CHECK OUT DAY 1 BANDS, FUN AND FASHION HERE!

Celebrating it’s 40th year of existence, University of Canberra’s Stonefest kicked off Friday night with a predominately hip hop/r&b/soul vibe on the outdoor Main Stage, and the usual dance party in the upstairs Refectory.

The layout of the venue has altered slightly from previous years, with the Main Stage now on the oval opposite the Refectory, rather than on the grassy patch just outside the bar. The difference is that the wide open space, instead of making the place feel empty and over-spacious, makes it feel more like Centennial Park in Sydney, for instance, whereby the audience isn’t fighting for space, yet can still create a sizeable pack in the middle.

First up on the main stage (aside from DJ act Too Terrorble Tablists) was Melbourne group TZU, who with a double MC combination, as well as live instrumentation sonically crossbreeding with MPC’s and turntables, brought their recent album Computer Love to the stage.

The crowd, which was un-Canberralike in it’s punctuality for the event, lapped it up, and when TZU started the – œI say this, you say that’ routine, there wasn’t a possibility of an awkward silence ensuing. After giving a shoutout to the camera pit (those poor neglected photographers…), and freestyling about Belconnen (2615 represent!), they wrapped up their set with the title track from Computer Love.

A quick run to the UC Bar below the refectory revealed that Canberra’s stereotype of being a year or two behind the trends in the bigger cities is alive and well. Eureka Stockade flag-capes, fluoro (will it ever go away?), and more over-exposed muscles than a Modular press release from 2007 were the flavours to be savoured amongst the crowd.

Back on the main stage, New Zealand prog-funkers Kora began their set with an epic anthem of an opening with lead singer Laughton Kora holding notes to rival Maynard James Keenan. A little less metal than I had assumed, perhaps due to what seemed to be the lead guitar being low in the mix, Kora sounded like Faith No More circa Angel Dust, which is never a bad thing to be.

Following on with the funk were crowd favourites Blue King Brown, who were the group on everyone’s lips when asked who they were looking forward to seeing on the night, if not the whole festival. Unfortunately, they came on a little later than scheduled, but this only furthered the anticipation in the now very sizeable Main Stage crowd, and when the ten piece entered to a rousing solo drum beat, the reaction was huge.

Blistering rhymes by frontwoman Natalie Pa’apa’a interspersed with a cappella passages and acknowledging the traditional owners of the land sent the crowd into a tizzy, with heads and hands and bodies moving about and shaking off the restraint that had been lingering for the night so far.

Despite the political undertones and K-Rudd samples heightening my white middle-class guilt, it was clear that the majority of the crowd were happy to toe the Blue King Brown party line, with the band successfully passing on their energy on stage to the audience, but at times it felt it might have been the other way around.

At this point, the Refectory was gearing up for The Bumblebeez, who along with Regurgitator, were posing the only major clash of the festival timetable.

Whilst Spruce Lee finished up his set with Presets remixes and I-remember-this-song-from-high-school Armand Van Helden, the brother and sister powerhouse of Chris and Pia Collona started setting up, but intermittent mic problems pushed the set back a while, but when you’re taking over from a DJ, it’s not like anyone really notices, especially given the state of some of those dancing.

The tardiness was quickly forgivable as soon as Chris literally screamed at the crowd and began to throw himself around the stage. Whilst Blue King Brown had an energy to them, The Bumblebeez siblings, as well as their live drummer/DJ, are the human equivalents of performance enhancing drugs. Pia bounced around and barked her rhymes at the crowd, taking over the lead role and leaving no one unaware of their stage presence. When he wasn’t taking over drum duties or triggering samples behind the desk, Chris was jumping off the stage to confront those on the barrier and headbanging like a thrash metal guitarist from 1987.

After one of his assaults on the crowd, Chris brought back a shirtless hostage to the stage to join them for their most recognisable hit Dr Love, and the crowd went wild for it. If the energy levels stayed at that constant for the rest of the set, you can bet The Bumblebeez would be sleeping well that night, however it was time to make a hasty return to the main stage to catch what was left of Australia’s favourite electro-hiphop-punk-rock bubble inhabitants, Regurgitator.

Dressed in pure white leggings and thermal tops, and sporting matching virginal white instruments,, and sunglasses Regurgitator had easily the best sound and loudest volume of all the bands that night, reminding the packed crowd why they are one of Australia’s most preminent and enduring bands. Playing what seemed like an epic track list in their one hour set the band dished out songs spanning the last 12 years and 7 albums. Crowd favourites of course included, Polyester Girl, Kong Foo Sing and I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff, but really it was hit after hit, with the high-school memories streaming back to many.

Unfortunately mid-set frontman Quan Yeomans copped a dose of Canberra’s burgeoning bogan population straight on, recieving a plastic bottle to the head. Thankfully he took it well, playing on, and not appearing too insulted. The ‘Gurge set ended all too soon with the band closing out the Superstage for the night with many of the crowd feeling exhausted and sated.

But shenanigans continued into the wee hours of the morning inside in the Arena where Dexter and Alan Braxe kept the stayers suitably entertained dancing the night away!

Stay tuned to FasterLouder for the second day review, with acts such as Snob Scrilla, Faker, The Grates, The Drones, The Dandy Warhols, and headliners Grinspoon.