The optional extra night of the 28th offered punters a 'Soul and Funk Revue' with DJ Emma Peel warming up the Grand Theatre stage for DJ Kano and funksters, The Bamboos. Tuesday the 29th filled ears with some sweet indie folk by the name of Washington, playing their 2nd ever festival show. Beautiful and quirky front-woman, Megan Washington shone, throwing her heart and soul into her performance on guitar, keys and vocals. A highlight here was her opening the set solo with her performing will in song-form. This was followed by a cruising day of acts including Whitley, Seasick Steve and Sarah Blasko (and some the best vegie burgers ever made [Jerry’s burger stall]).
The 30th brought in the very sweaty 35 degree heat and the pumping party tunes. We were provided with the sweet Emiliana Torrini, very impressive American indie boys Grizzly Bear, and the Aussie Midnight Juggernauts getting the crowd dancing and revved up for headliners, the fantastic New York band YeahYeahYeahs. Karen O lived up to her amazing reputation, hurling herself around the stage in tiger-print leggings and a fluoro print poncho-like outfit like an over-excited primary school kid. All the while belting out all their biggest hits of past and present albums, including the powerful ‘Maps’, ‘Skeletons’ and ‘Date with a Night’. Seeing this astonishing creature and her band in action was definitely a knockout highlight of this year’s festival, if not of all the Falls Festivals gone by. Nobody who was there could deny the intensity of the trio’s performances and songs. However this intensity was followed by a bizarre choice, Major Lazer (“soundsystem”) who did not really encourage dancing and craziness as Karen O did, but rather encouraged binge-drinking to distract from the horrible mash-ups of songs and yelling down a microphone. This set was definitely a low-light of the festival.
More heat was produced on the 31st, and a mixed bag to the two main stages, including Australian acts Liam Finn, Little Birdy, and Oh Mercy. The burning sky then offered punters rain and thunder, a welcome release from the heat! Bringing in the new year, were Triple J’s favourite skip-hoppers The Hilltop Hoods. The decision to have them play the 11.50-1am slot is one that certainly divided the crowd, but most chose to go with the flow, let the sweat drip and the raps fly...it is Falls after all, and all must be embraced when you’re stuck in a field in the middle of the forest, with 16,000 of your new closest friends!
Grizzly Bear
Karen O (photos by me....)
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