Live Review: Falls Festival

28 December

A beautiful hot sunny day with clear blue skies welcomes early arriving campers to Erskine Falls. With no shuttle busses available until later in the evening, it’s a long walk from the campgrounds to the festival site, especially returning with multiple bags of ice melting along the way.

The first night of the 22nd Falls Festival kicks off with the annual Boogie Nights celebration in The Grand Theatre. Colourful costumes inspired by an ‘Under the sea’ theme welcomes characters of all sorts including mermaids, sailors and seaweed monsters, all ready to get the party started.

DJ Woody presents his ‘Hip Hop is 40’ AV show celebrating the best hip hop music and culture over the past 40 years with eye-catching visuals to match. His energetic set kick starts the extravagant dancing with tunes from all-time legends including 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G and Snoop Dogg just to list a few.

Canadian youngsters BadBadNotGood let loose with an intense and erratic jam session combining a range of different musical genres including unique cover interpretations of hip hop tracks with jazz undertones.

Crowd. Pic by David Harris.

After a bite to eat from the variety of multicultural cuisines on offer and a refreshing drink from the Kopparberg Cider Bar, it’s time to work off those extra calories at the Twerkshop. Yes, that’s right, a dance exercise class that teaches the audience the art of twerking. With help from Melbourne’s trio of butt-shaking professionals the audience are engaging their rear ends in an up and down motion in no time. Accompanied by some big booty themed songs the ladies and gentlemen (lurkers) smack down with some fun games and non-stop dancing to boot.

Retro electro-pop duo Client Liaison draw in a massive crowd that fills the entire theatre. Their performance exudes energy and nostalgia as they transport the audience back to the 80’s and 90’s with pulsating disco synths and infectious choruses. Their flamboyant and charismatic style complete with mullets and vintage clothing makes it impossible not to groove along to. They give a grand Aussie welcome with a song called Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight accompanied by a montage of iconic retro video footage and sounds of Didgeridoos. Their lively and euphoric dance tracks including Feed the Rhythm and Free of Fear spark infectious positive vibes.

Old school hip-hop queens Salt –N-Pepa bust a move as they hit they stage with their ensemble of back up dancers and DJ Spinderella on decks to keep the party rocking. Pepa’s age pop quiz alludes to the fact that most of the audience are 90’s babies so hoping that they at least know some of their biggest hits including Let’s Talk About Sex and Gitty Up. They respond well and continue to bring some lucky Aussie men on stage for Whatta Man as they show off their unashamed dance moves.

Alison Wonderland keeps the momentum going long into the night with a powerhouse set that vibrates through the theatre and out into the campsite that leave many wanting to stay on and continue partying long after midnight.

29 December

The Valley Stage comes alive on the second day but unfortunately the weather is miserable and with not much shelter the ponchos and waterproof onesies are out in full force.

As the rain begins to fall, the timid Japanese Wallpaper is the perfect soundtrack. The 17-year-old Triple J Unearthed High winner Gab Strum creates dreamy intricate layers of sound laced with silky smooth vocals. The uplifting performance makes the cold and wet conditions bearable as the audience becomes entranced by the supple electro beats combined with delicate keyboards and sounds of wind chimes to accompany the falling raindrops.

Brisbane indie-rock five-piece The Art Of Sleeping play some brand new songs for the first time. Lead singer Caleb Hodges showcases his strong emotive vocals and empowering choruses on song Hold Me Like A Heartbeat and an impressive cover of Frank Ocean’s Lost.

The sun briefly pokes out between the clouds just long enough for the audience to capture a photo opportunity with their abundance of handy selfie sticks.

English singer-songwriter Charlotte OC captures attention in the mid afternoon as she commands an exceptional stage presence and she is radiant in a long white shirt-dress. Being her first time visiting and performing in Australia she is delighted to share her bluesy funk music with those who watch the set. Her strong soulful vocals are a refreshing discovery with catchy lyrics and moving gospel tones it’s clear she is destined for success.

