Hellooooooo and welcome to The Earworm (Online!!)
Now that we’ve had a day to recover, we’ve thrown together this article & there’ll soon be a highlights reel too!
DAY ONE
We started day 1 with a drink bottle emergency. The drink bottles I specifically bought for the event were bendy and had a carabiner so that we could attach them to our bags and belt loops (cool kid alert). Aannnddd the $6 I spent on them went out the door when they broke mid-boom (see below). With some handy electrical tape we were back on track and ready to let loose.
The first set we hit up was NYXEN. Her raw talent was on display as she hit the Bass, and drums during her set. We were so busy watching in awe that we didn’t get any good snaps of her, but you can trust me that she looked the part.
A small anecdote from a friend in retail about how lovely MADDY JANE was when she was shopping for some jewellery urged me to make sure we didn’t miss her performance. The sun lit her up as she nailed every song. While her name seemed to be unfamiliar to most, her song “Thank You and Sorry” moved more than a few mouths as regular Triple J listeners caught on to her melodic charm.
MALLRAT blew us away with her performance as she rocked her signature pig tails & oversized shirt. Lil is a huge Mallrat fan and when Mallrat looked down at her in the photography pit, she was stuck in a moment of complete awe. The crowd happily sung along to all her hits, including ”Better” and “Groceries”, and we were screaming our little lungs out.
Not only where we watching the sets, but we were also chatting to punters & other people at the Festival. We spoke to Norm & Tatalia from NSW Ambulance Paramedics and got some hot tips to take to any festival:
- Slip Slop Slap
- Limit alcohol and social drugs + stay hydrated
- Look after your mates
Next up, heading into the latter half of the afternoon we saw a fav of mine – MIDDLE KIDS. The 4-piece drew in a sizable crowd as they whipped out crowd favourites like “Edge of Town” and “Never Start.” Their performance was everything you’d expect, and the subtle grins between the married Hannah and Tim stole my heart. Fun fact: Hannah plays a left-handed guitar!
The sun went down and we grabbed some tucker – a schnitty burger for me, and some gozleme for Lil.
Next up, we caught Tassie boys LUCA BRASI. This was the first time I saw them live and they were everything I expected. The fierce vocals projected out into the mosh and the crowd was loving it.
Next, we went to see PRESS CLUB who, although recently doing ‘Like a Version’ for Triple J, were playing on the Rad Bar stage – a small stage down the very back of the festival. Despite the smaller than usual venue the 4-piece dominated the crowd. We were blown away at the raw energy of the lead singer Natalie on stage. Dressed in an oversized white t-shirt and black jeans, her showmanship shone from within. Her long blonde hair was flipped around and at one point her head almost collided with the bassist’s guitar. Not even a temporary sound-outage stopped the band from kicking on with high-spirits. I successfully converted three people into hard-core Press Club fans and I’m sure there were many many more converted that night.
DAY TWO
We started the day a little later than expected catching the backside of Didirri and setting up camp near the main stage and organised our day! A little bit tired from the previous day, we pumped ourselves with caffeine and sugar and kicked into gear.
I’ve been wanting to see JACK RIVER for ages and never had the chance. So when she popped up on the line-up I was beyond excited. I’ve seen footage of her live shows, with glamorous outfits and strong vocals – and this set was no different. Dressed in matching silver jumpsuits, Jack River and her band lit up the stage. Her unique voice was strong and stable as they whipped through crowd favourites “Fool’s Gold” and “Fault Line”. She hit a 12/10 performance.
ALEX THE ASTRONAUT walked out to a small crowd with the sun directly in her eyes. I’m unsure if she was able to see the sheer amount of people that gathered when she began to sing. Coming over from the back of Jack River’s set, hundreds of people crowded around the second stage – it likely quadrupled in size. Her sweet anecdotes made the crowd giggle as she spoke of dogs in her dreams, and sung her sweet melodies like “Not Worth Hiding” and “Already Home”.
After absorbing some amazing women in music, we decided to take a break from the music and hit up the stalls. THE LOCAL tent was hidden under some trees this year and tucked within was a world of wonder. HIDDEN HARVEST’s signature bread fort made an appearance again as they handed out free piece of toast to festival goers – complete with butter and jam. This year the crew put together a ‘food waste confessional booth’ where I confessed my sins of throwing away leftovers. Lucky, my sins were forgiven, and I was able to move on with my life guilt-free (how good). We also watched some live art as MADI RYAN concentrated on her amazing illustration of a girl.
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- Insta – @madiryanart
No festival is complete without a sponsored BALL PIT and this year Mother threw their hat in the ring. Stuck in the middle of two stages it felt isolated as one-by-one, patrons handed their phones to the staff to take a boom or a pic as they jumped in. Of course, we couldn’t resist.
Another Festival must is FASHIONS AT THE FESTIVAL. We spoke to some outgoing punters about their outfits and snapped a few looks! Check out our album on FB for more social pics!
Boy oh Boy was I keen to see local legends HOCKEY DAD play on home soil. The boys put on a stella show, and the crowd was rowdy. There was a death circle that emerged mid-mosh, and even some people holding up boxes of weetbix (?!? – please fill me in on that joke). They really hit every string and every drum with enough passion to liven the entire festival. Another personal highlight of my weekend by far.
The Brissy band that continues to provide soulful melodies CUB SPORT performed – and I mean performed. Dressed in a metallic white over-sized suit by emerging designer Gina Snodgrass, the lead singer Tim stepped out into the spotlight for a jaw-dropping opening, and literally S H O N E. He looked like an angel, and sounded like one too. Tim’s baby oiled, tattooed chest peeked out from his blazer, which he later took off completely. The majestic harmonies pulled in the crowds and their flawless melodies moved even the most emotionless person. The lead singer Tim is one of the most enigmatic performers I’ve ever seen – consistently in the zone as he walks around the stage, hitting notes higher than you can ever imagine. Supported by his husband Sam, and friends Zoe & Dan, the four worked in perfect harmony to show off all of their incredible talents. If you’ve never seen Cub Sport live, and you missed them this weekend – please go out and get some tickets to on of their shows as you will not be disappointed
Lil & I battled it out in a vicious game of scissors, paper, rock to see who would go shoot ANGUS & JULIA STONE. Guilty from my victory I wandered down to the main stage early to seek a good position. In just my luck, the duo had booted all photography from the pit… So I went back and secured myself a commoners position in the swelling crowd.
And this is where we called it a night. Tired and sore from two days of coverage – we sat down for a cold one and watched the crowd go crazy for Alison Wonderland.
Thanks to Yours & Owls for having us at the amazing two-day festival & to all the punters we got to meet! Thanks to NSW police & NSW ambos for keeping us safe & sound.
See you next year!
Xx Sarah