Live Review: Groovin The Moo Bendigo

It's possible that the entire supply of glitter existent in Bendigo and beyond has found its way to the Prince of Wales Showground this morning. Approaching cars are filled to the brim with bright-eyed teens chugging servo coffees and piling all possible shiny substances on their faces as they pull up to the parking lot. With shimmering cheeks, lips, eyes and even beards, punters file into long lines to make their way into the venue as Lanks' lush set pours out through the grounds and its surroundings, getting everyone pumped as they pass through the bag check.

The bass pulsating through the speakers of the Moolin Rouge stage drags us deep into the undercover area where the lights are just beginning to brighten the stage for L-FRESH The LION's set. The combo of L-FRESH and hype queen Mirrah, backed by their tight-as-can-be band, create an amazingly energetic vibe. Delicious chords complement L-FRESH's equally engaging content, especially in Pray For Me. His lyrics about diversity, strength and migration hit home for plenty of punters, who passionately scream along to standout lyric "So excuse my smile when they try tell me what struggle is" in Get Mine. His commentaries on social injustices are delivered with the smoothest of flows and infectious positivity. 

"Cool, thanks for coming to see us here... Let's continue the show," Methyl Ethel lead singer Jake Webb says casually to the keen crowd, ready for the next track. Their textured guitars and wavy vocals are the perfect addition to the warm afternoon, as the sun starts to pour over the field and punters settle into the day with a bev on the grass.

It's around early afternoon, when most are midway through sorting out their plan of action for the rest of the day, when the realisation hits that festival fave Tash Sultana has unfortunately had to cancel her set due to illness. Just as most are mourning this, news surfaces through word of mouth and social media that Montaigne will also be unable to make an appearance today for the very same reason. 

Next up is Allday who pulls a massive crowd for his set on the triple j stage, where punters push to get a little closer to the barrier and can be heard throughout the showgrounds, rapping along to verse after verse. 

Gracing the Moolin Rouge stage next is Melbourne songstress Alex Lahey, who puts on a stellar show. With a band that packs a punch, and a seriously comfortable stage presence, she's got fans yelling along to song after song, especially Let's Go Out, proving the strength of her already super dedicated fan following. News that there's an album on the way is evidently met with barely contained anticipation, judging by the roaring reaction that's going on right now.

Through no fault of her own, K Flay's vocals are initially close to inaudible at the start of her set. Everyone loves a bit of mind-rattling bass, but maybe not as much as what's blaring out of the speakers of the Cattleyard Stage right now. With a fair few fans overheard telling each other that they "can't hear shit right now!" this problem seems to be rectified reasonably quickly, as K Flay and her band settle into the rest of the performance. She's got a captivatingly dark vibe, and unique vocals that grip punters' attention as they pass by, causing them to join the crowd for a listen. 

The fashion on the field is never boring, with wild outfits beckoning at every turn. Bindis now seem to exist on every possible part of people's faces, dashikis are worn on top of hoodies, kimonos are paired with flower crowns and fishnets, and sombreros with ponchos. There's even Native American headdresses... It's an interesting mix, to say the very least.

Keeping the crowd moving and the energy at its peak is Courtney Clarke — better known as CC:Disco! She's completely killing it, mixing total hit after hit. After Clarke tells us Townsville's crowd moved more than Bendigo's, punters take it upon themselves to prove her wrong. They kick it up a notch as she drops Inner Circle's Bad Boys, which serves as the perfect antidote! 

Northeast Party House's hardcore following are in fine form this afternoon. Barely two seconds into the track and fans are already screaming along to every lyric of Heartbreaker. These guys have been in the game for a fair few years now and it totally shows in their stage presence. They've got total control of the crowd. They peak and fall at just the right times, which is why they've managed to pack out the Moolin Rouge area. It seriously feels like every single person at Groovin The Moo has showed up to watch these guys do their thing.

Stepping up to the plate to cover Montaigne's set is none other than electro-soul superstar, Alice Ivy. "I've got big shoes to fill!" she tells us, and damn does she fill them! With the help of guitar whizz Luy Amiel, and a guest appearance from rapper Charlie Threads, she destroys the stage with a ferocious funk frenzy of retro samples and energetic vocals to kill. It's an undeniably impressive performance that leaves everyone wanting more. 

