After stumbling across a ticket to the sold-out festival (thanks Alicia/Red Bull) only a few hours before it actually started, I went online to check out the playing times, had a glass of cold milk, painted my nails aqua and decided it was about time I got my ass there.
The festival was off to a terrible start. The security guard threw my bottle of water away "but really it isn't vodka.. have a sip.. please.. I would really like my water" "Sorry mate, no can do". But what I lacked in water, mother nature more than compensated, as it was clear she was on her period and intense rain poured down as my asian straight hair turned into jewish curls.
I couldn't actually hear The Middle East due to the fact I was in the "nosebleed section" and the rain was far too loud. I then went to see Bridezilla, a Sydney band I had been wanting to see for a while, who's set really turned to shit with unexplained humming noises and self-unplugging cords and leads. Not to mention the crappy timetable which left an dead 30 minutes of no band's playing every hour, so it felt like half the night was waiting for bands to come on.
But it was when I was watching Black Lips and two of the (male) band members started making out with each other whilst a guy in a penguin suit was standing next to me, that I knew the night had suddenly turned for the better and that everything was lookin hunky dory. Pleased that I chose to see Eddy Current Suppression Ring over Florence and The Machine, and unsure at who/what Radioclit where (and slightly a bit offended at their name) I left the festival on a happy note.
Other highlights include: The 4000 markets, The XX, the new drummer of Philadelphia Grand Jury, hardly any fake tan, access to drinking taps, never once waiting in a toilet line, crowd surfers and not having security guards telling you to get off your friend's shoulders.
At the end of the day the only lowlight for me was a man in his mid 40s wearing a "Echo and The Bunnymen" shirt with a sad look on his face and a beer in his hand.
photos by Tuscany Gray from The Last Beatniks
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