Peats Ridge Festival [Day Two]@ Glenworth Valley (30/12/09)

Mon 4th Jan, 2010 in Gig Reviews

DAY TWO

How else to start the morning than with a bit of yoga? Apparently this was commonly thought as a hangover cure, as the line to get in the yoga tent was longer than that for the coffee. Yes, only at Peats Ridge.

Second best way to star the morning? Fuji Collective, and their jazz-styled grooves. Tijuana Cartel had everyone up and moving by midday to their eastern influenced hip hop tunes, whilst Danimals (consisting of ex-Mercy Arms, Good Buddha and Sherlock’s Daughter drummers) brought a bit more spring into everyone’s step.

Danimals’ upbeat electronic glitch-pop showed that these kids really knew their stuff. Admittedly still experimenting with their sound and live performance, there was plenty to admire in the boys’ percussion, synth, snare and xylophone playing skills (I’m sure they’d have nunchuck skills too). The only trouble occurred when lead singer Jonti Danilewitz attempted to play an acoustic version of their new single, only to have to restart three times. There’s a little bit of fine-tuning still needed to clean up their live performance.

Peats Ridge will always provide something to confuse you if you’re not already in a daze. Bohemian non linear Guide to Love worked a daily show of puppets, percussion and – œI’m not really sure what that is’ performance. Along with a strong focus on eco-friendly and sustainable living, Peats Ridge also pays respect to the land and the culture that surrounds it. At the Boardi space, the young Blacoseedz dancers (aged 4 to 14) gave a sweet rendition of some Australian animals via traditional indigenous performance and didgeridoo.

Percussion trio Circle of Rhythm – consisting of Greg Sheehan, Bobby Singh and Ben Walsh – produced an insane set, including a hypnotic gong solo from Sheehan and a heated call-and-response with mouth and drum percussion between Sigh and Walsh. Six months off practice? Lies! These guys were so in sync with each other you could swear that somehow it was all pre-recorded.

Later Walsh and Singh played in The Bird, along with Simon Durington and Barry Hill, to astound Peats Ridge as one of Australia’s best electronic acts. A personal standout of the 2009 festival, the boys were amazing. The production put into each track is outstanding and live there are little who could compare. You try for hours to explain the sound of these guys, but the best way to put it is to hear them for yourself.

Jeff Lang performed the likes of Copper Mine, The Edge Of The Light_ and Down South, and was warmly greeted with a field of evening picnic blankets. Meanwhile, Jack Ladder’s potentially enjoyable set of Buddy Holly-like vocals ended in a wash of feedback.

Japanese funk band Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro proved that you don’t need great English to communicate with everyone at Peats Ridge. The jazz style of Baggy Pants had everyone up and dancing, as the band concluded in saying that they were “Very happy Australia”.

Walking back to camp to regain some energy for New Years Eve, The Jezabels drew a good crowd, with Hayley Mary’s sweet-sounding vocals offering a nice end to the night.