One Movement Festival @ TheEsplanade, Perth (11/10/10)

Wed 13th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Check out all the Sunday pics here

If there was to be one gripe about the One Movement Festival it would most certainly be the set lengths. With some running for as little as twenty minutes, there was never enough time to get lost in what was happening on stage. Admittedly the beast was meant to have an ‘industry showcase’ nature, but twenty-minutes to half an hour didn’t really do any of the bands justice (unless you’re the high school girls from Stonefield who got booked for Glastonbury following their twenty-minute show).

On Sunday however, revellers looked happy the short sets meant less time spent in the elements. There were a few amphibious types frolicking in singlets and thongs but most were donning their raincoats and hoodies. Here in Perth we don’t have winter, we have $1 billion storms in autumn and spontaneously miserable days in spring instead. The conditions were hellish for a festival.

Not so hellish for bands playing on The Big Top Stage. The charming Sally Seltmann was almost too quiet for her shelter-seeking crowd, but one couldn’t help but be glad the forces of nature had worked in her favour. In the meantime, Dengue Fever thankfully had temperatures rising with an infectious dose of Latin fusion out in the blustery field.

Canadians Bedouin Soundclash could have been band of the day had it not been for the weather and stingy time allowance. The committed crowd they pulled didn’t let rain dampen their mood though. The water appeared to have the same effect on the joyful skankers (particularly the Canadian contingent) as it does on Gizmo in Gremlins. The three piece (who unfortunately no longer tour with the brass section they brought out for Soundwave 2009) played exclusively from latest drop Light the Horizon. The somewhat downbeat direction the band has taken with the album worked well given the downbeat conditions. But for those who were hoping for a repeat of their euphoric Soundwave closing set, it left a slightly sour taste.

Back in the tent, Boy and Bear used their not-quite-Arcade-Fire-like grandeur to justify the current Kingsmill-led buzz around them. They flew the flag for the great Australian tradition of wealthy harmonies.

Operator Please looked as though their 15 minutes of fame had gone to their heads. Theirs was a set of unexplainables. Vocalist Amandah Wilkinson’s adoption of an American accent – unexplainable. Their Destiny’s Child/No Doubt cover mash – unexplainable (the fact they once recorded it for Nova is a little explainable). Their familiarity-destroying remix of Just a Song About Ping Pong …

New Zealand’s Kora followed them on the neighbouring stage in spectacular style. Whatever our Kiwi brethren drink over there in the land of Lord of the Rings and Footrot Flats must inspire some serious musical motivation. Instrumentally the band channelled a Game Theory-era The Roots with their urban take on party rock. Vocally their soulful dynamics were reminiscent of 90s R&B… in a good way. Their ruckus culminated in a freeze frame where the members freakishly held their poses for a solid minute of silence before cracking back into a dance pit killer.

Their set would be the peak of the evening as Dan Sultan’s summery daytime vibe felt out of place on a main stage after dark. Shapeshifter slotted perfectly into their late shift but weren’t quite up to the engaging Kora standard. Xavier Rudd was well… Xavier Rudd.

Clearly Perth still doesn’t know what to make of the One Movement Festival, but those who attended its final day just looked happy they could listen to live music and get drunk in the rain.

Check out all the Sunday pics here