Fans can be heard screaming the chorus of 333 from all the way on the other side of the grounds as Against Me! smash through their set on the triple j stage. They're a total powerhouse of an act; a true testament to their years of experience. 

Over on The Plot stage, Kinder are providing the beats for those keen for a boogie. The only slight complaint here is the size of the dancefloor, which is situated at the very corner of the massive warehouse. A little more space would go down a treat, especially for those requiring a bit more space to get wild with their moves.

"...You can do anything to want to do," finishes The Smith Street Band's frontman Wil Wagner after an inspirational speech about pursuing what you want to in life. Death To The Lads is one of the loudest sung tracks of the entire day, with the chorus being yelled out from those front and centre of the stage all the way to those waiting in line for the toilet or kicking back on the grass with a burger. 

Slumberjack provide all the jams for those ready to get loose and limber as the day starts to get colder and a slight drizzle begins to fall. The bass is throbbing and the half-time drops are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up to carry us through the afternoon. 

Taking the place of Tash Sultana is Amy Shark who has the crowd totally transfixed, especially for Middle Of The Night. She's definitely inducing the feels this afternoon, as she sings her heart out on the smoky stage, with plenty of people spotted literally bawling their eyes out to this track. Adore is belted out and cute little lovers are seen screaming the lyrics to each other. It's seemingly an emotional time for many.

Clearly making waves in Australia is UK rapper, Loyle Carner with a large number of punters ready and raring to rap along to his hip hop tunes. They go wild for BFG, screaming "Of course I'm fuckin' sad, I miss my fuckin' Dad!" along with him. Meanwhile, on the triple j stage, the crowd is blissfully yelling "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else" as they party with The Jungle Giants. 

Clambering over the piles of cans and plates of food scraps, we make our way through the crowd contentedly swaying along to Milky Chance. As everyone belts out Cocoon, we follow the fairy lights to where Thundamentals are getting the crowd groovin' as the night gets darker.

Appearing from a haze of smoke onto a black stage illuminated by white lights spelling out her name is George Maple. Adorned in a metallic hooded ensemble with killer thigh-high boots to match, she struts onto the stage and totally takes control. With moves to kill and vocals to match, it's hard to take your eyes off her, especially for Sticks And Horses.

At this point of the evening, the air's thick with the weird scent combo of stale rum, hot chips and wet grass. It's too dark to see what food scraps we're probably standing on, but this doesn't keep punters from partying to PNAU on the matted grass, now flattened and damp with remnants of the early afternoon shenanigans.  

There's a lot of wild dance moves happening when Snakehips take over with a solid selection of their old and new jams. Gold goes down an absolute treat with long-time fans. "Who still fucks with Soulja Boy though?!" they ask the crowd. Plenty in the crowd, surprisingly, as we're transported to the strange times of 2007 as Crank That blasts through the speakers before they close with All My Friends (of course).

Summery festival fashions of the sunny afternoon are now thoroughly impractical as freezing winds blow through the grounds, so in an effort to avoid hypothermia, punters jump around to The Wombats, happily screaming along to 1996. Techno Fan brings upon multiple mini mosh pits as fans fling themselves around for the chorus, only to resume their head bobbing stance for the verse in anticipation to do it all over again.

With cold noses and frozen fingertips, some clutching steaming hot coffees for that last bit of sustenance, ears prick up from the first blaring note that bleeds out of the speakers. Violent Soho are the kick in the face that punters need to rocket into total overdrive for that one final caffeinated, cacophonous rager before most make a bee-line for the exit. Muscle Junkie goes down an absolute angry treat as fans scream "Fuck you, fuck you, I can't trust you!" in gloriously bitter choral unison. 

Those seeking some solace from the icy weather head straight to Dillon Francis' set for one last opportunity to show off their moves. He drops an intense selection of electro jams for a final few dangerous displays of enthusiastic choreography before punters are forced to wind up the evening — cold, completely content and most probably covered in glitter.