Anyway where was I? Oh thats right. You're probably all starting to wonder about the absence of Splendour coverage (from a visual aspect) and I'm here to tell you that the vlog will be here... eventually. The last I saw of Dean, our video producer, he was sitting in a dark corner of his room on top of a pile of smashed up laptops wearing a pasta strainer on his head and muttering something about a spaghetti-monster from Zion. So yeah... it'll be with us whenever it's done, or whenever Dean is finally released from the penal system. In the meantime I'll probably write something here or there just to help sate your appetites, you hungry dogs.
Splendour brought a hell of a lot of acts out for 3 days of debauchery and it's hard to find an artist that didnt perform or at least deliver to expectation. The thing of note for me, however, and part of why I'm on this massive 'Homebake' kick, is because of the performance of our countrymen and women, the Australian acts on the bill. Some of you might slap me around the head and go 'duh, Aussie music rocks'. For the most part I agree but I don't share your overstated and physically painful enthusiasm. Australian music walks the line, as does the rest of it, but expecting me to take some sense of national pride in a band just because they come from the same place as me has never been my philosophy. Not only that, but we really have released some shit over the years.
"THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!"
Earlier that day we'd had the pleasure of witnessing Melbourne-based World's End Press opening up the Mix-Up tent. Really its an unenviable position, one you have to work for. You'll either help people keep walking to the further amenities or another stage, or you'll suck them in to starting their day earlier than anticipated and these guys have no problem embracing the second notion. In a tough slot on a beautiful first day it was going to be hard to keep people but they did, and they were a truly awesome outfit to start the fest with. Third time I've seen them and they just get better and better. If you EVER get the chance, go and see these guys. Festival or venue, you can be guaranteed an excellent show.
Bluejuice were another of those festival favourites that really turned it on for Splendour. Ive seen them so many times I can't recall but by the same token, no two shows I've seen have been even remotely the same. The songs might be from time to time but they're always bringing a new visual element, or a new element of crazy to their shows. At the Big Day Out it was the jumpsuits that were slowly removed amongst the giant animals on stage. At Splendour it was visually spectacular with suits made of glowsticks, instruments lit up, new members to the live ensemble and that typical, relentless Bluejuice crazy that always keeps them in the back of your mind as the festival closes. A band that I've never really seen miss live. They've turned it into an art form.
When you hear 'live music' and 'art form' another Aussie band that is never too far from anyones mind is The Living End - and they were up to their usual tricks at Splendour. There may have been no guitar solo with a VB bottle this time (and if you've seen them even ONCE you know what I'm talking about) but the setlist was picked for old and new fans alike. The new stuff sounds good but didn't leave as much of an impression as how old Chris Cheyney is getting. And in that moment where I realise that I also have to stop and acknowledge that I am ALSO getting quite old. Still, if you don't know what to expect from a Living End show, you've never seen them live, and that really needs to be rectified. Energy, showmanship and an all-round good time constantly ensue. I've never seen the Living End and felt worse for the experience. Neither will you. Unless you ingest a massive amount of Heroin before or something.
Muscles is finally back and god I've missed that guy. The fun and hilarity are enough to enjoy on their own before you include the dense synth. The set was well picked and the Koalas coming out from time to time certainly added to the enjoyment. The man himself seemed a little nervous initially but got better the more comfortable he got. Playing a guitar and such shows that diversity is on his agenda for the follow up to the first album. He pisses off pretty much everyone else that writes for this blog but I dig the guy immensely. When you've got Kanye pulling off autotune solos in the main arena its nice to hear someone comfortable with their own voice, even if he can't sing that well. I saw him in the gold bar bathroom on Sunday and wanted to thank him for the show but I was well wasted and also hadn't washed my hands yet. And I think he knew that...
One of the major surprises/discoveries/whatever for me was Children Collide. Some of you may wonder how that can happen given the hype and exposure. I guess I just dont listen to the radio that much. They were a band I thought I'd know a song or two for, and ended up knowing about half the bloody set. It was quite evident that the frontman was wasted but their energy and surprising tightness really caught me off guard. A band I'll be taking every chance I can to see live in future.
While not exactly Australian in terms of residence, Architecture In Helsinki are another band I was incredibly keen to see. I'm a massive fan of 'Places Like These' and 'Moment Bends' is really growing on me too. The set seemed to pretty much be drawn from the two albums and the crowd was huge. Last time I saw them the sound was disappointing but on the night it was perfect. Finally getting to hear 'Like It Or Not' live means thats another song off the bucket list.
The Grates delivered in spades to a large crowd. Patience was up to her usual high-energy antics and the contrast between old and new stuff was once again played well. I still haven't heard the new album but I look forward to doing so given the impression some of the new songs made. The new band members are pretty superfluous however. They could almost do what Tool do and stand behind a curtain with about the same impact. That being said though I'm sure thats a matter of the live ensemble finding its feet in terms of performance because they can undeniably play as a band. The songs themselves sounded great and its another new album to look forward to.
I don't know why, but I always seem to wrap up these reviews with PNAU. They didn't even play on the last night so I don't know why but oh well. My thoughts on PNAU's new ensemble and material were covered pretty extensively in the Big Day Out review back in January, but I feel a little more needs to be said. At the BDO they were uninteresting, poorly mixed and in general unimpressive (once again, given how many times I've seen these guys and how truly awesome they can be). At Splendour it was a bit of a different story. Perhaps having a cover over the top of them helps the sound, perhaps playing around for 7 months has helped them work the crud out of the new songs, because its all sounding a hell of a lot better. I still don't see myself as the biggest fan of the new stuff, as I was with the previous album, but it makes for a nice contrast and a certain amount of diversity live.
Before you start harrassing me with 'what about this aussie band? Or this one?' - I am but one human. I can't divide myself into copies to go out and catch every artist on the bill, as much fun as it would be to have clones for drinking with and eventual regrettable sex. There were acts I missed, sure, but I also caught a hell of a lot. These are just the Australian ones I caught.
So overall? Australian music is in good hands if bands like these are out there representing us. I'm sure some of you hate these bands, Im sure I hate some bands you love, but we're all in this together. With HOMEBAKE coming up you're getting the chance to see so many of these acts and more in a specifically Australian setting. I used to be like you, the one sitting at your computer now scoffing and thinking 'Australian music... pssht'. But consider myself a ghost from the future, telling you not to write it off. Because theres gold out there, underneath the Veronicas. And isn't that where we all want to be?
STAY TUNED! MORE SPLENDOUR STUFF COMING YOUR WAY.... EVENTUALLY!