The Kite String Tangle attract a massive crowd into The Valley as the electro wunderkind Danny Harley produces delicate electro-pop with irregular rhythms blended with ethereal sound effects and beautiful falsettos. He creates perfect light and shade from tranquil soothing beats to infectious upbeat rhythms that compell the crowd to dance. His cover of Lorde’s Tennis Court is a unique interpretation that creates a new life of the song with a different perspective.

Indie-dance band Northeast Party House raise the levels to a new high with a lively and energetic performance. The Valley turns into a sea of dancing ravers and the mosh pit ignites as the band unleashes their addictively epic synth rock and trilling guitars, well and truly raising the bar.

DZ Deathrays send the crowd into a frenzy with their endless punk rock energy filled with electrifying guitar riffs and pulsating drums. Their music is perfect for a large festival with an immensely powerful and loud sound packed with shouting vocals and thrashing instruments to conjure up an uncontrollable moshpit. Just when you think things couldn’t get any more hectic they drop a completely unexpected cover of Darude’s Sandstorm, turning the trance anthem into something of their own with a garage rock reinterpretation that sends the audience into a wild rampage of dancing.

Night set in and many quickly head back to camp to put on a few extra layers of clothing to beat the cold during the headlining acts of the evening. German folk duo Milky Chance has the same idea rugged up in cozy colourful fleece jumpers and lead singer Clemens Rehbein’s wild mane of hair is looking bigger than ever. This is their first concert in Australia and it’s clear to see they already have a huge fan base with the audience chanting along to their big hits Stolen Dance and Flashed Junk Mind. Their funky psychedelic folk kindled by raspy tones and infectious harmonicas create a relaxed vibe with an upbeat and danceable rhythm.

The Temper Trap give the audience a little taste of some new material they have been busy working on in the studio including a new song called Burn, a positive feel good track about feeling alive that is destined to be a hit. Summers Almost Gone is a heartfelt emotional slow burner. They perform an entertaining cover of The Clash’s Rock The Casbah and delight fans with some of their biggest hits including Sweet Disposition, a song that never seems to loose its charm no matter how many times you hear it.

Music producer Jamie XX starts off slow with some seriously heavy bass that send endless vibration through the audience. The set is minimal with an unimpressive light and visual display but the music progressively builds up from a continuous thumping to some of his best remixes and singles including All Raving Under One Roof.

Quite possibly the most entertaining act of the day is the final one all the way from New Orleans, the queen of bounce - Big Freedia. Bringing her booty poppin’ extravaganza to the stage and exploding with sweaty hip shaking and hair flipping this diva teaches the audience how to wiggle and put some of those Twerkshop moves into action. Everybody puts their last bit of energy into moving about for the short half hour show of fun up-tempo hip hop music loaded with heavy bass.

30 December

All stages are open by the third day and everyone is well and truly in the full festival spirit. Tkay Maidza brings an abundance of energy to the stage in the early afternoon as she bounces around with an infectious smile and charismatic personality. She encourages the audience to “Get Lit” for the fast paced Arm Up and stomps her feet for the fun Brontosaurus. She surprises the audience with a new song set to be her next single in new year rich in effortless raps tied together with synchronised clapping and heavy drops. Calling for some lucky volunteers for a big finisher they hold up water pistols and cool down the mosh pit during the catchy tune U-Huh.

To change things up a bit The Grand Theatre welcomes some laugh out loud international and homegrown comedy acts to the stage including Tommy Dassalo, Urzila Carlson and hosted by Daniel Townes. Bringing some sensitive issues to surface including socialising with dog people, poo, vomit and awkward couple Groupon offers, the audience is left in side-splitting stitches.

DMA’s revive 90’s brit-pop and grungy indie garage-rock as the crowd perches on The Valley hill swaying to and fro. Decked in vintage Adidas jackets complete with bum bags and bucket hats it’s as if these items never went out of fashion. Lead singer Tommy O’Dell beats the tambourine enthusiastically and belts out soaring vocal harmonies accompanied by gentle strumming and catchy acoustic guitar rhythms. An acoustic ballad Delete is the highlight of the set where the band comes together perfectly.

