Splendour in the Grass 2014 @ North Byron Parklands, Yelgun (24- 27/07/2014)
Splendour in the Grass is, without question, Australia’s premier winter music festival and never fails to bring the cream of the crop of local and international artists to our shores in the last weekend of July. This year was no different, with arguably the most eclectic lineup in a good few years, as well as a brand new part of Splendour’s North Byron Parklands being utilised, including the return of the a much loved and needed amphitheatre.
FRIDAY
This year I arrived early on the Friday morning with minimal fuss, parking my car and setting up camp just before the main stage action commenced. I ventured, for the first of many times, up to the main stage amphitheatre and was immediately blown away by how much work had obviously gone into making it look pretty damn amazing and welcoming since it had first been used at Falls Festival 7 months ago. Triple J Unearthed Winner, Airling, had the unenviable task of trying to fill the large cavern of space with her indie pop charms. To be fair, she put on an uplifting and calming set, with killer single The Runner sounding gorgeous, but the young musician and her band seemed a bit lost on what was certainly the biggest stage they have ever played. |
Darlia, the UK’s newest answer to 90’s grunge, managed to bring the ruckus to a group of small but devoted fans, whilst overcoming a few early vocal issues of their own. The Blackpool three-piece were in rip-roaring form, showcasing tracks from their debut album Candyman including the excellent title track and lead single Dear Diary. By the end of their set I was wishing it had never ended, their energy and enthusiasm proving infectious.
It was time for a change of pace and I once again ventured over the lung-busting hill to catch Seattle's The Head & the Heart, playing to a large audience in the chilled out GW McLennan Tent. Their maturity and experience shone through, as they had the crowd captivated through a show of highs, lows, hand-clapping and sing-along’s. Rivers and Roads and breakout song Lost in My Mind were two prime examples of a master class of inventive song writing and world-class performance.
From there my legs took me to Ball Park Music, and the first act I was really excited about at Splendour this year. And did they live up to my expectations...and more! It has been a joy to watch this young Brisbane band’s meteoric rise in the past five years, with this sunset show their finest hour so far. Drawing from a plethora of hits from Literally Baby to She Only Loves Me When I’m There to a stirring cover of Bohemian Rhapsody, the crowd were in raptures from the first minute. Ball Park never fail to bring fun, excitement and a sense of togetherness to the crowd and this evening was no different.
Asgeir has been one of the biggest breakout acts of this year and anticipating a packed crowd (my prediction proved to be correct), I headed to the GW Tent to get a prime position. Firstly the good things; Asgeir and his band create a truly beautiful and haunting scene with their live show, the man can sing just as brilliantly live as what you would expect, and he is very humble and gratuitous for all his support. However the need for people to talk and shout over the top of quiet moments never fails to amaze and disappoint me, resulting in a ruined experience for me.
A total change of pace came with last minute replacements, The Presets, bringing their reinvented bring of electronica to the main stage. I must admit, the light show they brought is pretty amazing and a great compliment to their pounding tunes. The new material as well, sounded heavy and full of life, but this influence continues to flow into older material which I personally feel is ruined by changing the whole vibe of the original song, making it feel like just another generated ‘beats-based’ song.
It was time for a change of pace and I once again ventured over the lung-busting hill to catch Seattle's The Head & the Heart, playing to a large audience in the chilled out GW McLennan Tent. Their maturity and experience shone through, as they had the crowd captivated through a show of highs, lows, hand-clapping and sing-along’s. Rivers and Roads and breakout song Lost in My Mind were two prime examples of a master class of inventive song writing and world-class performance.
From there my legs took me to Ball Park Music, and the first act I was really excited about at Splendour this year. And did they live up to my expectations...and more! It has been a joy to watch this young Brisbane band’s meteoric rise in the past five years, with this sunset show their finest hour so far. Drawing from a plethora of hits from Literally Baby to She Only Loves Me When I’m There to a stirring cover of Bohemian Rhapsody, the crowd were in raptures from the first minute. Ball Park never fail to bring fun, excitement and a sense of togetherness to the crowd and this evening was no different.
