Splendour In The Grass 2010

Woodford 29.7.10 to 1.8.10

This year’s Splendour In The Grass festival, which marks the tenth anniversary for the revered music and arts event, has been discussed for months. The excitement has been tangible since the line up was announced, and it was revealed the event, temporarily moved to Woodfordia in Queensland, would now be over three days. This year everything seemed oversized  -  more acts, more venues, a larger labyrinth of an event site and thousands more tickets (from around 18,000 to 30,000). Long time attendees were complaining it wouldn’t be the same with such a large crowd, and with such commercial elements as a tent city dedicated to shopping and a day spa. They were right, after all, but with a line up like that, nobody would opt out just to avoid the raving, singleted, beer-stacking festival tools. When all was said and done, the memories you left with in the stagnant rows of cars early on Monday morning would be worth putting up with a lot worse. There were more standout acts than can be listed, but headliners included Ben Harper and Relentless 7, The Temper Trap, Grizzly Bear, Scissor Sisters (pictured), The Strokes, Band of Horses, Midnight Juggernauts, Empire of the Sun, Mumford and Sons, and Pixies.

The imminent crowd control issues became obvious in the wee hours of Thursday, as the punters struggled to secure a camping spot, and those already set up camp tried in vain to rest up for the days ahead. By Friday night, the site was buckling under the pressure of a mind-boggling number of sweaty bodies. Navigating the crowds turned out to be the only downside of the extended weekend, aside from doing a mad dash in the middle of a set, elbowing your way through to see another ‘must see’ act scheduled at the same time. Anyone who got tired of being a human sardine had numerous tents to chill in, though, from the Chai Lounge, to foam parties and workshops, to the returning Tipi Forest and Guzman Y Gomez tent. The best way to get your money’s worth though, was to get in amongst the throng, and carry your mid-strength drink of choice gingerly.

Friday

The first day of the musical buffet brought about some early highlights with Brit band Foals, head-to-head with Yeasayer. Whichever one you attended (I chose Foals) you came out raving. Foals brought some amazing energy got the crowd, spilling out of the Mix Up tent, singing along in a pitch that is just too high for most. Dougy Mandagi of Temper Trap, and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, however, both listed Yeasayer as one of their shows of the day, so who am I to argue with them? After grabbing a bite to eat  -  Jerri’s Vege Burgers are my Splendour staple diet  -  I was in the mood for dancing, so choose to catch Miami Horror over Sally Seltmann. Miami Horror didn’t bring much that you can’t get from playing a dodgy quality MP3 of ‘Sometimes’ and I was left wishing I had my time back.

I quickly forgave them, as soon after, the sun had set, the dancing shoes were on at Ibeefa  -  a retro-tinged dance party run by a DJ on a boat, and then it was time to be awed by Hot Chip. Their set overlapped with Angus and Julia Stone’s, so I went in aware I would have to leave early, but could hardly bring myself to do it. They know how to work a crowd, and their experience as a band has seen them develop a very strong live set. Crowd favourites were ‘Over and Over’, during which you had no choice but to dance as they told you to, screaming the words with the rest of the clearly familiar audience, and newer hit, ‘One Life Stand’ which, surprisingly, became quite a romantic, moving moment. By the time I had legged it to the Amphitheatre, a good ten minute walk even without the human traffic, I knew I had been wise to fit in Angus and Julia Stone’s set, as well. I entered the mosh as ‘And the Boys’ was floating dreamily across the massive crowd. The siblings were exactly as you’d expect, spaced and smiling, using quiet and gentle words to thank their fans. I wasn’t as impressed with the crowd, many of whom were loudly planning the rest of their night and impatiently waiting through this "piece of shit" to secure spots at the front for The Temper Trap. A cover of Grease’s ‘You’re the One That I Want’ got a mass sing-a-long, but the most magical moments for me, were ‘Private Lawns’ and ‘Big Jet Plane’. An interesting omission was ‘Paper Aeroplane’, which left a few very vocal fans wanting.

