Live Review: Golden Plains

Saturday

A determined sun defies the predictions of all the apps, blazing down on the beloved Supernatural Amphitheatre for another year. Hearts are heavy and walls are lined in tribute to the late Jack Nolan — whose lush farmland has played host to the Meredith/Golden Plains power couple for over two decades. His passing, a mere two weeks ago, is a palpable absence in the minds of those who knew him, but there is no doubt that the great man would still want this festival to be the party it always has been.

Kicking off the weekend's proceedings are Ausmuteants and by god do they kick off! The '70s underground punk sound cuts through the chilled-out vibe of punters still finding a spot to set up camp, with bassist Marc Dean thrashing like a madman front and centre. If there was any question about how Golden Plains would proceed this year, Ausmuteants quickly put them to rest. It's business as usual here: straight to 11 and getting bigger every minute.

Of course, as it always has been in The Sup', there is so much more going on here than just (really bloody good) music. Whether first time festivalgoers or experienced punters, the atmosphere of solidarity and the "No Dickhead Policy" (it's in the official rules) pulls together all walks of life. Young folk who haven't heard of half the bands playing kick back with the older generation who haven't heard of the other half. Stories, picnic rugs and a few illicit substances are shared among the crowd. As one of the few truly commercially independent festivals in the country, this is a festival of days gone by. With a selection of foods from around the globe, an outdoor cinema and even a damn good cryptic crossword (in the program), there's something for absolutely everyone.

Night falls and Kurt Vile brings the chill back in an orbit of mellow guitar loops and lyricism. The Violators frontman brings his trademark US twang to the horde in front of him, while those beyond sight send their adoration down. It's the other side of the coin from our festival openers, but it is one that is just as welcome. Pretty Pimpin is a definite highlight from the set, the stream-of-consciousness bluesy number gets heads a bobbin' in unison. Vile's ability to still achieve the nuances of his tracks without the aid of a full band is truly remarkable, and doing it so effortlessly is all the more amazing.

At this point, a question needs to be asked: How the hell do The Damned sound SO FUCKING GOOD?! It's hard to tell whether four decades of sticking it to the powers that be have kept them so polished or if the new order has ignited that old flame with a new passion. Either way, the UK godfathers of punk haven't lost it one bit. "We're here to keep music alive!" Dave Vanian declares, before the boys belie their years with outstanding youthful energy in Love Song and Smash It Up. Hats off for bringing the underground to a regional Victorian farm.

It's only day one and already the quality of music is immeasurable. Total Giovanni headline the night with an all-powerful explosion of danceability. Can't Control My Love earns the boys a huge boot-raise, cementing the legend status from their 2015 visit. Looking like they've, unashamedly, just stepped out of Olivia Newton-John's Physical video clip, the band take the time-honoured Golden Plains costume tradition and run with it. Fun doesn't even begin to describe it. This is a masterclass in awesome buffoonery.

Margaret Glaspy is a powerhouse of beautiful, lilting alt tunes — her Cali groove bringing the crowd together for a sweet-as-candy boogie. Her sound and demeanour slot so perfectly into the Golden Plains sphere that it's like she was born just for this. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics of You And I evoke pictures of Courtney Barnett who, incidentally, is sporadically spotted throughout the day (like a festival unicorn). Emotions And Math is a peak in proceedings with Glaspy grinning from ear to ear after the tremendous feedback from her audience.

Cash Savage & The Last Drinks are mindblowing. Riding the indefinite line between The Birthday Party and Dave Rawlings, the alt-country sensation pulls a blanket of musical darkness over the crowd as the sky itself does something eerily similar. "I wanna dedicate this one to my brother, to say sorry for fighting over where we should put our tent," Savage jokes as her incredible band launch into Do You Feel Loved. As she traverses the stage beneath the cover of a trucker cap, Savage's eyes are wild with passion as the group soar into the stratosphere with clamourous fiddle and percussion work. Savage and co evoke a million feelings at once with the sorrowful blows of country and the sheer resolve in Savage's gut-punching timbre. There's too much here not to love, and the crowd waste no time in letting them know that.

The always-incredible Camp Cope hit the stage with some visible nerves, but their sound is as raw and biting as ever. Singer Georgia Maq is grateful for the number of boots the trio receive, taking in the ultimately absurd sign of respect that has become a Golden Plains staple. Done is received with an almighty cheer from the punters before the volatile and phenomenal Lost: Season One closes out the set. There's little banter between tracks, but Maq and band have undoubtedly won these festivalgoers over.

With the cancellation of Princess Nokia from this bill at the last minute, would-be tour supporters Habits step up to the plate a little earlier than expected. Their electro beats and art-pop styling is played with expert precision, perfectly filling the shoes of the amazing (originally scheduled) performer we're sadly missing out on. Habits' incredible release Ugly Cry has definitely brewed excitement and anticipation within this crowd who rave into the darkness turning The Sup' into an apocalypse of techno goodness. By the time Brooke Powers steps up to the plate for an extended set into the very early hours of the morning, a tsunami of colours and lights flood the dancefloor along with the rainfall we expected hours earlier.

Sunday

Weary punters adorned in feather boas, sunglasses and glitter from the previous day's shenanigans crawl out from their dew-covered tents and head straight towards the array of stalls for hot food, juice and warm coffee to help ease their pain. Most find the strength to tread slowly yet willingly over to The Sup' to check out the beautiful vocals of Kardajala Kirridarra (feat Eleanor Dixon).

A moving monologue about the importance of women in the world today immediately catches our attention as we move closer to the stage. Kirridarra's wonderfully warm voice is the perfect soothing sound for those still in dreamland to wake up to. Mild morning sun beams down on punters thawing out from the rainy night that's passed as they soak up the dreamy electro beats. It's an honest and heartfelt performance, with passionate vocals and polished production, that only further highlights how important artists such as these are to the industry. Drawing her set to a close by graciously thanking the crowd, it's obvious by our applause that the feeling is more than reciprocated.

