Splendour In The Grass 2012 @ Belongil Fields, Byron Bay (27-29/07/2012)
Day One (27/07/2012)
It was day one of 2012's Splendour In The Grass. I had my trusty gumboots on, my bag packed tight and a golden ticket at the ready as I pushed through the festival gates. It had been some years since the festivals relocation to Woodford, QLD but punters slipped right back into Belongil Fields, Byron Bay as though they'd never left.
The site is well set-up with regular secluded bars and eateries offering sanctuary from the sun and bustling crowds. The three main stages are separated by what should be only short walks from A to B, however in peak periods the G.W McLennan Tent soon becomes Triton, the 7th moon of Neptune, otherwise impossible to get to. Although congestion is a regular complaint during headline hour, this is really the only grievance one could offer of the general set-up. Keen beans all around arrive early and Melbourne's Chet Faker offers up some of the first tunes of the day. The seemingly chuffed Nick Murphy is sweet and grateful behind the mic and offers punters beautiful renditions of 'Terms and Conditions' and 'Run To You'. It's a chick heavy crowd but a plentiful one nonetheless. Chet Faker set the tone for what we think is going to be a sunny and music filled day in Byron Bay. We're only half right. The first drops start to fall somewhere between POND rushing out "This is a short version of our last song. We have six minutes." and DZ Deathrays taking the stage. If you've ever heard the old expression "When it rains, it pours" then you'll appreciate me rephrasing, "When it rains at Splendour, get an ark." The rain poured heavily on the Supertop as patrons flocked for cover. The two men behind the big sound that is DZ Deathrays don't give a punk fuck why you're there, just that you are and rip through one of the best sets of the day. |
The afternoon dries up just in time for Melbourne sweethearts Big Scary to take the stage. The chemistry between Tom Iansek and Jo Syme ripples through a seamless set as they play some old tunes mixed in with gems from their debut album Vacation. The crowd sing along to the heartbreaking 'Leaving Home' and 'Bad Friends' and grow even louder as the twosome close with their hit 'Gladiator'.
One thing Splendour accomplished this year was a solid serving of local produce. There were some fresh fruits on offer but sometimes the old bananas are surprisingly the best. Spiderbait are the banana I left in my desk last Friday and forgot about, but upon revisiting, is totally still good. There's something nostalgic about hearing Kram bash out 1993's 'Ol' Man Sam' and a plethora of decade spanning hits. For a band who hasn't done much lately, they captivate the crowd as if they were the next big thing.
Afternoon turns to evening as The Shins take the stage. One could make the mistake that this band had participated in a network series of musical Survivor as James Mercer stands proud as the only original Shins member remaining. The New Mexico front man enchants the crowd opening with enigmatic 'Caring Is Creepy' before delivering a record spreading set list touching on the classics and some tighter performances of new tracks like 'Simple Song'.
One thing Splendour accomplished this year was a solid serving of local produce. There were some fresh fruits on offer but sometimes the old bananas are surprisingly the best. Spiderbait are the banana I left in my desk last Friday and forgot about, but upon revisiting, is totally still good. There's something nostalgic about hearing Kram bash out 1993's 'Ol' Man Sam' and a plethora of decade spanning hits. For a band who hasn't done much lately, they captivate the crowd as if they were the next big thing.
Afternoon turns to evening as The Shins take the stage. One could make the mistake that this band had participated in a network series of musical Survivor as James Mercer stands proud as the only original Shins member remaining. The New Mexico front man enchants the crowd opening with enigmatic 'Caring Is Creepy' before delivering a record spreading set list touching on the classics and some tighter performances of new tracks like 'Simple Song'.
Now the mud is heavy and the crowds are storming towards the Supertop in angsty anticipation to see one of the most highly rated post-hardcore bands to reform in front of their very eyes.
