Splendour in the Grass (day one)

It was that time of year again, when 17, 000 enthusiastic festival goers make the annual pilgrimage to Byron Bay for one of the country’s biggest festivals- two glorious days of Splendour In The Grass. The date was pushed back this year from late July to the start of August, but it seems like the decision was a good one, seeing as it meant avoiding the usual bad weather that the festival has become renowned for over the last few years. The August weather in Byron proved to be sunny and warm, with a cool summer breeze floating over Belongil Fields, where the festival was held once again, despite speculation throughout the year that there may be a change of venue. Approaching the gates at the opening of the festival, the long dirt path to the entrance was lined with multicoloured lanterns hanging overhead, and by midday there were already hordes of people lined up as far back as the eye could see, chafing at the bit to get their wristbands.

Operator Please kicked off the day on at the Supertop. The young high schoolers from the Gold Coast, who are much like a younger, more raucous version of Queensland buddies The Grates, played their “song about ping pong,” which has been heard on the airwaves of late, amongst a number of other unknown tracks from their soon to be release album. Next up on the Supertop was Sydney four-piece The Lost Valentinos who matched Operator’s energy with a fast and furious set, including lots of their newer tracks off their latest 17 Deaths.

Deciding to stick it out at the Supertop, it was a tough decision to skip Old Man River to see a band who have been labelled by NME as one of the best up-and-coming live acts in the country, The Horrors (abiding by generally accepted festival logic that if there is a clash between two bands you want to see, go for the international act as obviously it’s less likely you’ll get the chance to see them again any time soon). Unfortunately, that choice proved to be a poor one, as the band lived up to their name with a horrific performance. Although they had plenty of energy, the material itself was full of sloppy vocals, messy rhythm and was just way too distorted and incoherent overall. There were enjoyable moments, such as the raspy, punk-fused Sheila is a Parasite, but overall they were hard to enjoy unless you were already as smashed as the band themselves seemed to be, with the lead singer stumbling all over the stage and rolling around on the floor for most of the set.

Following up The Horrors were fellow pommies, Editors, who have just started to really make a name for themselves in Australia recently with the latest from their second album, An End Has A Start. The anthemic Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors was a huge hit with the crowd, who sang along to all the lyrics…. except for the odd smoker that is. They also played a number of hits from their first album, including Munich and the thrashing guitar-driven number Bullets. The lead singer Tom Smith showed off a number of talents, having a bash at the keys, showing a flair for getting the audience riled up and filling the massive Supertop with his impeccable, deep, classy British voice. Although they’ve attracted some criticism for their apparent likeness to Interpol, their set was enough to satisfy any disbelievers that the band are no copycats, with a much more exciting show and dynamic sound than their comparison.

The Panics hit the G.W.McLennan stage at just after 4 o clock. The band played a selection of older songs, such as Cash and This Day Next Year off their debut album A House On A Street in a Town I’m From alongside some material from their new album. Generally, the band seemed to lack the ability to excite the audience, despite performing well musically. Following up on the McLennan Theatre was Howling Bells, fronted by charming frontwoman Juanita Stein. They put on a solid performance but seemed to lack a bit of excitement, considering they had scored a fairly good spot on the line up and quite a sizeable crowd. They did deliver the songs everyone was waiting to hear, playing their indie pop hits Setting Sun and Low Happening, which they finished the set with. But the highlight of their performance was when Editor’s frontman Tom Smith joined the band on stage to do a cover of the Nick Cave/Kylie Minogue duet Wild Roses.

Over to the Mix-Up tent, Sneaky Sound System hit the stage just as the sun was going down. They scored a massive audience, bursting out the sides and back of the tent, which became a sea of dancing bodies when the band played their hits UFO, I Love It and Pictures. Meanwhile, The Cat Empire was onstage at the Supertop, putting on one of the most musically impressive shows of the day. With their super-talented bunch of musos, including their standard brass, keys, vocals, guitars, bass and drum line up, they played a mix of material from their albums, coloured with jap-dropping solos. The band looked a little perturbed when, towards the end of the set, one punter (presumably excessively intoxicated) scaled the scaffold that props up the middle of the tent. He managed to reach the roof, then hang off the ladder by one hand, dangerously swinging himself around before climbing down and jumping from about 6 metres up, dropping to the ground.

