Exhaustion seems to be universal amongst attendees on the final day of the festival. For some, interest has flailed with the campgrounds resembling a weevil stricken quilt despite the lures of the festival headliners being present on this final day. Still a festival veteran, I bewilderingly head to the Woodford scout operated BBQ for one last meal as I regain energy and brave the day ahead unbeknownst that it will be one of the most controversial times I have had at a festival.
With a lack of interest to the quality of earlier bands, I head into the festival late afternoon in order to begin the day with a band that has had a hit and miss career, but has consistently satisfied the Australian rock side of my musical entity. The Vines take to the stage to a reasonable sized crowd at the amphitheatre. The band opens with a number of new tracks and throughout the set stick to the theme of their recent releases. Craig Nichols appears to be in good health and spirits as he plays with a sense of appreciation for the crowd. However, moments consistently arise that would have sent an old Craig well over the edge. He and fellow guitarist … have constant problems with their equipment, which in turn leads the band to force banter, play unplanned improvisations and leaves some songs without instruments entirely. Highly Evolved, Animal Machine and Don't Listen to the Radio all go down a treat and get a hot sun drenched crowd going. However they are far from courteous, as exhibited when Craig picks up an acoustic guitar for Autumn Shade for no reason the crowd chants 'bull shit' which is less than classy and rather pathetic in this day and age. However an all round good set (despite controversy, see; Cultural Review)
Making my way from the war torn Vines. I walk with eager anticipation for one of my favourite Australian bands of all time. The Middle East are quite simply the most talented band in Australian music right now and in recent times. They create an amazing atmosphere within their live shows; one of which I saw on their first headline tour where they played an all ages gig at the princess theatre which was nothing short of amazing. So… They open with Black Death 1349 and clearly have drawn one of the more classy crowds of this year’s festival despite a few droppings missing the litter box. The musicianship and sound is amazing and I can’t help but to discuss how amazing and bright their career will be. Then following a hauntingly beautiful version of The Darkest Side the band announce that THIS is their final show. Ever! Heartbroken and distraught I immediately think this an elaborate rouse and that this is some form of hidden camera show. But as Blood begins it is still confusing, for the band seems to be so in sync with each other it seems hard that a band of this talent could ever break up. Mount Morgan literally brings a tear to my eye as the soaring distant melodies are both beautiful and a sign that this is the end of the bands tether. While Months incites positivity through its driving beat and unavoidable melody.
The explanation is given that some of the members are pursuing solo material and that this was never what they wanted the band to be. The most heartbreaking thing about the set was how the band was treated as to when the set concluded. Slightly going overtime, sound engineers were sent into frenzy as they rushed to get the band off the stage. During the band playing their final track amps were disconnected which saw the groups mandolin player hurl his instrument into the air and storm off in frustration. The same is done to a number of other members while some just leave on the pure fact that this isn't how the final moments of the band should have gone. As keyboardist Bree Tranter humbly leaves the stage, only one member is left by himself, playing the same bittersweet over and over again in a display that is so disheartening and horrible yet beautiful at the same time.
The Middle East were a band that should have never broken up. The talent of the group is one that rivals the likes of Nick Cave and The Drones and, given time this group would have reached the same level of fame as these groups. I can only hope they get back together at some point. But I have doubts that this will ever happen.
From the horrific events of the past few hours I make my way back to the amphitheatre for a simple rock show by Kaiser Chiefs. The band has come a long way since their first visit to the country in support of Foo Fighters (to which I was in attendance). Front man Ricky Wilson is like a Mexican jumping bean as he has so much energy sprinting from one side of the stage to the other whilst still managing to keep up his vocals. Ruby and Everyday I Love You Less and Less are instant hits and sound amazing. There is little to no banter in between tracks with songs flowing in and out of each other. During Oh My God the crowd is sent into a frenzy similar to the Passion Pit performance the year before. A simple rock show which calmed the nerves (well mine anyway) from the horrible times earlier in the day.
Do you remember the first time? Is shot up onto a black curtain and instantly you are in for an amazing Pulp show. 'Can you see a dolphin' and then a dolphin appearing are among many awesome taunts displayed on the screen as the band jam/set up behind the curtain. Then as the curtain drops Jarvis Cocker is ready to strut as they launch into Do You Remember The First Time. Cocker is charismatic as ever telling yarns of cutting his hand shaving in between tracks and then pulling out the sexy as he works his audience. Bad Cover Version calms and inspires happiness and confusion amongst douche bags, while Disco 2000 incites universal respect. Cocker’s antics aside, the spectacle on offer here is second to none with high powered lasers shoring off in every direction, fog machines covering the stage and half the crowd. Cocker even jumps into the crowd with a vintage camera to film the crowd to which the results get projected black and white on huge monitors. The way Cocker delivers This is Hardcore is as dark as the lyrics with his adverse imagery literally putting you deep into the dark story that the song sets up. In between banter, Cocker announces that the band will never be coming back to Australia! So yet another band that this year’s splendour has swallowed up and shat out! Still, the show seemed more important at this point as they finish with instantly recognisable hit Common People to widespread applause, during which muscle fucks told me to “fuck off to Cut Copy” so they had room to dance and Jersey Shore ditz's loudly voiced their misguided thoughts that Oasis sung Common People. Even still, an amazing show and once again, the last of its kind.
The crowd is rather patchy on the hill at the moment and anyone could walk to the front of stage as the less of two evils, Coldplay take to the stage. Coldplay do what they do and they can do it rather well with an amazing stage show and instantly recognisable tracks. Their lyrics are far less thought out than the works of Cocker (For example In my place In my place, the lines I couldn't trace. Tears stream down your face, when you lose something that you could not replace. Etc) but it is definitely the live show that is worth watching, with a 3D like tunnel being the stages centrepiece as Martin and co bound about the stage delivering the stadium like level of energy/performance expected. Confetti cannons and fireworks are all present (however they must be over the yellow balloon trick during hit Yellow) and are nice to look at in a going to a movie with a hangover kind of way. Chris Martin gets infuriated with the poor sound and his guitars not working (how many times has this happened so far?) and smashes his guitar, then to prove a point after the tracks conclusion smashes his new one. By the end and with the fact the mix up tent had concluded for the day the crowd seemed to have filled out as the band conclude with Fix You and finish with new track Every Tear Drop Is a Waterfall to widespread mediocre applause due in part to exhaustion. An all round good set however, and although an inappropriate billing, the band did the please everyone gig alright.
That’s it! Thank Christ it's over in a lot of ways, which after this year could mean over in more ways than one.
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