At The Drive-In called it quits in 2001 leaving Aussie fans hungry after Sydney's Big Day Out where the band accused crowds of being "robots" and "sheep" before walking off partway through their set. Crowds held steady awaiting the cataclysmic opening that would be 'Arcarsenal' before the powerful 5 piece dipped into hit 'Pattern Against User'. In the midst of shakers hissing, Cedric Bixler-Zavala tears across the stage giving a furious and energetic performance, one he's been accosted of leaving behind since reforming. Though tensions are noticeable amongst band members, the crowd watch on with eager eyes witnessing what they surely never anticipated years ago; a true ATDI reunion. Crowds stirred anxiously as ATDI disappeared and an elegant white backdrop crept upon the stage. Spotlights on pillars roll in and some of the best dressed roadies you've ever seen sound check for the oncoming Jack White. A man of many talents and many projects, Jack White is said to offer diverse set lists covering bits and pieces of his many musical endeavours. I hear people behind me gossiping about whether he'll use the all boy band or the girls, the concensus is it will be the boys but before we can speculate any further the man himself takes the stage. White is accompanied by the all male Los Buzzardos band and drops straight into White Stripes 'Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground' and the crowd errupts into singalong before White heads straight into his new solo single 'Freedom At 21'. |
White performs several Stripes songs and even a Dangermouse cover before the men slink out to be replaced by the ladies (The Peacocks) for 'Love Interruption'.
The set becomes slightly more relaxed with special attention to some Sabourteurs and Dead Weather tracks before bringing the house completely down with an electric chargded 'Seven Nation Army' to close the set. Although the crowd begged for the iconic man of music to reappear, the lights go up and the punters head home to look forward to another day.
The set becomes slightly more relaxed with special attention to some Sabourteurs and Dead Weather tracks before bringing the house completely down with an electric chargded 'Seven Nation Army' to close the set. Although the crowd begged for the iconic man of music to reappear, the lights go up and the punters head home to look forward to another day.
Day Two (28/07/2012)
The sun is shining and the blue Byron sky seems a little more confidently dry than the soggy day before, even if the mud remains thick. Today there are less punters roving bare feet in the mud and I'm almost certain there's been an economical spike in gumboots in Northern N.S.W.
We're shaky, we're tired, it's 2:30pm but we're here. Brisbane's four piece Last Dinosaurs or Baby Dinosaurs as affectionately called by my friends and I, take the stage and are ready to steal themselves a show. The youngsters amp up a full tent of fans like old hat professionals and provide an entertaining and joyful set which cements their worth in the Splendour Supertop. As the afternoon proceeds to produce beautiful sunlight, New Zealand's hardest working rock band take the stage. Shihad have been around for what feels like forever and have been prone to bouts of praise but are usually underrated. If there's a front man from across the ditch I love maybe just a little less than Neil Finn, it's Jon Toogood. The boisterous Kiwi takes the stage to the tune of 'You Again' which is an immediate crowd rocker. The former long-haired lad jumps from amp to amp, swinging his guitar around like he's the only rock star still alive. If there were grades issued for energy and heart, Shihad take the cake every time. Bless. It was time to visit the GW McLennan tent way over yonder and check out Sydney's self-recorded and produced band Jinja Safari. Now, I'd heard many good things about these guys but being someone who listens to Elliot Smith when in a good mood, happy music just freaks me out. |
I trekked in the sunlight and made a deal with myself that I was going to have to be happy and I was going to enjoy it, and that I did. The happy melodies and explosive performance wowed me right out of my Smith-loving sad socks and had me toe tapping in no time. The performance ended with an incredible display of confetti that would make a hyperactive five year old spontaneously combust.
At this stage I had gotten through a day and a half of festival goodness with little letdown, however this would be short-lived if Ladyhawke had anything to do with it. The Kiwi songstress has just released her first album since 2008's self-titled smash hit but is yet to wow with the follow-up. The Wellington born gal meandered through a thrill free set only garnering energy from a crowd who luckily know the words to her older songs. There's nothing breathtaking about Ladyhawke's performances as the band remain fairly stagnant and it's almost like she's not enjoying herself. 2008 called, it has your success for ransom.
On the topic of lackluster performances, Tame Impala the critically acclaimed Perth rockers gave one of the laziest shows of the day. I understand they must be six feet under in Nimbin cookies but there's no excuse for such little vigor on stage and it was sadly a dull psychedelic set.
At this stage I had gotten through a day and a half of festival goodness with little letdown, however this would be short-lived if Ladyhawke had anything to do with it. The Kiwi songstress has just released her first album since 2008's self-titled smash hit but is yet to wow with the follow-up. The Wellington born gal meandered through a thrill free set only garnering energy from a crowd who luckily know the words to her older songs. There's nothing breathtaking about Ladyhawke's performances as the band remain fairly stagnant and it's almost like she's not enjoying herself. 2008 called, it has your success for ransom.
On the topic of lackluster performances, Tame Impala the critically acclaimed Perth rockers gave one of the laziest shows of the day. I understand they must be six feet under in Nimbin cookies but there's no excuse for such little vigor on stage and it was sadly a dull psychedelic set.