Icelandic band Ásgeir grace us with charming emotional melodic folk ballads layered with beautiful falsettos and soft tones. They sing in both English and Icelandic, both as equally mesmerizing even if at times you didn’t know what they were singing about, it is soothing and ethereal.

It’s time to wake up with Melbourne’s hip-hop, indie cool kid Remi ready to make the audience dance and participate. His smooth raps and fresh lively attitude is infectious and fascinating to watch letting loose live on stage.

Sticky Fingers got stuck right into their genre mashing surf dub, reggae, psych rock with a funky dance beat as they bounce around the stage. The individual quirky characters with mullets, dirty moes and hairy bare chests jammed out an expansive sound built for The Valley Stage with immense atmospheric build up.

The stunning George Ezra is certainly on everyone’s timetable to watch as crowds raced up the hill towards the end of Jagwar Ma’s energetic and uplifting set bursting with contagious hooks and electronic effects. The young, talented English singer-songwriter shows vocal maturity beyond his years with a compelling range of effortless deep bluesy tones. His acoustic ballads tell stories of his travels in Europe including the song of the year that everyone wanted to hear - Budapest.

                                                                                     Glass Animals. Pic by David Harris.

Cloud Control’s exhilarating set with feel good moments and infectious harmonies comes at perfect timing as the sun breaks through. Meanwhile Sydney trio Movement capture the attention with their hauntingly dark and moody creation of R’n’B vocals soaked in deep electro dance beats. The atmospheric combination is a distinctive fine craft that’s smooth and seductive.

It’s been seven years since La Roux was last at Falls Festival at the peak of their debut, now they return as last minute saviors of the cancelled Robyn & Royksopp show, and certainly did not disappoint. Back with a new album Trouble In Paradise, they bring their sun soaked tropical synth-pop to the stage. Lead singer Elly Jackson is sophisticated and stylish in high waisted pants and her signature slicked quiff. Each of the catchy 80’s disco tinged tracks are a magical mixture of addictive melodies, sweet falsettos and funky bass lines. The playful performance concluding with the contagious hit Bulletproof leaves the audience wanting more.

The second last act of the night and fellow replacement Empire Of The Sun who love making a grand entrance. The eerie instrumental Lux begins to play as the stage comes alive with colour before alien-esque dancers emerge in extravagant costumes carefully maneuvering around the stage props. Frontman Luke Steele rises up from the floor in his emperor guise complete with a metal headdress affixed and eye-make up generously applied. The theatrical performance is a stunning display of dreamy electro-pop with supercharged festival anthems that peak at all the right moments including We Are The People and Celebrate. Bringing a whole new meaning to a big finisher, Luke Steele absolutely demolishes his guitar without any hesitation before a surprise encore of Alive.

For those not tired enough to sleep, it is well worth waiting up to catch the mysterious SBTRKT wearing his trademark tribal mask. Working incredibly hard he delivers an exceptional live performance sending a heavy baseline down the spines of every person dancing along in the crowd. Tracks including Wildfire, Pharoahs and New Dorp, New York are highlights and extraordinary to hear live with rhythmic intricacies full of bombastic tribal sounds.

31 December

It’s New Year’s Eve and the sun finally decides to come out and stay out for what promises to be a beautiful warm day.

Seven-piece brass band The Horns Of Leroy can be heard from miles away consisting of trumpets, trombones, a sousaphone, bass and a snare drum. However it proves to be a little too loud for those battling a hangover.

Melbourne Triple J Unearthed High winner GL, consisting of members Graeme and Ella open up on the Valley Stage with a glowing 80's funk, electro-synth pop sound. Their intuitive and hypnotic grooves create the perfect danceable disco with addictive melodies and sensuous vocals.

