Groovin' The Moo @ Bendigo Showgrounds, Bendigo (02/05/2015)
We arrive to Groovin' the Moo to the sound of The Delta Riggs. As always, they are incredible live, and even though they have a bit of a British thing going on, it does not at all seem derivative. Besides, they do it so well. It's a bit too early for anyone to get too into it, but a beach ball is still being hit around in the mosh, and when Simon McConnell pulls out an impressive, nonconventional drum solo, the crowd eats it up like the free Four'N Twenty mini pies being handed out.
Before Northlane are even onstage fans chant 'North-lane, North-lane, North-lane'. When they come out, the circle pit forms before they start playing. While one of my mates is pulled out from the crowd (for the first time) during their first song, only to run right back in, screaming along, quite a few people can be seen leaving. The expressions on their faces give a general I-didn't-come-here-for-this vibe. |
There are a group of people walking around the Prince Of Wales Showground all dressed as Wally from Where's Wally? This is probably the best festival getup I have ever seen. Why not, when trying to find easy ways to spot friends in festival crowds, also gamify the search.
I catch the end of DMA's, which just so happens to be when the band plays 'Delete'. People chant along and then revel when the full band comes in. I can almost set aside my grievances with their blatant hijacking of Britpop, the potentially grammatically incorrect apostrophe in their name, and the 'chorus now' portions of the song, and enjoy this. From the outskirts of the crowd it is surprising, yet not surprising at all, to see how many people leave when the song ends.
We listen to Sticky Fingers from a distance while we sit on the grass and enjoy the weather (but not the dust in the air kicked up by all us festivalgoers). The band skilfully dance around the lines between genres. When I look out over the sundrenched crowd during their last song, thousands of hands are in the air.
The Preatures are great, as expected, even though Isabella Manfredi’s vocals are especially rough at times. It is far more of an interesting thing than a bad thing. "What a great day for Australian music?" Isabella says. And she’s right, with the amount of home-grown talent on the day sitting at just over 80% (30 of the 37 musical acts).
San Cisco play most of their hits as well as their newer one, ‘Too Much Time Together’ and ‘Run’. Isabella from The Preatures even jumps in for ‘Jealousy’, having just finished playing at the triple j stage. "We played this festival three years ago," says Jordi Davieson. "Bendigo was the first place we ever played, and we didn’t know how many people knew our songs. I was scared shitless."
In the distance, electronic duo Carmada are playing. The crowd appears to be pulsating. Someone within it raises a flag, someone else waves one of their crutches in the air.
We arrive a bit late for Ball Park Music, but get to see what we assume to be the peak of their set. There are people all around singing along to ‘She Only Loves Me When I'm There’. Shortly after, Sam Cromack says "We've got one last request for you. Could you trip the light fantastic with us?" Then dancing animated versions of the band appear on the screen behind them, and they play ‘Trippin’ the Light Fantastic’.
Lasers shoot into the sky as Hermitude hit their samplers. It is dark now and the full moon is out. People dance.
Hot Dub Time Machine begins and everyone there, I hope, love-hates it. About 20 minutes into it, hundreds of red balloons drop onto the mosh. A few blasts of confetti follow this during the show, but none of it makes up for DJ Tom Loud's irritating interjections throughout, or the fact that the playlist he is using is almost exactly the same as during his show at Falls over two years ago.
New Zealanders Broods, although not possessing the same mass appeal as Hot Dub, fill up the Moolin Rouge. Georgia Nott’s vocals smoothly cut through the music and float out over the Prince Of Wales Showground. There is a massive cheer as the band start playing ‘Bridges’. At one point, a man in the Broods crowd is held up so that from the back of the crowd it looks as if he is standing roughly at eye level of those below. His silhouette basks in the glory.
We linger around for a bit but, tired and aware of the long drive home, decide to leave, satisfied with our Groovin the Moo experience.
Nathan Fioritti
I catch the end of DMA's, which just so happens to be when the band plays 'Delete'. People chant along and then revel when the full band comes in. I can almost set aside my grievances with their blatant hijacking of Britpop, the potentially grammatically incorrect apostrophe in their name, and the 'chorus now' portions of the song, and enjoy this. From the outskirts of the crowd it is surprising, yet not surprising at all, to see how many people leave when the song ends.
We listen to Sticky Fingers from a distance while we sit on the grass and enjoy the weather (but not the dust in the air kicked up by all us festivalgoers). The band skilfully dance around the lines between genres. When I look out over the sundrenched crowd during their last song, thousands of hands are in the air.
The Preatures are great, as expected, even though Isabella Manfredi’s vocals are especially rough at times. It is far more of an interesting thing than a bad thing. "What a great day for Australian music?" Isabella says. And she’s right, with the amount of home-grown talent on the day sitting at just over 80% (30 of the 37 musical acts).
San Cisco play most of their hits as well as their newer one, ‘Too Much Time Together’ and ‘Run’. Isabella from The Preatures even jumps in for ‘Jealousy’, having just finished playing at the triple j stage. "We played this festival three years ago," says Jordi Davieson. "Bendigo was the first place we ever played, and we didn’t know how many people knew our songs. I was scared shitless."
In the distance, electronic duo Carmada are playing. The crowd appears to be pulsating. Someone within it raises a flag, someone else waves one of their crutches in the air.
We arrive a bit late for Ball Park Music, but get to see what we assume to be the peak of their set. There are people all around singing along to ‘She Only Loves Me When I'm There’. Shortly after, Sam Cromack says "We've got one last request for you. Could you trip the light fantastic with us?" Then dancing animated versions of the band appear on the screen behind them, and they play ‘Trippin’ the Light Fantastic’.
Lasers shoot into the sky as Hermitude hit their samplers. It is dark now and the full moon is out. People dance.
Hot Dub Time Machine begins and everyone there, I hope, love-hates it. About 20 minutes into it, hundreds of red balloons drop onto the mosh. A few blasts of confetti follow this during the show, but none of it makes up for DJ Tom Loud's irritating interjections throughout, or the fact that the playlist he is using is almost exactly the same as during his show at Falls over two years ago.
New Zealanders Broods, although not possessing the same mass appeal as Hot Dub, fill up the Moolin Rouge. Georgia Nott’s vocals smoothly cut through the music and float out over the Prince Of Wales Showground. There is a massive cheer as the band start playing ‘Bridges’. At one point, a man in the Broods crowd is held up so that from the back of the crowd it looks as if he is standing roughly at eye level of those below. His silhouette basks in the glory.
We linger around for a bit but, tired and aware of the long drive home, decide to leave, satisfied with our Groovin the Moo experience.
Nathan Fioritti