When a group of friends suggest making the move to Lana Del Rey, I fear for my life. The mud is now so deep it acts a force of suction threatening to steal any boot that crosses it. With much convincing I move towards the GW McLennan stage where the pretty buzz babe is oddly housed. I arrive to the sounds of a stripped back 'Blue Jeans' and a tent filled to capacity, which I am certain is 95% chicks.
Friends and I play with the notion that the dressed in all white starlet who is donning a vale should be flickering in an abandoned hotel somewhere, Del Rey looks cray. I have to admit I was 50% going there to watch the 'Video Games' singer fail SNL style, but she has appeared to have graduated from the junior high of stage presence. It wasn't great but it could have definitely been a lot worse. Cut a freaky a hotel ghost some slack. |
As the evening draws the crowds to the Supertop, Miike Snow is successful in forcing happiness upon me. The tent is saturated in gorgeous white lights and the crowd go wild for hits like 'Animal'. It's very possible they have earned themselves a new fan as I waited patiently for Bloc Party to take the stage. Excitement mounts as moving in the tent is no long an option, the Brit band have everyone ready to party — that is until they open with a song no one has heard, ever.
Fans looked puzzled but were still trying to enjoy the experience as they hopelessly bopped out of time to the new track. The set is followed by all the usual suspects like 'Banquet' and 'Hunting For Witches' broken up by casual examples of new work. Bloc Party were stuck between a rock and a hard place touring with an overplayed set list and an album no one has heard yet.
There was no where to go and honestly, if you'd seen them before then this was really no more enjoyable than listening to Silent Alarm in your bedroom. Another day ends and hopes are high for another music packed day.
Fans looked puzzled but were still trying to enjoy the experience as they hopelessly bopped out of time to the new track. The set is followed by all the usual suspects like 'Banquet' and 'Hunting For Witches' broken up by casual examples of new work. Bloc Party were stuck between a rock and a hard place touring with an overplayed set list and an album no one has heard yet.
There was no where to go and honestly, if you'd seen them before then this was really no more enjoyable than listening to Silent Alarm in your bedroom. Another day ends and hopes are high for another music packed day.
Day Three (29/07/2012)
As I woke up on the third and final day of Splendour In The Grass 2012, I made my legs a promise that if they got me through the next 14 hours I would buy them cake. Thankfully they obliged. I did however hold out on the cake, suckers.
With a bill packed to the rafters of local and international talent, there's always going to be a battle of the timetable clashes and Sunday seemed to house all the conflict. It was early in the day that I had to make the call between The Rubens and The Medics. Two great up and coming Aussie bands and I could only pick one. After much agonizing I chose The Rubens, however the joke was on me when I discovered that good looking vocalist Sam Margin had indeed begun to lose his voice. |
The Menangle men did the best they could and still put on a satisfying show until it came to their hit song 'Lay It Down' where Margin struggled with the falsetto quite awkwardly. What terrible luck, although I am sure this will not thwart the bands mounting success.
Keeping with the local theme, Husky were next on the list and the Melbourne four piece did not disappoint. This is a band that have not been hindered by hype and deliver a gorgeous performance to a casual and relaxed crowd at the GW McLennan tent. For a band that almost seemed to appear out of nowhere Husky left their mark at Splendour with the crowd singling along to tunes off of their debut album Forever So.
The next band to cause a stir arrived in the late afternoon. As the sun set on the final day of Splendour, New York based group Fun. took to the stage to remind punters that the day was indeed not yet over. Nate Ruess formerly of The Format hit the stage like a meteor. There's a big difference between a singer and performer and Rues is the well and truly the latter. Though Fun.'s success is still somewhat limited on Aussie shores, the indie-pop powerhouse got the crowd on their feet and lead an incredible set before bringing it home with their hit 'We Are Young' to the delight of fans.
The early evening brings us to the Aussie hour featuring a very strung-out Angus Stone and stubbornly good appearance of Wolfmother. Fans were left disappointed as the 'Big Jet Plane' singer stumbled around switching up equipment between songs and seeming just generally out of it during his performance. The Stone family member stuck strictly to his solo work leaving Angus & Julia fans somewhat in the dark and unsatisfied.
Keeping with the local theme, Husky were next on the list and the Melbourne four piece did not disappoint. This is a band that have not been hindered by hype and deliver a gorgeous performance to a casual and relaxed crowd at the GW McLennan tent. For a band that almost seemed to appear out of nowhere Husky left their mark at Splendour with the crowd singling along to tunes off of their debut album Forever So.