Asgeir has been one of the biggest breakout acts of this year and anticipating a packed crowd (my prediction proved to be correct), I headed to the GW Tent to get a prime position. Firstly the good things; Asgeir and his band create a truly beautiful and haunting scene with their live show, the man can sing just as brilliantly live as what you would expect, and he is very humble and gratuitous for all his support. However the need for people to talk and shout over the top of quiet moments never fails to amaze and disappoint me, resulting in a ruined experience for me.
A total change of pace came with last minute replacements, The Presets, bringing their reinvented bring of electronica to the main stage. I must admit, the light show they brought is pretty amazing and a great compliment to their pounding tunes. The new material as well, sounded heavy and full of life, but this influence continues to flow into older material which I personally feel is ruined by changing the whole vibe of the original song, making it feel like just another generated ‘beats-based’ song.
Interpol had disappointed me last time I had seen them, seemingly lost in their own self-indulgent world. But as the first notes of Evil rang out, I knew this set would be different.
Playing through their vast back catalogue of hits, interspersed with a smattering of impressive-sounding new songs, the band were getting a lot of love from the crowd even though a lot were there waiting for Outkast. The NYC band seemed pretty damn happy to be back in Australia and promised they would return soon with a stack full of El Pintor tunes to play for us. I rushed over to catch the last half of my headliner for the night, and arrived at the Mix Up Tent with a full-on party already happening in front of me thanks to Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino), and his legion of devoted fans. Everything about this set screamed fun fun fun, from Glover’s outrageous dancing (and the crowd’s outrageous dancing) to the moving monastery background, and the biggest sing-along of the weekend in 3005. His charisma and enthusiasm was infectious and had everyone moving until the last note. As I walked through the festival site and heard the crowd singing along to Outkast, I appreciated the near-empty festival site and how well set out and it was, a remarkable turnaround from last year’s entertainment precinct. I was more than looking forward to Saturday’s antics. |
SATURDAY
Saturday dawned overcast and windy, and the chance of the infamous Splendour mud making an appearance was worrying. However the rain held off long enough for me to catch a trip of acts on the amphitheatre. First up was Circa Waves from Liverpool, playing their brand of indie rock with a harder edge. For a band that only formed last year, they certainly maintain a load of charisma together and got the crowd dancing during Triple J favourite Stuck in My Teeth. For a brief 30 minute set, it was a fantastic introduction to a band I feel we will be seeing a lot more of in the next few years.
On the other hand, Sticky Fingers drew a massive crowd, and I remain clueless as to the appeal of this band in a live setting. It was sloppy, the sound was terribly mixed, and in all honesty it felt like the band were somehow under the impression that not trying, came off as cool.
Saturday dawned overcast and windy, and the chance of the infamous Splendour mud making an appearance was worrying. However the rain held off long enough for me to catch a trip of acts on the amphitheatre. First up was Circa Waves from Liverpool, playing their brand of indie rock with a harder edge. For a band that only formed last year, they certainly maintain a load of charisma together and got the crowd dancing during Triple J favourite Stuck in My Teeth. For a brief 30 minute set, it was a fantastic introduction to a band I feel we will be seeing a lot more of in the next few years.
On the other hand, Sticky Fingers drew a massive crowd, and I remain clueless as to the appeal of this band in a live setting. It was sloppy, the sound was terribly mixed, and in all honesty it felt like the band were somehow under the impression that not trying, came off as cool.
Thankfully, The 1975 revived my spirits with a passionate and confident set, played in front of a large crowd mostly made up of teenage girls. It’s easy to see the appeal of this band; big choruses, a lead vocalist with a catchy voice, and hit singles that pack a punch. Since I last saw them a year ago, these guys have grown into a mature band with a fantastic stage presence and an absorbing and entertaining show.
