There was eager anticipation in the air as we made our way towards Pyramid Rock with 6,000 or so fellow music lovers. Early bird tickets this year meant lucky punters could arrive a night early and were treated to the best campsites and some great films on show in the Pharaoh’s Annex tent. Once tents were erected, many grabbed a beer from the bar and enjoyed the visual entertainment on hand such as Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Monty Python, Blackadder and South Park. Yet there was an obvious eagerness for the next day’s music to begin and many went to bed early in anticipation.
As another 6,000 campers slowly made their way into the site, others sleepily emerged from their tents. The early risers were treated to some great music over their brekkie and coffee. Bushido and Something With Numbers got the crowd going early. The sun continued to rise and the weather was perfect for relaxing as the tunes continued to impress.
True Live took to the stage mid afternoon to much applause from a zealous crowd. Blending an eclectic mix of jazz, funk and hip hop they took the audience on a musical journey with orchestral interludes. It became evident that they had earned the diverse crowds’ respect when mid way through their set, vocalist Ryan “Rhyno” Ritchie asked the audience to hush for their cello solo. A peaceful calm descended as patrons stood near, motionless with appreciation for the musical panache of Tim Blake. Upon completion, raucous applause erupted before resuming the frantic dancing that had characterised the set.
The audience was posed with several difficult musical choices throughout the festival. With two stages it’s often the case where two worthy acts will be performing simultaneously. On the Saturday afternoon, many punters were confronted with this problem as Faker and Rob Sawyer took the two stages. Those who chose to watch Faker were treated to a fun and energetic set with frontman Nathan Hudson climbing the scaffolding at one stage, as well as many tracks from their album Addicted Romantic including the hit ‘Kids on Overload’.
In the Pharaoh’s Annex, Rob Sawyer encouraged all those watching to dance up a dust storm with his addictive rhythm and beats. ‘The Masses’ had feet thumping, people jumping and cheering, resulting in one hot and sweaty tent.
Lior wowed the audience with his simple musical genius. The lyrics of songs such as ‘Daniel’ and ‘Sitting with a Stranger’ coaxed the crowd to initiate the first of many sing-a-longs for the festival.
End of Fashion proved to be a crowd favourite on the main-stage as thousands ran to the front of the stage for strains of hits such as ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘She’s Love’ and ‘The Game’ filled the air.
Over in the Annex however, The Red Eyes gave one of the most energetic performances of the festival. With their unique blend of styles and diverse musical talent, they rocked the tent and built the suspense with an impressive intro. Frontman El Witeri charmed and seduced the crowd with his charismatic personality and funky vocal ability. The audience responded with enthusiasm and gusto, dancing, chanting and arms in the air.
Silverchair blew everyone away from the moment they stepped foot on stage. With Paul Mac on keyboards, Daniel, Ben and Chris proved they had matured as a band and gave a technically brilliant and inspiring set. One of the largest crowds of the weekend witnessed a diverse performance from the boys and was very vocal in its appreciation. Tracks such as ‘Young Modern’ and ‘The Doo’ from their yet to be released album impressed as did old favourites. “Open fire on my knees desires, what I need from you” (the refrain from ‘Ana’s Song’) drifted hauntingly through the air as the crowd sang along heartily. The band gave a rousing rendition of Midnight Oil’s ‘Don’t Wanna Be the One’, along with ‘Freak’ to set the crowd on fire; the audience erupting and writhing in unison. It was the stand-out performance of the festival.
For those who wanted to dance the night away, Mylo, The Loose Cannons and Sub Focus kept tunes cranking until the wee hours.
Sunday morning came all too soon for some with Mammal and The Spazzys getting things going early.
Sunk Loto incited one of the roughest moshpits of the weekend with frontman Jason Brown demanding more from the crowd, although many watching sat lazily in the sun drinking their morning coffee.
Long Walk Home, fronted by the charismatically theatrical Charles Canh, took the Pharaoh’s Annex stage in the early afternoon. His angelic, often operatic vocals (with an amazing range), enchanted the crowd. The band’s at times hard edginess was softened by Canh’s beautiful vocals. What transpired was a deep, moving and even haunting performance. In the dark and dusty tent the light show was stunning and added an extra dimension to an already stellar performance that had to be seen to be believed.
Later, Xavier Rudd inspired and informed a receptive crowd. His performance began by inviting indigenous women onto the stage to speak about awareness and unity. He then leapt into a raucous and uplifting set which had the stadium dancing, tapping their feet and singing along. His anthemic ‘Let Me Be’ unified the crowd in a beautiful sing-a-long and his performance ended with indigenous adult and children dancers joining him on stage for a great finale.
Evermore took to the stage to the sounds of the Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’ and began an impressive, energetic set. They managed to soothe and unite a somewhat unruly audience, enabling them to be ready to see in the New Year. Their anthem ‘Running’ allowed punters to exercise their voices and sing along heartily, so much so that well into the night the refrain could be heard from large groups all around the campsite. They finished their set with another sing-a-long, this time their version of ‘Stand by Me’.
The Living End arrived with only minutes to spare before the New Year. Chris Cheney declared the sight of the moon told him it was time as the countdown begun. Everyone cheered as sparklers were lit, flares thrown, lovers kissed. Then suddenly it was 2007. ‘Who’s Gonna Save Us’ began the year with Scott Owen displaying his usual diverse double bass style. Favourites ‘Prisoner of Society’, ‘All Torn Down’ and ‘Second Solution’ filled the air. They gave a unique version of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and then finished with an awesome rendition of ‘West End Riot’.
The Freestylers kept the party going for those still keen to dance as the party moved to Pharaoh’s Annex again for dancing until dawn with Des Peres, Simon Slicker and DJ Cecille as the punters’ guides.
Campers woke to light rain on New Year’s Day which settled the dust after three nights of dancing and partying. With weary heads and happy hearts, people rose to begin the slow trip home full of memories and many wonderful musical and festival experiences.
