To say that I have kind of gotten over the whole festival thing would have to be an understatement. It is evident that the Australian market has been flooded with an ever increasing amount of music festivals. And some of these are unable to compete resulting in having to cancel due to poor ticket sales.
Making my way out to Meredith I was still in two minds. I could have quite easily said, ‘No I’m done, not going’ – especially if it was raining as we were about to leave. But I didn’t. I stuck it out and it was the best decision I had made. Saying that heading to Meredith Music Festival restored my faith in Australian music festivals would also be an understatement. Everything about this festival just worked. The weather was perfect, the crowd and people were awesome and the atmosphere was unlike any other. Being able to laze about on a grassy hill, drinking booze which you had supplied yourself and listening to whoever was playing was the best way I could ever spend three days away.
To kick off the festival were Melbourne outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. A name to get your head around but well worth it. It would be easy to say that nearly every single person who was on site on Friday at 4pm was there checking these guys out. And they put on a show worth your while.
After heading back to our campsite and finalising our set up we made our way back down to the amphitheatre to check out Explosions In The Sky. These guys were rocking out. Their instrumental filled set was fucking amazing. Keeping the audience jaw dropped and giving their full attention for the entire length of the set.
Ladyhawke just needed to bring something more to the stage. She played her songs well, but didn’t create that stage presence or atmosphere which everyone thrives off. Don’t get me wrong, the crowd did react to the songs they knew and loved like, ‘Paris is burning’ and ‘My Delirium’, but between them most people were still.
Oscar + Martin left me a little confused, not exactly sure what they were doing up there or the direction they were headed with their music. You can defiantly see their folk influences in which they have become famous for, but you can also see hip-hop coming through which influenced Martin in his earlier years. As a result, we are left with experimental electronica, kind of like Seekae with a mix of something like Tyler The Creator but not so raw. This at times would clash. What really made the set for me was having Beth sing, which give the live performance by Oscar + Martin a whole other level.
The best thing about a festival as laid back as this and having only one stage is, it opens your eyes to so much new music. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears would have made one of the biggest impacts on me the entire weekend. These guys were bringing it all to the party. A loud, energetic, horn filled outfit got the crown moving and bought us into the final night of the weekend.
After seeing Cut Copy at Splendour In The Grass earlier this year I was a bit worried. Their live show didn’t really do it for me up in Queensland. But this was different. The atmosphere and crowd was unlike any other.
Headlining Saturday night was Grinderman. Playing a solid set all around and ending it with the simple line, ‘That’s it… see you in ten years’. He surprised critics and fans a like. Leaving everyone wondering if this was the end of Grinderman, or just a hiatus.
Happy 21st Meredith Music Festival. Everything about this one was perfect. From the famous number 19 Elvis toilet made by those sneaky kids in bush camp to the weather and amount of people there. Ending the weekend with that special gift and penis sword fights made it a weekend to remember. Thanks again and see you next year!
