Live Review

Yeah Yeah!!! Meredith Music Festival and Melbourne City Spectacular!!! pt1

Normally I don't believe in reviewing bands and festivals in the first person, but heading down for the mind-melting Meredith Music Festival, the personal experience is just as important as the musical one.

So, the following is a personal and critical account of the Meredith Music Festival and shows around the city of Melbourne between the 07/12/2011 - 14/12/2011.

Arriving in Melbourne is always a welcoming and joyful experience. With my flight bizarrely arriving on time and spirits were high. However my chosen accommodation was not. Enjoying a few drinks before the night ahead, my laziness of not changing my phones internal clock to daylight savings time caused me to miss all the support bands for tonight’s Gang Gang Dance sideshow. The fact that the sun was still up at 8.30pm didn't help either.

Making my way over to the suburb of Richmond, I stumble past the laid back security and into the Corner Hotel. A rather beautiful venue that has the open room feel of The Zoo coupled with the homeliness of places like Woodland and The Black Bear Lodge. With the hour hitting a late 10.30pm (9.30 people time) Gang Gang Dance take to the stage with the room spewing at capacity.

The band put on a mesmerising show jumping in between the old and the new throughout their set. The sound is crystal clear and loud to boot as the six members on stage tonight manipulate sound through synths and hit you in the face with tribal percussion through the number of kits and sets scattered around the stage.

A dual video screen surrounds the band with clips of explosions, insects and more fit the bands psychedelic electronica and queues in perfectly with the groups large amount of improvisation. The groups roaming instrumentalist is as much part of the nights visual entertainment as the screens as he chants, dances and holds up a sun dial like device in front of the projector to create an aztec disco ball. Tracks like the eleven minute opener to the bands latest record Eye Contact. Glass Jar consumes a large portion of the later part of the set with tight improvisation sending the track in even more sprawling directions as the original.

With the band playing a solid set to a packed room with little to no banter the group seem even more fitting for their 2am freak out at Meredith this coming Friday. With Sir Elton Johns show wrapping up not to far down the street and tiny dancers crowding the venues smoking area with praise for Elton. Alcohol and patience has taken its toll and it is time to retire for the night.

The next day is more of a daze. Accomplishing nothing in preparation for Meredith I intend to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra with Brisbane locals DZ Deathrays in support at one of the town’s most acclaimed venues, The Toff. But alas, passing out with no pants on in a room full of strange men above a night club sees my ticket money disappear from my wallet.

The rural trains run fairly regularly in Melbourne but not regularly enough to get nearly enough sleep to be functional. With my granny cart full of beer breaking whilst boarding a tram on the way to the train station. I manage to drag the bent contraption onto a train and am on my way for the three day bender that is Meredith.

Located in the rural town of Meredith in the shire of Golden Plains. Meredith Music Festival is roughly around three hours from Melbourne and is located on an active farming property owned by locals, Jack and Mary Nolan. One stage overlooking a gorge, the festival is in its 21st year of operation and boasts a firm BYO rule, no corporate sponsorship, everybody camps, no lame overpriced market stalls and more importantly, a No Dickheads Policy.

Started in 1991 by Chris Nolan, Gregor Peele and Marcus Downie and has been running ever since. In the mid nineties tragedy struck as Chris suffered a multi organ collapse due to his brain being starved of oxygen, a severe brain injury, Chris has been since paralysed and unable to communicate. However he has only missed one Meredith (the year of his injury) and in a true testament to the festival spirit and the kind of crowd that Meredith and Golden Plains brings. Chris comes out on stage and is greeted by thousands of cheering fans in hope of the fabled 'Long blink' where Chris acknowledges the audience and blinks.

Being a devout Golden Plains attendee, this year marks my first Meredith and what a time to pick your first one as the festival celebrates its 21st birthday, making it the longest running rock festival in the country.

While Golden Plains is known for its relaxed atmosphere and crazy traditions, some of the stuff overlaps here but the two are both quite different festivals.

With my tent set up and my beer somewhat cold, I venture down the hill to the festival site where Melbourne upstarts King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are setting up their gear to the ticking of the clock in the background. As the audience count down the final seconds the band nail it and literally explode out of the second hand. The seven piece have energy stored for this show like a camel as they explode through their set with theremins, guitars and harmonicas all turned up to eleven. With gear already smashed and the first band only just wrapping up their set it is clear that we are in for one hell of a weekend.