I staked my place at the front and waited for Temper Trap, with seemingly the rest of the festival-goers, even though my feet were threatening to give out. They proved a festival highlight, drawing one of the largest crowds, and confirming they have the talent to back up their success. It is not too much of a stretch to say the Aussie four-piece will surely be etched in the mind of every fan present as a band that must be seen live in order to be appreciated. Mandagi’s vocals are seamless, easily discernable over their powerful guitar work, and each track improved on the recorded version. A collaboration with Mumford and Sons on ‘Down River’ got the crowd all hot and bothered, but it was singles, ‘Love Lost’ and ‘Sweet Disposition’ that went off the most.

Finally, it was time for Scissor Sisters, who never fail to put on a good song and dance. This time around, they were playing mostly tracks from the recently released, Night Work, as well as hits like ‘Laura’, ‘Kiss You Off’ and ‘Take Your Mama Out’. It was clear that much of the audience wasn’t familiar with the new material, and were waiting to hear ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancing’  -  which they did, much sooner than they likely expected. Immediately after playing their monster hit, Ana Matronic, expecting the obvious crowd departure, said, "Seriously, guys, you ain’t seen nothing yet". The closer was ‘Filthy/Gorgeous’ during which Jake Shears, who had previously stripped down to a one piece, got stark naked on stage, ending the night with an everlasting image of his behind.

Saturday

Early risers who weren’t too hungover were in for quite a show from Gypsy and the Cat at the Amphitheatre. Their brand of harmonic indie pop helped ease the small crowd into a long day, despite technical difficulties cutting fifteen minutes off their set, and making the performance difficult for the Triple J Unearthed artists. Heading back to camp for a nap, I wandered into Mr Percival’s vocal workshop. I left ten minutes later singing a song I had just learnt about world peace (what else?) with about a hundred other people, feeling in true Woodfordia spirits.

After lunch, it was Two Door Cinema Club in the Mix Up tent, and an excited crowd was already forming. Their upbeat indie rock during tracks like ‘Something Good Can Work’ was conducive to dancing, or just listening for those who were conserving energy, but when it came time for ‘I Can Talk’ it was hard not to be taken over. Sticking around for Delphic, I was disappointed by the sound quality and overall stage presence after only a few tracks. Luckily, there was still plenty of time to catch the talented Clare Bowditch in the GW McLennan tent. Up next in the same comparatively small venue were British rock group, The Magic Numbers, which is made up of two sets of brothers and sisters. They played new tracks from The Runaway as well as their hits ‘Love Me Like You’ and ‘Take a Chance’.

Yolanda Be Cool were up next in the Mix Up, with a 45 minute set that was fun most of the way through, but didn’t hit a peak until their massive dance hit, ‘We Speak No Americano’. It was then time to sample one of the many overpriced food options, make a friend in the queue for the loos  -  which were much shorter than last year due to the spread out site  -  or grab some drinks. Before you knew it, you were running with the pack to Wolfmother, or what is left of them, namely, lead singer Andrew Stockdale. Newer songs like ‘New Moon Rising’ went down well, but original tracks like ‘Woman’, and closer, ‘Joker and the Thief’ were always going to be the crowd-pleasers. None of the tracks really went off with their entire crowd, which also wasn’t as big as I expected it to be. Even for those who didn’t enjoy Wolfmother, they were lucky to get in early for Florence and the Machine.

Security blocked off the moshpit when it was only around half full before Florence’s set, and there was barely room to stand further back on the hill. Happy with my lot at the back, I waited for the flash of red hair to arrive on stage. Making a dramatic entrance in a stunning white gown, she opened with ‘Drumming Song’ getting the crowd into it early. Slower songs followed, such as ‘My Boy Builds Coffins’, which showed her strength as a live vocalist. The set really picked up during ‘You’ve Got The Love’, probably the most overplayed song of the year. Suitably, it seemed every fan present knew the words, and were trying to outdo Florence Welsh herself. Even though they didn’t go off as much as her cover of The Source’s hit, ‘Kiss With A Fist’ and ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’ were the strongest moments.

