Live Review: Queenscliff Music Festival

Friday

This year Queenscliff Music Festival celebrate their 20th year and the 2016 event sold out about a month ago. While waiting in line to collect our tickets, we can hear Liz Stringer performing and decide she sounds like a female Dan Sultan.

Over on Hippos Stage, the wonderful Kylie Auldist covers Cold Chisel's Saturday Night. She really is a soul diamond. Her album is extraordinary, but you really do need to experience Auldist live to really appreciate her talent; she truly beams up there. The brass section adds sass and a trumpet solo really takes us there. Auldist performs a touching tribute to recently deceased legend Sharon Jones.

We speak to a fair few people who have made the trek to Queenscliff specifically to see Killing Heidi. "We'd be here anyway as punters even if we weren't playing," the radiant Ella Hooper gushes when they take to Lighthouse Stage. They all look so happy up there and we all ponder what may have become of them had they continued. Hooper sports an age-appropriate rock'n'roll look: black off-the-shoulder, bell-sleeve top and pants (not jeans). Not many could get away with that bright blue eye shadow, either. Hooper intros a "deep cut", Real People ("There's no shame in being sad") and it rules. Killing Heidi's music doesn't sound dated at all. They play Kettle, before which Hooper reminds us she was just 13 years old when she wrote this song. After triple j added it to rotation, she adds, "It was like a 13-year-old kid's wet dream!" Their bassist is also a beautiful violinist. Live Without It is exceptional and then we all bounce along to Superman/Supergirl.

At Queenscliff, you do sometimes have to intervene if you spot little kiddies fighting: "He's tryina push me!" A little one down front dobs on her brother.

"Thank you for being our first," Hooper praises - sounds like there will be a full comeback tour!? - and then Mascara's lyrics "Just wearing black won't take care of that" remind us of our emo pasts. Killing Heidi have lost nothing and really do sound incredible as is perfectly demonstrated during their smash hit and closer, Weir.

Are lots of people suffering from colds and sharing Portaloos for moral support or are punters snorting lines?

We head towards The Pavilion for Alice Ivy (Annika Schmarsel to her parents) but are stopped at the door and told we must drain our drinks since this is a dry area. We scull. Then we get to admire what Schmarsel brings, which is something totally unique and somehow effortlessly marries current with retro. She thanks her parents for letting her stay at their place. This young lady, raised on the Victorian surf coast, is certainly going places.

The tent is heaving to welcome Ash Grunwald to Lighthouse Stage. His cover of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley is everything! The whoops and hollers throughout the crowd speak volumes. Grunwald takes his denim jacket off, but the pork pie hat remains on at all times.

We're not quite ready to call it a night so head into Queenscliff Brewhouse where a lively dancefloor cut moves to party classics such as JT's Rock Your Body. There's nothing quite like a coastal local going loco, which we witness on many occasions across the weekend. Although we could kick in for a couple more hours yet, it's only night one so we head over to the homeward-bound McHarry's shuttle bus.

Saturday

All aboard the 11am QMF Express, Carriage B, for William Crighton! A previous passenger left their knitting on a seat, which we move to the side after asking whether it belongs to a member of the band. Crighton has brought four muso mates along and they start off with Priest before the train has peeled away from the station. There's a touch of Roy Orbison to his vocal. Crighton's 2000 Clicks is a highlight.

We switch to Carriage A at Lakers Siding. Reuben Stone jokes he's gonna play 20 minutes of Meat Loaf covers. He loops his sounds, supplying beatboxing drum beats and even plays trombone! (It's a bit early for this instrument at 11.30am, however.) There's a reggae flavour to Stone's music; he probably grew up on a diet of Fat Freddy's Drop. His mum's over from New Zealand and Stone puts her to work as merch lady. Props to him for changing a guitar string while the train's in motion.

Back inside the festival site, Sweethearts perform This Land Is Your Land as a tribute to Sharon Jones on Hippos Stage. A Hawaiian shirt-wearing super-fan bolts down the front for some dad dancing toward the end of their set, which lures a couple of others to their feet. He then tries to copy the backing vocalists' chorey. They close with a smashing version of What A Man.

It would be excellent to host a daggy dancing contest at QMF. Geez, the flies are bad this year!

We head up Hesse Street to Shelter Shed for a takeaway coffee. The lovely server reaches for her Elevation blend of aromatherapy oils upon hearing we're feeling a little flat and applies some to the backs of our necks and wrists.

Back inside the festival site on Glaneuse Stage, Jordie Lane commences solo with Better Not Go Outside, before his bandmates The Sleepers arrive onstage, join in and beef-up the tail end of this song's arrangement. What a voice! Lane explains they've spent the last three-and-a-half years in the States, embroiled in the relentless political campaigns, and then America Won't You Make My Dreams Come True follows. Clare Reynolds has a delightful voice as well. Lane's band is also capable of belting out barnstorming brilliance. His harmonica playing to open Black Diamond is mega-impressive.

On Hippos Stage, Abbe May wears a beautiful beaded jacket in soft, flowing fabric. Her vocal is heart-wrenching; almost too real to handle. And she's no slouch on guitar, either. This is May's "Bitchcraft" band, she tells us. Karmageddon bewitches. The emotive side of May's voice calls to mind Hayley Mary of The Jezabels.

