Golden Plains: Day One @Meredith SupernaturalAmphitheatre, Meredith(12/03/2011)

Wed 16th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It took little time for Golden Plains No.5 to impose its splendours upon carloads of eager music enthusiasts. The Supernatural Amphitheatre appeared to be in Mother Nature’s good graces, a fine Saturday sun bathing early-bird campers in a prickling warmth. A little below its capacity, Golden Plains was well on its way to re-establishing its deserved reputation as one of the most terrifically relaxed and yet unquestionably fulfilling festivals our nation has to offer.

San Fransisco’s Sonny and The Sunsets would have the privilege of opening proceedings, showcasing their brand of back-to-basics, jangly rock and roll, recalling bygone eras and familiar genres. Though they displayed their share of drawbacks – notably, a timid pop sensibility so close yet so far from ensuring any lasting impression – they provided the exact ingredient of rollicking fun in an apt enough beginning to the weekend. Heart Of Sadness became the highlight of their set, a short, sharp and sweetly accessible slice of melancholy rock. It was nice to have them along, but the general suspicion seemed to be that the best was yet to come.

Local punk-rock stalwarts Cosmic Psychos then took to the stage, set to infuse the festival with a little more grunt. Ultimately, their gritty intensity would go beyond the call of duty, a frenzy up-to-eleven aesthetic drawing enthused punters to the foot of the stage. Cosmic Psychos demanded you discard your road-trip-induced siesta and cut loose and, predictably, most were happy to oblige. That there was not a great deal of diversity in their performance, it seemed to matter little – after all, with a slew of accessible lyrics and dynamite guitar solos, it was only natural to just embrace Cosmic Psychos’ craft free from too much dissection. It was a brazen rock affair and one that alluded to their influence upon so many of the country’s aspiring rock bands.

Next up were Magic Kids, an indie-pop sextet direct from Memphis, Tennessee. With their airy-fairy playful approach, the devilish moxie of their predecessors, in complete sonic opposition, had become a distant memory. Nevertheless, Magic Kids’ appearance was generally enjoyable, the band sounding both sunny and spirited in their unashamed twee style. Their songs played out as if to channel the perfect afternoon climate, a collection of sugar sweet pop songs unfolding. The biggest problem the band faced was the actual output of their material, their music barely breaching beyond the pit of the stage. It was lame in the true sense of the word, limping from the speakers. As a result, their music mostly failed to sink its teeth in and capitalise upon a building crowd. If there was anything to take from it, it was the saccharine Superball, their single proving a diamond in the rough. Otherwise, the overall impression was that more intimate setting would prove beneficial to the experience of the band.