We're eased gently into the morning with The Dusty Millers, who are up next and present some folk/country tunes. Every single song these ladies belt out boasts practically pitch-perfect harmonies. Already, the contrast of varying genres that Golden Plains has lined up is evident. It's a truly commendable venture, to place such different artists one after the other, and this is what makes this festival such a diverse and inclusive one. "What is life without Meredith and Golden Plains?!" The Dusty Millers say. There are few encouraging yells however it seems the majority of the crowd is still a little too fragile for a wholehearted call and response sesh just yet! Their cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene is filled with dense harmonies and the sound quality here is fantastic, allowing every guitar lick and vocal ad-lib to totally soar.

Little kids ride around on their little bicycles, weaving in and around bunches of sprawled-out punters, while others get their fill of the mid-morning sunshine by going for a stretch and a jog around The Sup' — very dedicated, indeed!

Oren Ambarchi's thick tangle of synth sounds creep up to an anticipated climax as keen punters rush to the front of the stage. The live drums add a depth of sound and a strong rhythmic component to the piece, which becomes more apparent later in the set. A droning synth completely takes over every single other sound in The Sup'. After 11 minutes, we still await the song's colossal climax. Anyone nursing a lingering hangover today will certainly be in Struggle Town during Ambarchi's set. It gets louder minute by minute; after 17 they're just getting started. They're now 23 minutes in and the wailing synths are still full steam ahead. But who really cares about time here? This is clearly a band that exists outside the concept of time and, judging by the head-banging and arm-flailing punters, it's evidently working. The band's engagement in their own performance keeps people equally interested and Golden Plains is the perfect place for this as it feels that all assembled are willing and ready to give everything a listen. There are lots of shoes in the air after the 33-minute jam, which is the best compliment you could wish for at Golden Plains, right!?

Now's the best time to check out the fashion as, at this stage, punters are fresh faced. There's the usual array of elaborate flower crowns and neon face paint as well as glittering headpieces, decorative umbrellas and even the odd children's swimming aids/flotation rings. People-watching is equally as pleasurable as the music.

Olympia steps onto the stage clutching her electric guitar and dressed in a sparkling emerald-green dream get-up that catches every bouncing ray of light. Her stage presence is visually strong and her demeanour up there is so confident that it's hard to take your eyes off her for a second. The guitar power chords give us some '80s alt-rock vibes.

Before we know it it's time for Housekeeping. Scrambling punters pick up as many empty bottles and cans, which have been strewn around the field, as possible. This is a prime slot for Melbourne's newest group of soul sweethearts as most are totally over the packing up and congregate to the front of the stage, ready to get loose. Billy Davis & The Good Lords are a fully loaded musical powerhouse complete with sax, flute, heart-melting vocals and solos that'll blow your mind to bits. It comes as no surprise that Billy Davis & The Good Lords have The Sup' on their feet in no time (we even spy several punters typing the band name into their phones for future reference). Their enjoyment on stage is a true delight to watch and this vibe feeds straight back out into the crowd.

Punters take a late afternoon breather at the bar for an ice-cold Tequila Sunrise in the shade as they congregate by the benches at the highest point of the plains for a distant view of Chain & The Gang's set. The blaring bass and sultry banter of frontman Ian Svenonius has everyone hooked. Their presence as a live band is so strong and their songs reach their full potential when performed in this way.

Hula-hooping pros take to stage right to do their thing as Teenage Fanclub kick off their set. They spin their way through song after song as some newly put together outfits make an appearance. Metallic capes, angel wings, sequins, glitter-beards and bundles of fairy lights are all out in full force. Teenage Fanclub's set is received really well. Their major-chord heavy tracks bring upon an undeniably positive energy.

As 7pm draws closer, punters make their way to the highest point on the hill where the sun's demise can be fully appreciated. Set against the backdrop of a sunburnt-yellow grass field and several slowly spinning wind turbines, it's all beautifully picturesque. Teenage Fanclub's crooning — now slow and melancholy — rings out to the peak of the plain as the crowd watch on, the day starts to dim and the wind gets colder. As the sun is swallowed up behind the mountain there is a roar of applause and cheering so passionate that you'd think that a sunset wasn't a daily occurrence.

The minute the applause dies down the crowd leap off the grass and rush down to the stage to get set for REMI. It's not even the slightest bit surprising that The Sup' is totally packed; this guy can put on a show and everyone knows it. From the second he picks up the mic he's got us. With assistance from the irreplaceable Sensible J, N'Fa Jones and a special appearance by the amazing Sampa The Great, together they're able to turn the entire festival into what's essentially a massive party. REMI never disappoints!

Echoing guitars envelop the amphitheatre, shortly followed by those iconic vocals: none other than Neil Finn. Pink-and-blue fairy lights and lanterns light up the night sky, creating a super-mellow vibe. Fall At Your Feet and Don't Dream It's Over are obviously both met with the obligatory singalong. Punters singing their hearts out in unison is a beautiful sound and it carries right through The Sup' and beyond.

Belinda Carlisle's Heaven Is A Place On Earth blasts through the speakers before it's cut off abruptly. Punters aren't fazed and continue to sing the rest of this song's chorus at the top of their lungs. At 1.16am we hear, "We've got a big night of dancing ahead!" Cue Wax 'O Paradiso for a late night of electro-funk beats. The Sup' is taken over by keen punters who are ready to groove the night. And they do. The bass booms through the entire morning where Silence Is Golden finally falls at 7am. What a perfect way to end this two-day party! With sore legs, tired eyes and ringing ears.