On my way back to my campsite I caught the gorgeous sounds of Ry-X, an act I hadn’t planned on seeing, but I had to stroll over and take a closer listen. It was moody and dark, but at the same time uplifting, the front man and a backing musician creating a simple but captivating scene with minimalist sounds accompanying some fantastic falsetto. This was one of my unexpected finds of the festival. |
I returned to the amphitheatre to catch Brisbane heros Violent Soho, along with what felt like most of the 27 500 ticketholders. There were the obvious highlights; Covered in Chrome sounded as massive as it ever had, and Neighbour Neighbour’s killer chorus was backed up by a chorus of voices shouting the lyrics back at the band. But the one thing that stuck me was how far these guys have come in the last year, they truly seem to be the biggest rock band in the country currently and even as the rain started to fall, not a single person even thought about seeking shelter. This was a big Splendour moment, especially for local rock.
After a brief break at my campsite to recoup, I went to catch a band I had recently really enjoyed listening to, Metronomy. Love Letters was the dance-y pop hit live that I had hoped it would be, The Look got the crowd going with its familiar melody, and personal favourite I’m Aquarius was quirky and fun. This band is a severely underrated live act and their brand of intelligent electro was the perfect way to get the evening started.
I drew myself away from Metronomy to catch Foals, a last minute replacement for Two Door Cinema Club, and my most anticipated act of the weekend. God they were good! This band is at the height of their powers at the moment, and sounded just superb. With the exception of the fantastically dancy My Number, this was a master class in how to put on a proper rock show. There was the tight heavy jams, the almost religious Spanish Sahara, the mature and captivating voice of Yannis Philippakis, and so much more.
After a brief break at my campsite to recoup, I went to catch a band I had recently really enjoyed listening to, Metronomy. Love Letters was the dance-y pop hit live that I had hoped it would be, The Look got the crowd going with its familiar melody, and personal favourite I’m Aquarius was quirky and fun. This band is a severely underrated live act and their brand of intelligent electro was the perfect way to get the evening started.
I drew myself away from Metronomy to catch Foals, a last minute replacement for Two Door Cinema Club, and my most anticipated act of the weekend. God they were good! This band is at the height of their powers at the moment, and sounded just superb. With the exception of the fantastically dancy My Number, this was a master class in how to put on a proper rock show. There was the tight heavy jams, the almost religious Spanish Sahara, the mature and captivating voice of Yannis Philippakis, and so much more.
I do have to admit that a few tears were shed, numerous grins were had, and a plethora of other emotions mixed together to make this one of the most moving shows I’ve witnessed in a long time.
I almost felt sorry for City & Colour having to play the headline set after such a massive performance by Foals. But I stuck around and was able to get a good spot in the smaller crowd to bask in the mellow and chilled vibe of Dallas Green’s band and enjoy his smooth soulful vocals. I did enjoy this set a lot more than I thought, these musicians seem to know each other inside out and can create a fantastically beautiful sound together. However it seemed to me, and a lot of the crowd, this was the wrong slot for City & Colour to play. A late afternoon set in the setting sun would have been perfect. |
SUNDAY
Today I started early, with English singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey drawing me to the GW McLennan stage at midday. He immediately impressed me the range of not only his voice, but his fingers of the guitar, playing an intricate pattern of glorious and warming acoustic melodies. Though I knew none of his songs, I was drawn in and will be checking out all of his material in the near future.
Kingswood were the unfortunate recipients of technical difficulties, not appearing on stage until halfway through their scheduled set. However they made up for this with some serious guitar riffing, the powerful voice of Fergus Linacre, and seriously groovy cover of QOTSA’s Feel Good Hit of the Summer. Finishing up with an extended version of Ohio, complete with a drum kit trashing, these boys have come a hell of a long way winning the Unearthed competition for Splendour in 2012.
Sam Smith was a guy I was pretty excited to see in the flesh after spending a good few hours watching his recent live shows online. I was not disappointed, this guy has a seriously unbelievable voice, and when backed by some soulful backing singers, his choruses sound absolutely huge. Throwing in an Arctic Monkey’s cover, before the one-two punch of Latch and Stay With Me, this was an impressive Australian festival debut from what I think will be the voice of popular music in the next year.
