The Five Best And Worst Things From Splendour Day Two
"There'll always be fuckwits..." - luckily, Violent Soho and Something For Kate are not fuckwits
After a more than shaky start to proceedings on day one of the festival, there was heavy pressure on the second day of Splendour to deliver a more enjoyable festival experience. Thankfully, and perhaps against all odds, things improved across the board.
WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT DAY TWO
1. An apology While the frustration of Friday's logistical disaster still burns, it was good to see the festival acknowledge and apologise for what transpired. If only they could reschedule the bands we missed as a result of their poor foresight.
2. Something For Kate A set jam-packed with some of their best and most well-known songs and executed with grit and passion provided one of the surprise highlights of day two. A brilliant festival set that ought to endear them once more to former fans.
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3. The kindness of strangers Part of a festival's success can be measured by the general vibe and spirit of the people in attendance. It seemed on day two that many in the Splendour crowd were ready to embrace the community spirit of an event like this and, while there'll always be fuckwits, this crowd seems pretty good for the most part.
4. Violent Soho A killer early afternoon set that sent the throng of kids at the front of the tent mental. Bodies, pieces of clothing, cans and even records (?) went flying through the crowd as the Mansfield four-piece slayed.
5. Extracurricular activities Even if you don't like music you could probably busy yourself quite easily for a couple of hours at Splendour. Between craft, an Amish barn-raising (or something), an enormous number of food options, the Forum and more, you needn't be bored for long.
WHAT SUCKED
1. The absence of rock'n'roll Where were the rock bands on day two of Splendour? It was hard to find a distorted guitar anywhere on site after Violent Soho's early afternoon finish.
2. The GW McLennan Stage Conditions here are deteriorating fast – and they weren't much good to begin with. It seems almost entirely unnavigable without a pair of gumboots and, even with them, it's pretty tough going. With a bit of rain around on day three, things could get truly awful.
3. Birds Of Tokyo This band has become so banal that their inclusion on the Splendour line-up actually detracts from it on the whole, in my eyes. I appreciate and respect their success, but the music they're putting out now just made the Supertop flatline.
4. Gurrumul Vs Lorde The addition of young kiwi songstress Lorde to the bill is a pretty inspired last minute call from Splendour, but her 4.30pm slot puts her up against Gurrumul, who is surely one of the festival's must-see acts.
5. Are The National a headline act? One would imagine that even the most ardent fans of Cincinnati-bred dour indie rockers The National would agree that they aren't exactly headliner material for an event of this size. Let's remember recent years have seen the likes of Pixies, Kanye West, Jack White, The Strokes and Coldplay closing out stages. They might be well-loved, but there's no wow-factor booking this band on the top of a bill.
theMusic.com.au's Splendour In The Grass Coverage
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