After The Cat Empire, it was over to the McLennan Theatre for some classic Aussie favourites by Paul Kelly. Admittedly, he seemed an interesting pick for a Splendour gig, but he ended up being a surprisingly popular act, with a full crowd, bulging out at the edges of the tent. It was obvious even Paul himself was impressed by the turnout, looking at the crowd with a knowing smirk that seemed to brag “Yeah, I’ve still got it.” And that he did, playing a good mix of old tracks like How to Make Gravy and To Her Door, along with others from his new album Stolen Apples. Dan Kelly played guitar for the entirety of the set also, while his Uncle Paul paraded around the stage like an old pro, jumping up onto the elevated drum kit platform with the energy of a young rockstar and belting out the tunes in his characteristic Aussie voice that hasn’t lost any that has not lost any of its charm over the years.

Back at the Supertop, newly clean and sober Phil Jamieson took to the stage with Grinspoon at 7:30. Having pulled a massive crowd, he seemed genuinely chuffed to be there, as did the rest of the band, who really belted out every single song in the hour-long set. They played a number of older tracks like audience favourites Champion and More Than You Are, seemingly showing the crowd that, despite controversy over Jamieson’s personal life, they’re still the same old band we know and love and they can still play a ripping set. There were also a few newer tracks such as Hold On Me and Better Off Alone, as well as New Detention’s 1000 Miles and Lost Control, with the entire crowd screaming along to all the lyrics like one big, angry, yet happy choir.

After Grinners, it was a half an hour wait until the UK’s Kaiser Chiefs took to the stage after 9 o clock. When they finally did, there was a huge roar from the eagerly awaiting audience, kicking off the set with their hit Everyday I Love You Less and Less. The Chiefs frontman was impressively energetic, running all over the place and scaling the stack of speakers piled up at the side of the stage. The band were extremely tight and the vocal harmonies were impressively executed by the band’s drummer while bashing away on his kit. They also played some newer songs off their latest album, Yours Truly Angry Mob including Heat Dies Down and hit single Ruby. But the song everyone was waiting for was the band’s hit I Predict a Riot, which seemed an apt title, with the audience, predictably, erupting into a riotous mass of screaming, jumping bodies when they heard that telltale riff at the beginning of the song. They finished off on a high with the entire crowd chanting along to the lyrics of “Oh My God” and applauding furiously as the band left the stage.

Powderfinger took to the stage at 10:30, a seemingly odd choice for headline, as it’s a spot usually reserved for an international band. The general feeling among the Splendour punters seemed to be one of scepticism about whether the band could produce the goods for such a prestigious spot on the Splendour line up. That was even more the case when Bernard emerged with a new, stylised, neatly groomed haircut- which was quite a shock for older fans who remember the days of Bernard’s massive mop of boofy, untamed locks, circa Double Allergic and Internationalist- sparking talk that perhaps the band are mellowing in their maturity. But it wasn’t long before the audience was singing along to all the band’s old favourites like the Aussie anthem My Happiness. It was pretty clear that the audience was more interested in hearing the oldies than the newbies, although their first single off the latest album, Lost and Running, received a good response from the crowd. Other songs in the set included a few numbers from Vulture Street such as Bless My Soul, which had the entire audience clapping along with Bernard during the bridge. Undeniably, the band did produce an impressively tight and energetic set, proving that they’ve still got it when it comes to coming up with the festival goods.

Lily Allen took the headine slot on the Mix-Up Stage and, as per usual, she was a bit of a bitch. But, also as usual, she put on a great show. It was a bit disappointing that she departed from her usual tradition of being the UK’s most popular fashion unconscious export, failing this time to wear ‘sneakers’ with her dress. Tonight she was barefoot, wandering around the stage as she sang that that with that enchanting, sweet voice with those not-so sweet lyrics about getting back at your boyfriend and the like, such as in her hit single Smile. She had a great band backing her up, the highlight of which was the jazzy brass section that pumped out the catchy riffs that are the basis for most of Lily’s songs. Her hour-long set capped off the first day of Splendour, with everyone scrambling for buses as the clock hit midnight (apart from those who chose to stay on and party at the Slate Bar or Tipi Forest).

Stay tuned for Splendour Review: Day 2!

Watch the backstage action at fasterlouder’s Tiki Bar here
Interviews with:
Kaiser Chiefs
Ash
Sneaky Sound System
Grinspoon

And these artists to come in the next few days:
Bloc Party, Editors, The Horrors, Howling Bells, The Shins, Hoodoo Gurus, Tilly and the Wall, The Herd, Paul Kelly, Spiderbait, Hot Chip, Hilltop Hoods, Dirty Three, Josh Pyke, The Panics ...

Check out the Backstage pics here