Today I started early, with English singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey drawing me to the GW McLennan stage at midday. He immediately impressed me the range of not only his voice, but his fingers of the guitar, playing an intricate pattern of glorious and warming acoustic melodies. Though I knew none of his songs, I was drawn in and will be checking out all of his material in the near future.
Kingswood were the unfortunate recipients of technical difficulties, not appearing on stage until halfway through their scheduled set. However they made up for this with some serious guitar riffing, the powerful voice of Fergus Linacre, and seriously groovy cover of QOTSA’s Feel Good Hit of the Summer. Finishing up with an extended version of Ohio, complete with a drum kit trashing, these boys have come a hell of a long way winning the Unearthed competition for Splendour in 2012.
Sam Smith was a guy I was pretty excited to see in the flesh after spending a good few hours watching his recent live shows online. I was not disappointed, this guy has a seriously unbelievable voice, and when backed by some soulful backing singers, his choruses sound absolutely huge. Throwing in an Arctic Monkey’s cover, before the one-two punch of Latch and Stay With Me, this was an impressive Australian festival debut from what I think will be the voice of popular music in the next year.
The Amphitheatre once again beckoned, and the lure of Grouplove saw it packed to the brim with the largest non-headliner crowd of the weekend. The band were in damn fine form, throwing out hit after hit, and getting a massive response from the up-for-it audience.
This was another career-defining set, with the band almost speechless at what was happening. I’m With You and closer Colours were the standouts from a set full of fun, sing-alongs, moshing, and a band on the top of their live game. From here I took a change of pace to see a band I had wanted to see live for a long time. The Swedish sisterly duo of First Aid Kit have put out a fantastic sophomore release in this year’s Stay Gold, and from opening with the title track, the live set was just as good. The vocal harmonies between the two girls were spine-tinglingly stunning. The girls slotted in a couple of sneaky Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel covers and finished with an emotional version of Emmylou, which was a true highlight of the set. My final act of the 2014 festival came in the form of Wild Beasts, a UK band I’d always had an interest in but never given the time to. |
After witnessing a dark, broody and hauntingly beautiful set in the freezing cold and disappointingly ¼ full tent, I will definitely be investing more time in this band. Hayden Thorpe’s uplifting voice brings a fantastic edge to the predominantly downbeat backing music. A Simple Beautiful Truth was exceedingly simple but beautiful, drawing in the crowd to be washed over by the dancing synths and precise drumming.
And so Splendour, for another year, had come to a close. Whilst this review has been purely about the music, it’s worth noting the other aspects of the festival. The food was, as always, fantastic with an awesome variety to suit all tastes, and the festival setup was pretty much spot on, with no queuing or blockages all weekend. However, with the good comes the bad. I still feel Splendour lacks in the areas away from the main stages. Tipi Forest was tucked into a corner of festival with what felt like no real thought put into it, the kids area was similar, the Small Mall seemed plain bizarre to me, no one I know wants to buy high-end labels at a dusty or muddy festival, and the craft section was far too small. I feel that if Splendour was to be innovative and improve it’s non-music parts of the festival, it would become a truly unbeatable beast in the Australian festival calendar. But, it seems that it already is far and away, the best camping festival this country has to offer.
Sebastian Betten
And so Splendour, for another year, had come to a close. Whilst this review has been purely about the music, it’s worth noting the other aspects of the festival. The food was, as always, fantastic with an awesome variety to suit all tastes, and the festival setup was pretty much spot on, with no queuing or blockages all weekend. However, with the good comes the bad. I still feel Splendour lacks in the areas away from the main stages. Tipi Forest was tucked into a corner of festival with what felt like no real thought put into it, the kids area was similar, the Small Mall seemed plain bizarre to me, no one I know wants to buy high-end labels at a dusty or muddy festival, and the craft section was far too small. I feel that if Splendour was to be innovative and improve it’s non-music parts of the festival, it would become a truly unbeatable beast in the Australian festival calendar. But, it seems that it already is far and away, the best camping festival this country has to offer.
Sebastian Betten