The one-man band Kim Churchill proves to be a standout as he juggles multiple instruments including guitar, bass drum, harmonica, tambourine and percussion all whilst pouring his heart and soul out as he delivers a remarkable vocal range. The ambitious and passionate surfer dude from Merimbula recounts his life experiences through song. His raw emotional and heartfelt lyrics are inspiring and insightful.

Wolf Alice, an alternative rock band hailing from London has an excellent momentum with a collection of diverse material spanning out across many different genres. Their aggressive edge fuelled by grungy guitars with crashing reverb is balanced out nicely with front woman Ellie Rowsell’s sweet breathy vocals. Their impressive cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game has intense emotional build up and carries grace and originality.

Thelma Plum casts a spell over The Grand Theatre and shines with her timid and distinctive vocals. The folksy songbird radiates in her summer dress and takes us through the motions of her raw melancholic tunes. Her charming, quirky tracks Around Here and Dollar are complete with perfect sing-a-long choruses, plenty of contagious swearing and syncopated hand clapping for everyone to join in. A fresh cover of Chet Faker’s Gold sung like it was her very own was thrown in, which Plum explains is a song she wishes she wrote and asks everyone to pretend she did.

The Black Lips. Pic by David Harris.

Megan Washington is vibrant as ever in her cool shades, black and white striped top and bright red lips, bringing upbeat Get Happy positive vibes to the Valley Stage. She flaunts her raspy qualities and impressive vocal range by sharing a collection of her songs including some recent material from her latest album There There. My Heart Is A Wheel boasts addictive hooks and catchy choruses, while How To Tame Lions delves deep into her powerful emotional side. Sharing a few of her new year’s resolutions she summarises her shitty year with her favourite song Runaway by Kanye West, a standout moment.

Glass Animals is another standout act that attracts a sizeable crowd. Lead vocalist David Bayley is a fantastic performer to watch as he engages with the audience in a theatrical manner leaping from stage to speaker cradling his guitar like a baby. They produce mesmerising slow burning grooves and intertwining intricate sound effects that trickle over the audience with a slow and seductive build up. Their dazzling concoction of jazzy harmonies, sleek vocals and tropical rhythms are invigorating and exciting.

Safia get the crowd up and dance-jumping with their diverse blend of genres created with a plethora of synthesizers, sequencers and electronic drum kits. Lead singer Ben Woolner provides beautifully tailored shades of soft and rich vocals with angelic falsettos and deep growling rasps over electronic dance beats inspired by house and dubstep. They share a brand new song called Counting Sheep for the first time ever featuring a distorted vocal backing track and violin strings to danceable electro beat. Their own remix of The Aston Shuffle’s Tear It Down featuring Woolner’s vocals builds up at all the right moments sending the crowd into a frenzy.

How does Bluejuice celebrate their third last ever show at Falls Festival? Get drunk and naked, of course! After clearly having a few too may pre-drinks before stumbling onto the stage, frontman Jake Stone continuously whips his microphone cord around only just missing the security and sound crew by an inch each time. A couple of songs in he removes his shirt and runs into the audience to crowd surf. By the end of the energetic set both Stone and backing vocalist Stavros Yiannoukas have stripped right down to nothing but their underwear and the neon yellow and orange tape stuck to their bodies. The wildly entertaining performance is the perfect send off for the larrikins who leave their legacy behind on a high note.

Alt-J set a moody tone with lead singer Joe Newman’s otherworldly and seductive vocals. The indie rock band creates a multi-textured ambiance of steady rhythms and dazzling harmonies that wash over the audience and puts them in a trance like state.

There’s a short break in the final moments of 2014 as Spiderbait’s Kram counts in the New Year in his moment of glory on stage with his two children before The Presets kick-off 2015 with an electrifying sensory spectacle of delicately layered electro pop and impressive visual productions. They treat the audience to non-stop extended versions of some of their biggest hits that progressively flow into the next track. The crowd dances away through the early hours of New Year morning as they hold on to the final moments of Falls Festival for another year.