartthrob did grace us with his presence, 28 minutes after his allotted 8:30 start, he charmed a mostly-female audience into a fever-pitch frenzy of drooling shrieks. Drake can easily have anyone eating out of the palm of his hands as he is affable, well-mannered and notably without the oft-brandished arrogance of his American counterparts.
Next door to the Future Live stage at Supernova, Avicii's show didn't hold back on showmanship and nor should it - the Swedish-born producer having produced some of the most played, most recognised dance tracks of recent years (Wake Me Up, Addicted To You, and most recently The Days). His was a fittingly enormous stage show to cap off a festival where showing off is expected.
It's hard to imagine how anyone was left to see The Prodigy, who closed the festival elsewhere in the racecourse grounds. Undoubtedly they were, though, as one of the biggest outfits of the 90s presumably made a hella lot of noise at the FutureDome.
Miscellaneous highlights of the day included: unlimited free salty snacks provided by sponsor Pringles, relentless sunshine paired with a cooling breeze, pulled beef and cheeseburger slider in the Sunset Club.
Rebecca McCann