The next band to cause a stir arrived in the late afternoon. As the sun set on the final day of Splendour, New York based group Fun. took to the stage to remind punters that the day was indeed not yet over. Nate Ruess formerly of The Format hit the stage like a meteor. There's a big difference between a singer and performer and Rues is the well and truly the latter. Though Fun.'s success is still somewhat limited on Aussie shores, the indie-pop powerhouse got the crowd on their feet and lead an incredible set before bringing it home with their hit 'We Are Young' to the delight of fans.
The early evening brings us to the Aussie hour featuring a very strung-out Angus Stone and stubbornly good appearance of Wolfmother. Fans were left disappointed as the 'Big Jet Plane' singer stumbled around switching up equipment between songs and seeming just generally out of it during his performance. The Stone family member stuck strictly to his solo work leaving Angus & Julia fans somewhat in the dark and unsatisfied.
Wolfmother on the other hand where ready to win back their fans the best way they now how, with an explosive live performance. The good thing about Wolfmother is that they sound as good as they did in 2005 and the bad thing about Wolfmother is they're still the same band from 2005 despite the line-up changes.
It's not that Andrew Stockdale is untalented, it's just that he has not expanded as an artist and the interest has become dry. You can only live off of Jackass publishing checks for so long, change up the act before it's too late! The clashes continue as one of the most talked about female rappers of 2012 Azealia Banks butts heads with English crooners The Kooks. There's a 20 minute window which allows fans of both acts to run to the Mix-Up stage to catch a glimpse at the Mickey Mouse sweater baring babe. |
Nineteen year old Banks appears to thunderous cheers however is met immediately with some glitchy sound issues. By the time she's managed two or so songs, it's time to make it back to the Supertop for The Kooks. It's not too long after that that Banks walks off stage early.
The Kooks are band you like, you just don't really know about it. Almost every song is echoed with a slow acknowledgment "Oh, I know this one!" as fans new and old fill the tent. Singer Luke Pritchard swans around the stage like the English royalty he is and on close inspection a band member seems to be wearing a hot pink suit. Despite a slight hiccup involving security shutting down the show midway to get a keen fan down from a rafter, the set flows effortlessly although filler songs act as water circling the drain as the show grows closer to the end. We all know means hearing 'Naïve' performed live and we're OK with that.
The night grows old and the festival is due to end in front of our very eyes. We are soon to be shunned to a raving Tipi Forest or meet our ambiguous destiny in the three hour bus line but the SITG has one more act for us and it's a banger! Partially from the pits of the 90's, Billy Cogan takes the stage masquerading as our favourite teenage angst band Smashing Pumpkins. The only original member in a line-up of session musicians Corgan invites rock 'n roll back to the party and fans are ready to greet it with open arms. Corgan strung crowds through a killer set list of 'Zero', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Today' and '1979' just to name a few and even veered off into a David Bowie cover of 'Space Oditty' that admittedly did go for at least 8 minutes longer than it should have. You can’t argue that the bald headed man still has it and gives the festival a smashingly good finale
Samantha Dickson
The Kooks are band you like, you just don't really know about it. Almost every song is echoed with a slow acknowledgment "Oh, I know this one!" as fans new and old fill the tent. Singer Luke Pritchard swans around the stage like the English royalty he is and on close inspection a band member seems to be wearing a hot pink suit. Despite a slight hiccup involving security shutting down the show midway to get a keen fan down from a rafter, the set flows effortlessly although filler songs act as water circling the drain as the show grows closer to the end. We all know means hearing 'Naïve' performed live and we're OK with that.
The night grows old and the festival is due to end in front of our very eyes. We are soon to be shunned to a raving Tipi Forest or meet our ambiguous destiny in the three hour bus line but the SITG has one more act for us and it's a banger! Partially from the pits of the 90's, Billy Cogan takes the stage masquerading as our favourite teenage angst band Smashing Pumpkins. The only original member in a line-up of session musicians Corgan invites rock 'n roll back to the party and fans are ready to greet it with open arms. Corgan strung crowds through a killer set list of 'Zero', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Today' and '1979' just to name a few and even veered off into a David Bowie cover of 'Space Oditty' that admittedly did go for at least 8 minutes longer than it should have. You can’t argue that the bald headed man still has it and gives the festival a smashingly good finale
Samantha Dickson