Clearly appreciative to be performing in the Supernatural Amphitheatre Cash Savage and the Last Drinks are tight as they deliver their blend of country alcoholic rock n' roll. Comprised of musicians from around Melbourne including members of Graveyard Train on assorted instruments and bottles of alcohol. The band power through their set with Meredith veteran Ms Savage at the helm. with alcohol drenched all over the bands equipment and the stage it was clear a job well done.

While the hour doesn't feel so late, Unknown Mortal Orchestra take to a packed amphitheatre as they back up the hype of their critically acclaimed self titled debut. The band are really pushing the ampi's PA whilst coming through crystal clear. Little Blue House is more fuzzed out then on record as is Jello and Juggernaughts, while Thought Ballune's krautrock riffage being unavoidable to the hips. Vocalist … is perhaps a bit shy and timid on stage but it fits the bands persona and stage show as the group finish with the song that started it all fFunny fFriends. A solid and impressive performance that backs up the bands on record reputation.

Another must see/listen/experience act this year is Kurt Vile whom also takes to a huge crowd. Performing with his on tour band (not a Vile song related pun) The Violators. Vile is definitely more rock than on record as the group open with a more brash rendition of personal favourite Runner Ups. Sound is a bit of a problem for Vile as his normally more nurtured voice is distorted as he favours a more punk rock approach to his vocals. Some songs work as more rocked up versions while others don't an example of this is Jesus Fever which just comes through more muffled than atmospheric and ambient. Still a show worth seeing and an all round solid performance.

The housekeeping is normally a fun filled experience at Golden Plains were the audience pull together and clean up the venue out of respect, however with the bogan minority still conscious it just feels more like a chore and pointless.

One of the most exciting bands on this year’s bill, Explosions in the Sky take to the stage at the early hour of 8:10pm with the sun only just beginning to set as they pick up their guitars. The band are tight as expected with the three pronged guitar attack hitting you in the face no matter what direction you are in. The entirely instrumental set is simply transcendent as the group play off each other in a post rock euphoria for the audience. With the other two (MONO/Mogwai) of the post rock big three making appearances on our shores this year. It is too hard to tell who takes the crown.

Whether you consider them a joke or the exact definition of rock Melbourne’s Barbarion do put on a good live show. The seven piece are all attired in various costumes ala Gwar and they 'rock' to a huge crowd with pyrotechnics launching in every direction. Sort of like Airbourne's set at Golden Plains earlier this year, If you have drunk enough you can really enjoy the set whether it be out of satire or natural enjoyment. I was drunk enough so it was great!

Ladyhawke. To be honest, a weird billing and who cares!

Having played a monster of a set earlier in the week at The Zoo. Future of the Left once again spurt out onto the stage like a mexican jumping bean on caffeine. The band play a similar set to The Zoo show but with the focus shifted to the intensity of the sound than the band members performance. Opener Arming Inertia is a song that can never be disappointing on the live stage. Frontman Andy "Falco" Falkous banters away throughout the set whilst using the same 'material' as the Zoo he still is entertaining. New track Polymers Are Forever is no doubt going to be a fixture in the bands catalogue in the future along with the new tracks about Margaret Thatcher and movies Falco has seen. Finishing with Lapsed Catholics once again Future of the Left have impressed another Australian audience.

With no signs of the festival or the sun stroked beer infused audience slowing down. Juiceboxxx put on a solid show despite most of its content going over the audiences head. Still impressive backing music to the bizarre conversations that occur with a drunken Meredith crowd.

With their exploits from earlier in the week at The Corner still fresh in my mind Gang Gang Dance take to the stage at the subtle hour of 2am for a exploration into the minds of the unsuspecting audience. The band once again pull off an amazing career spanning set with improvising being the forepoint of the set. Vocalist Lizzi Bougatsos is in fine form and full of energy beating the hell out of the percussion kit at the side of the stage. The band do experience sound problems though which cause lengthy delays into their set and force the band to drunkenly banter which proves to be wildly entertaining. Still, another solid set done by a must see band of our generation.

Finally realising that alcohol has limited my cognitive functions to the point that I should go to sleep. I swing by the food court to abuse the closed naked potato stand and eventually settling for a woodfired pizza (bought from a man clearly buzzing to go see the early morning DJ, oddly enough he wouldn't let me barter with him) that scalded me as I crawled into my poorly constructed tent for sleep. A simply wonderful start to a great festival, kind of sucks that I had to get up and work for it in less than an hour.

Pt 2 coming soon

Bigger, Better and Full frontal nudity!!!

Reviews

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Boban Markovic Orkestar on Balkan Beats Zed Digital / 4ZZZ

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