We head over to Glaneuse Stage to check out Julien Baker. "Woo, for being weird," the 21-year old singer-songwriter from Memphis enthuses. She has an endearing presence and specialises in ridiculously extended notes that climb octaves in a single breath. It does have a depressive impact, however.

The hordes tramp over to Lighthouse Stage for Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos (his incredible backing band features Abbe May and Martin Rotsey on guitar, Mark Wilson on bass, Peter Luscombe on drums and Rosa Morgan on keys). A punter walking into the tent clocks Garrett up onstage and observes, "He looks like Michael Klim". A few classic Australian tracks are included to pay tribute to some Aussie music legends taken too soon: Ego Is Not A Dirty Word by Skyhooks (RIP Shirley Strachan); Back To The Wall by Divinyls (RIP Chrissy Amphlett). May shines on guitar during the Divinyls cover. We all just wanna hear Oils material, though - let's face it. Garrett introduces two of his daughters to the stage and they supply backing vocals. Garrett gives a shout-out to the Recognise crew and then we get our wish: Midnight Oil's Don't Wanna Be The One! And Garrett really comes alive. Pleasingly, Garrett still dances like he's getting an electric shock through the floorboards and is a riveting frontman.

There's an encore and we score yet another Oils song: The Dead Heart, during which we all have a blast singing along with the "doo-doo-doo-doo" parts. Keep on praying for that Oils reunion tour, people! It'll be mighty!

We take a boogie break guided by Vince Peach's stellar soul selections (who could resist Stevie Wonder's Superstition?). It's a loose vibe in Ozone Lounge and there's dancing on tables.

Those unaware that Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen recently released an anthology of funeral songs (Death's Dateless Night) probably found the reverent atmosphere of their Lighthouse Stage set somewhat of a surprise. We hear shouts for "How To Make Gravy!" and there's an overall restless vibe. Kelly's vocal, so steeped in character, rings out clearly through the evening air.

Sunday

Salt Lounge is a very civilised music venue, filled with comfy couches and chairs, and their Poet's Dream cocktail, resplendent with fairy floss garnish, does the trick at 11am. Gabriella Cohen confesses she just woke up and strums gently, aware there may be sore heads among us: "Is the guitar too loud for you guys?" She looks a picture in this upstairs gallery space, wearing a flowing white blouse and a captain's hat. Dedicating a song to the late Leonard Cohen, Cohen recalls a dream she had about him, during which he guided her down a concrete hill with his hand resting on the small of her back (and he was wearing a suit, of course). She teaches us I Feel So Lonely's chorus (complimenting us, mid-song: "That's really good!"). She tries out a song she wrote yesterday after stating, "It's good to be brave," and it's a plaintive, lovestruck ditty.

Back in the festival site, a large crowd assembles to watch Steve Poltz perform his comedic, storytelling toons on Hippos Stage. He utilises backing tracks, but picks up a guitar for Silver Lining. The Queenscliff massive sure do love singalongs! Poltz commends Queenscliff Music Festival, admitting it was on his bucket list. The back story to his closer, I Want All My Friends To Be Happy, is incredibly touching; he tells us wrote this song after a friend lost his battle with brain cancer. Poltz calls strong men and women down to the front so he can crowd-surf and loops this song so that it keeps playing while he does so. All of the feels, especially when the crowd's called upon to help him tell cancer to, "FUCK OFF!"

Over on Glaneuse Stage, Canadian blues guitarist/singer-songwriter Matt Andersen has a commanding presence and big voice akin to Andrew Strong (from the 1991 cult film The Commitments); his husky bass timbre could be heard from the moon.

Pierce Brothers slay on Hippos Stage, performing Overdose in front of an appreciative audience, but we really wanna dance to DJ Vince Peach one more time so we trot off to Ozone Lounge. And what an incredible job he always does on the most all-ages dancefloor you'll probably ever see! Plus, the experience is made even better by the fact that this tent doubles as a cafe and smells like chai. Hit The Road Jack is the tonic.

On Lighthouse Stage, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals open with Oppression, which is percussion-heavy goodness thanks to Leon Mobley. "Thank you," Harper acknowledges. A female neighbour in the crowd replies, "No, thank YOU!" It's all good vibes, no one can rock a pioneer hat quite like Harper and Diamonds On The Inside follows. "Thank you for the sign," Harper gestures toward a front row fan, adding, "Signs are the coolest thing." Turns out this sign is designed to let Harper know that a mum in the house named her son after him (but Benjamin's a pretty common name, right?). Harper takes his hat off, bows in her direction and deems this an honour. There's a young girl lying on a blanket with pointer fingers rammed inside her ears - clearly over it. She's later popped up on shoulders for a look-see, but her fingers remain in ears; not a good look if Harper happens across her, really. He takes a seat, switches to slide guitar and all clap along. Morning Yearning features glorious lyrics ("Another day/Another chance to get it right"). Keyboardist Jason Yates has an owl ornament on his console, facing away from the crowd, watching over him. The set's a slow build, but, then again, it's a two-hour slot so can afford to be. Bassist Juan Nelson is a delight, his funky bass solo turns into a riff-off with Harper on slide and the results are hilarious. Excuse Me Mr is heartfelt and Harper loses himself in this song. Harper is genetically blessed, uncontested, and he oozes positivity. What's not to love?

What stands out about Queenscliff Music Festival, year after year, is the captive audiences across all venues inside the festival site and beyond. It's a gathering for music worshippers; those among us who simply couldn't survive without it.