Bright and early I set out to venture to the Amphitheatre (main stage) which I opted not to explore in the dark on Thursday. I made the grueling trek to the top tier for the first and last time, enjoying a chance encounter with the African influenced sounds of Jinja Safari from a distance. They drew a decent and responsive crowd for the early time slot which then dissipated elsewhere when they finished.
Back down the hill and I proceeded to explore the food and market stalls, Ibeefa (pictured above) and Jagercube... I finally had my handle on the extremities of the Splendour site. 2pm arrives and I’m off to the Mix Up tent for New York’s School of Seven Bells (SVIIB). Before they even play a single note, I’m struck by the Deheza sisters Alejandra and Claudia (pictured below), they are stunning to look at and despite some small hiccups with the sound early on, their harmonies were equally as stunning. “Windstorm” was predictably the highlight, with its enchanting overlapping vocal melody that has been stuck in my head ever since.
A quick dash off to the GW McLennan Tent and I met up with Clare for the tail end of Washington’s set. Her popularity and amazing vocals are without doubt but she’s just not for me. Obviously I’m not her target audience and aside from “Rich Kids”, I was left indifferent. Immense talent, great live but again, not for me. Can we cut the bullshit of calling it a band and just refer to her as Meg Washington? The rest of the band are hideous misfits. For the record Clare and 99% of the crowd thought she was sensational.
Back to the Amphitheatre I enjoyed the splendours of the Gold View section for another fine act on the Secretly Canadian label, Yeasayer. I was nervous because I’m a big Yeasayer fan but I’ve heard mixed reviews of their live set. A few songs in my nerves were cast aside, Yeasayer nailed the festival vibe and 3:30pm time slot in the afternoon sunshine was perfect too, the crowd is drunk but not off their face... yet. For some reason I thought they’d be tossers but they were incredibly humble and seemed to be really putting in the hard yards. You don’t need me to tell you “O.N.E” & “Ambling Alp” sent the crowd into raptures.
If I could teleport myself I would have raced back for Alberta Cross however we all know that festivals come with tough decisions, so I stayed in the Gold Viewing for Little Red. Clare wanted to see them but if I had my way I would of skipped them. It would have been a bigger mistake than planning on watching Richard Ashcroft.
If I had allowed the glowing comments of Javid from previous Splendours to soak in, I would have been more excited for Little Red. Initially the interchanging vocalists annoyed me a bit but as soon as the bassist gave it a rest and the keyboardist, Tom Hartney got on the vocals, Little Red and the crowd went into overdrive. These guys are probably the most promising and talented emerging Aussie Act going round. After this refined, punchy rhythm and blues performance, Little Red in my opinion have the potential and the talent to produce an album to topple Whispering Jack. Yeah I said it...
After a shower and a change into my “night clothes” (pictured below) it was off for some Splendour in the Darkness (no they didn’t play). White boy Hall of Famers Hot Chip & LCD Soundsystem would make my Friday night extra special. Hot Chip were up first (which surprised me a little as I thought they’d have more commercial appeal) but none the less Hot Chip swooned their way through a set clearly designed for the fans. I took up a position just outside the tent to get my groove on solo. They opened with my favourite “Boy From School” and proceeded to mix new seamlessly with the old. Alexis Taylor has got to be in the running for God of The White Boys. “Why do you love me? Why do you need me? Always and forever...”. While I was probably more interested in hearing the new stuff, “Hold On” from Made in the Dark sent the crowd ballistic.
Now the reason I was solo was because Clare had gone off to watch Angus & Julia Stone and Lisa Mitchell. She was wowed by Angus & Julia and while she enjoyed Lisa, she did remark that there were excessive guitar changes and interruptions that disrupted the flow of the set. You’ll have to check her blog and see if she writes anymore.
Onward with LCD Soundsystem who were also in the Mix Up Tent. I wiggled my way much closer to bask in the reflected glory of James Murphy (another contender for God of the White Boys). I wouldn’t say I am familiar with Murphy’s discography word for word but I did love every minute. He’s one of those individuals that doesn’t have to do much in order to be holy. I loved “All My Friends” but I thought the crowd missed the point, they were jumping for joy during it and in my opinion that’s supposed to be a song that makes you reflect on how you’ve grown up and how things have changed. But as Clare reminded me “Michael, it’s a festival and people are here to have a good time”. LCD Soundsystem appeal on such a cerebral level, songs like “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” penetrates your thought processes and resides in the cortex responsible for eternal and undying affection.
And finally, what better way to finish off my Friday than to gay it up for the Scissor Sisters (pictured above). Make no mistake, these guys are sooooooo gay. It was definitely refreshing to hear the crunch of the near extinct guitar solo and concerning to be marveling at the perfectly cut body of front man Jake Shears. Their set was sexually charged from the songs to the in-between banter but regardless you couldn’t deny the worldwide likability of songs like “Take Your Mama” and “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”. Just like the last time I saw them, they finished with “Filthy Gorgeous” and while it was a rippin’ good time I worry that these guys are in no way current anymore. Even more worrying is that the new album is distinctly lacking a roaring single to carry it. Despite their best days probably behind them, it still made for a great finish to Friday!
Biggest Regret Missing: Alberta Cross, BRMC & Grizzly Bear.
Oww and how could I forget, I had an early dinner... Tonight was my festival fav... Angel Bay Beef burger from Fine Earth Food... Clare couldn't finish hers, so I helped out. $9 for the burger and $2 for the lemon barley water!
But I still had Saturday and Sunday to survive. This was only the beginning.Website: Splendour In the Grass
2 comments:
You are making me more jealous with each post. Great stuff mate.
I have to say your images are great! you must of had a good photographer with you.
Post a Comment