I soon learnt that even though I had thought the Amphitheatre couldn’t get any fuller, adding all those who had been at the Mix Up for Art vs. Science made the crowd for The Strokes incredibly large. Hearing Julian Casablancas say we were part of possibly the largest collection of bodies he’d seen in one place was a lovely moment. We were part of something  -  and that something was very, very intense. There was hardly a single person seated by the time The Strokes were a few songs in. Interestingly, they were one of the few bands without a recent record to promote, meaning they were free to play all their hits, which is probably why the set didn’t drop in energy once. Add in a smoke bomb randomly thrown through the crowd, a streaker, and amazing light work and visuals, and you have a killer end to what was an inspiring night of music.

Sunday

Maybe it was just my body aches and mild hangover, but Sunday felt much more relaxed, lazier and even a bit shorter. Venturing out to see local lads Boy and Bear after falling in love with their EP, I hid in the shade of the hill overlooking the GW McLennan Tent. They were overwhelmed by the generous crowd size, with one of the band members saying there were "more people than I’ve ever met in my life in this tent". ‘Blood to Gold’ and ‘Mexican Mavis’ went down well, however they admitted to cutting their set short due to not having enough material. It’s a sign of what’s to come when they do put out a full record, as they clearly have talent and a budding following. I hung around for Cloud Control, not giving up my patch of grass, as more people filled the area. Their brand of almost psychedelic twee indie pop was a soothing mix, which you could enjoy without having to move your feet. Single ‘Gold Canary’ went over well with the crowd, but ‘This Is What I Said’ induced a whole crowd clap-a-long, and woke everyone up from their spell.

Then it was time for another Jerri’s burger, and We Are Scientists at the Amphitheatre. Still a little subdued from Cloud Control, I watched from above as they worked the crowd below. The Chupa Chups foam party was calling, after that, and so I donned a ridiculous white hooded suit to dance to retro tunes while getting foam rubbed into my hair. Only at Splendour. At this point, many people were heading back to camp, preparing for the difficult departure later that night. It had become obvious that with the clusterfuck that had been crowd control thus far, an exit would not be made easily.

By sunset, however, there were more must-see acts luring you back in. A divisive clash was Iceland’s Jonsi, head to head with Passion Pit. I chose Jonsi at the Mix Up, and was moved to the point of tearing up. Anyone who has seen Sigur Ros live would know this gentle soul has unnatural vocal talent, but this was something else altogether. He pushed himself to the limit, and hit each note seemingly higher. The dumbstruck crowd couldn’t have been more appreciative, cheering like schoolgirls at the end of each song, but remaining as silent as possible when he was working his unexplainable magic. The set was not without its upbeat moments, with Jonsi donning a headdress at one point, and raving around the stage to an electronic breakdown during ‘Grow Till Tall’.

It was then time to wait for festival drawcard, Mumford and Sons. The Brits filled the amphitheatre well before they were due to begin, and excitement was in the air. Similar to The Stroke’s set, it was impossible to stand by the end of the first song. Each track was strong, but a highlight was a medley with Boy and Bear, two members of Passion Pit and Julia Stone. It’s moments like that that make live concerts worthwhile, and moments like being one of at least twenty thousand people singing along simultaneously to a song as beautiful as ‘The Cave’. It was hard not to feel bad for the talented Goldfrapp for being scheduled at the same time. The competition obviously got too much for some artists, with Richard Ashcroft of the Verve, performing as Richard Ashcroft and The United Nations of Sound, spitting the dummy, presumably about his spot up against Empire of the Sun and Pixies. He reportedly threw down his instruments and jumped off stage after only one song, leaving his fans angry and shocked. It was on everyone’s lips as they made their way to one of the other sets (what I heard him being called can’t be repeated here  -  I’m sure you can imagine). I choose to wait at the Amphitheatre for US band, Pixies. There would have been quite a crowd at Empire of the Sun, but for me, the memory of seeing an outfit this, monumental in creating a new wave of music was a highlight of the entire festival. Like The Strokes, they only had well known tracks to perform, including the obvious classics, ‘Hey’, ‘Where is My Mind?’, and ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’, which was pure rock delight live. It might have taken a few hours extra to get home after staying for the close of their set, but it was worth every second.

By Anna Angel

ENDS