Good Vibrations Festival @Centennial Park, Sydney(12/2/11)

Mon 21st Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Novocastrian sextet the Seabellies have the unenviable task of opening the Good Vibrations main stage to an audience of roughly thirty people. Most bands wouldn’t even bother putting in the effort when there are so few around to appreciate it – but, then again, most bands aren’t the Seabellies. The band mix an eclectic array of indie pop, rock and electronica to create an expansive, dynamic sound; especially on tracks like the bouncing Young Cubs, which provides the first outstanding moment of the festival. With any luck, they’ll get a bit more attention on their upcoming March tour.

Over on the oddly named Mr. J stage, meanwhile, Slow Down Honey were facing a similar situation. What they lacked in numbers, they certainly made up for in energy, their jolty pop-rock recalling a hypothetical jam session between The Rapture and Jamiroquai prior to Jay Kay’s mid-life crisis. Of particular interest was the band’s final one-two shot of You Let The Whole World Down, with its incessant groove and instantly memorable chorus; and current single One I Know, boasting swaggered electric guitar and some fine falsetto from lead singer Alex Bennison cruising atop of it.

Tim Ayre and Jean Capotorto – or, creatively enough, Tim & Jean – are slowly working towards shedding the novelty of their ages (20 and 17, respectively) and the idea of having a single well-know song ( Come Around ). With each tour, support slot and festival appearance, they appear to be growing significantly more comfortable with themselves on stage, thus allowing a more energetic and enjoyable live show. Showcasing tracks from their upcoming debut album, Like What, their brand of fun-loving synthpop hasn’t quite emerged from the shadows of their influences. With that said, tracks like Don’t Stop and new single I Can Show You, at the very least, reflect their development as songwriters; creating some very catchy choruses to blend with brightly toned synths and electric guitar. One of the more impressive – and downright fun – performances of the day.

Next up on the Good Vibrations stage was British electro-rockers Fenech-Soler. Frontman Ben Duffy was all rockstar confidence, immediately winning over his audience in what was the band’s first ever performance in the country. Normally, this kind of thudding dance music is difficult to translate in the live environment – and a poor sound mix wasn’t assisting this during the early stages of the quartet’s set. Nevertheless, they persevered and kept on delivering highly danceable bangers – which were made to sound even bigger and even better through live instrumentation. A left-field surprise of the festival.

The rain was starting to fall, so naturally the only sheltered stage of the festival – the Roots tent – was heaving at capacity when another act making their first ever appearance in Sydney took to the stage. All the way from the depths of New Amerykah came the unmistakable, inimitable Erykah Badu. Though it was a full band which painted the soulful soundscapes – helping the crowd escape from the rain even further – all eyes were clearly on Ms. Badu. She captivated her audience with hit after hit from her extensive discography, weaving in stories of her life and bold sociopolitical stances along the way. As a matter of fact, she broke down her final number, Soldier, to tell us the story behind the documentary Fourth World War, which inspired her album of the same name. This story pushed Badu’s set overtime, but the best thing about this woman is her ability to leave her audience hanging on every single word, from her fearless calls to arms to her shattering vocal solos, which could raise the dead. A remarkable set from one of the truest soul singers in the world – Badu provided the standout set of the entire festival.

So, who is Mike Posner without his sole hit? Well, a couple of things, but above all he’s quite the showman. The raspy-voiced singer was right into the groove laid down by a surprisingly tight live band as he made a considerable effort in getting his crowd dancing and singing as much as possible, despite most looking like drowned rats. Along with tracks from his debut, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, Posner also threw in some teasing covers – R. Kelly’s Ignition, Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Snow ((Hey Oh)) and a remix of Miami Horror’s Sometimes, which went under the name You Don’t Have to Leave. The best thing about the performance – the fine musicianship aside – was simply observing how much fun Posner himself was having. Being 23 with a top ten hit single would certainly have its perks, and at this point the guy couldn’t care less if you think he’s a flash in the pan.

Back to the packed Roots tent, and the Kiwi contingent of the festival certainly made their presence felt when Lyall Bay natives Fat Freddy’s Drop made their return to Sydney and gave a spirited set of that reggae-dub fusion that really couldn’t come from any other group in quite the same way. Frontman Dallas Tamaira was all smiles as he lead the band through extensive jams on tracks stemming from both of their studio albums. Often the band would go on completely separate tangents and yet somehow managing to not only neatly tie it together at the song’s conclusion, but also maintain the audience’s interest through every crescendo and dynamic comedown. The set concluded with another festival highlight, in which Tamaira set up a loop pedal station on the side of the stage and called over different members of the band, one by one, to each play a different part of the song; which all came together in a blaze of looped glory. It’s clear that the years of consistent touring have paid off in Fat Freddy’s favour.

After another extended wait, one of the most anticipated acts on the bill that hadn’t already dropped off the lineup was about to take the stage – the team of Nas and Damien Marley. A journey through rap, rock, roots, reggae and back, the duo certainly gave their audience their money’s worth – some old favourites, newer collaborations and maybe a leaf or two from the Marley family tree. After working their way through several tracks from last year’s Distant Relatives record, both Nas and Marley got their individual moments to shine. Nas opted to get the crowd going with tracks like the title track from 2006’s Hip-Hop is Dead, as well as ubiquitous hits like If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) and Made You Look. With the live band giving him the extra oomph needed, and the man himself Nas was clearly loving the reception the crowd gave these tracks. Hey, above all else, it meant less people were watching his ex-wife, after all!

Although Marley didn’t quite have the energy of his counterpart, he was still quick to engage his audience and play master-of-ceremonies down to a T. “Can I have the fingers in the air one more time, please?” he asks for the umpteenth time – not that anyone’s counting, and not that anyone refuses to oblige him. The booming reggae beats come quick and fast, peaking with arguably Marley’s best known number, Welcome to Jamrock. By the time the two came back together, they had the entire audience in the palm of their hands, well and truly lost in the undying spirit of the music. And what better way to end it all than a hearty singalong to Bob Marley’s Could You Be Loved? A damn-near-perfect set that not only displayed the finest qualities of either performer, but really went to show the beauty of a great collaboration.

Faithless, by contrast, are missing something as they finish up the festival on the mainstage. The hits are present and accounted for – Mass Destruction is given a menacing run-through, while Insomnia sees the crowd whipped into a frenzy faster than you can say “I can’t get no sleep.” Perhaps it’s the coldness of everyone on stage that isn’t frontman Maxi Jazz, choosing to simply go through the motions of the songs rather than show any signs of enjoyment when playing them. In turn, any song which didn’t feature Jazz’s undeniable stage presence brought down the energy of the set significantly. Thankfully, it all came together in one final extravagant rendition of We Come 1 – the perfect way to send out Good Vibrations on a high note. Despite two of the biggest names bailing to chase the Grammys, and the heavens opening up for most of the day, there was still plenty of fun to be had.