Live Review: Groovin' The Moo

The much-adored regional festival that is Groovin' The Moo kicked off in a glow of sunshine in Maitland. The laidback, happy-go-lucky vibe that this event is renowned for was thick in the air. Today was going to be a good day, no doubt about it.

Indie fellas Hungry Kids Of Hungary were on early, but that didn't deter the crowd from getting amongst it. In fact, the band played to an almost packed Moolin Rouge tent, something you don't often see at just after midday. Everyone was having loads of fun, dancing without a care in the world and enjoying some slick tunes from the four-piece. Oldie, Let You Down, and their latest hit, Twin Cities, made it hard for the grins to disappear. The party continued in the tent with the DZ Deathrays' DJ set. The crowd may have diminished, but those who stayed were treated to a bunch of '80s hits. And when the tell-tale lyrics of “You gotta fight, for your right, to party” blasted through the air, a wave of excited revellers returned back to the fold.

Brooklyn duo Matt & Kim had fans at the main stage area wrapped around their fingers with their energetic set. Continually telling the crowd how fucking awesome they are rarely gets old. But it was a cool rendition of Alice DeeJay's Better Off Alone that was the icing on the cake.

Seth Sentry continued the representation of some of our finest rappers on display at GTM. He opened with Float Away, getting the crowd amped in the process. Sound travelled well at the Showgrounds – for those sitting all the way back on the hill, Sentry's flow was pristine. His chilled rhymes, like favourite, The Waitress Song, complimented the laidback vibe of the day perfectly. A different kind of chilled followed, with indie outfit Alpine taking the stage. Depending on what you wanted to get out of the acts on the bill, their set was either solid or a drag. Vocally, Phoebe Baker and Lou James were sharp and they played all their hits including Gasoline, Seeing Red and Villages. But their banter between songs was pretty mundane and at a festival, attention spans are short.

“We just got to your country at five o'clock this morning, so we're all kinds of fucked,” exclaimed Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchison as the Scots took to the stage. Not that their performance was affected, as these guys were rock solid. Highlights included Old Old Fashioned and Late March, Death March and it was good to see them playing a range of their catalogue.

Moving back over to the tent saw Yacht attempt to get things loose – and they succeeded. Vocalist Claire L. Evans worked her butt off on stage and it paid off in dividends on Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire) and Le Goudron, which got everyone moving. Moolin Rouge then got a dose of hip hop, with Pez hyping the crowd up into a mini-frenzy.

After an afternoon full of local rap though, it was time for something a little different. Enter Regurgitator. The familiar sounds of Polyester Girl and Fat Cop took over the showground and it was nice to see that this entertaining band have still got it. More quirky rock was assured with They Might Be Giants taking to the main stage soon after. These guys are really the epitome of fun. You can't help but dance to their set and when they bust out The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight), well, you try and not sing along.

The epic band of 2012 that is Tame Impala were on just after six o'clock and with the sun set, they were just the right amount of chill to help fans wind down a bit from a day of high energy. Frontman Kevin Parker informed the crowd that he lost his voice – something not noticeable until he asked for everyone's help singing Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. The set wasn't poor, but it wasn't spectacular either. Except, of course for Elephant, which sent everyone absolutely apeshit.

It was a toss-up between twins Tegan & Sara or house wunderkind Flume next – the latter won, so it was off to the tent for some sweaty, body-warmth action. The crowd was huge – probably one of the biggest GTM has seen at its Moolin Rouge stage. Flume didn't disappoint and, in fact, he delivered the set of the day. There were bodies flailing about everywhere, carefree (or silly) fans climbing the poles holding the tent together, just to get a view of the house maestro in action. More Than You Thought, Sleepless, Holdin On – Flume gave the crowd hit after hit, plus some pretty dope renditions of Major Lazer's Get Free and Juicy by Notorious BIG. Predictably ending with his remix of Hermitude's HyperParadise, fans were transported to another world, hoping to stay there forever.

Brit rockers The Kooks came on stage, only to leave for about five minutes, then return. Whatever technical glitch threatened the set was forgotten, with lead singer Luke Pritchard promising to raise the fucking roof. They did so with Is It Me, providing some lovely cheer with She Moves In Her Own Way and mellowing everyone out with Seaside. As with most of the day's acts, they played a mix of old and new. It was a theme of the event, which no doubt left all fans stoked.

Sore legs and impending long drives home meant a handful of revellers headed off with the sound of The Temper Trap playing gloriously in the background with their usual solid live delivery. Over the past few years, Groovin' The Moo has slowly climbed its way up the ladder of most adored Aussie music events. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more laidback and fun atmosphere as the one created by this festival gem.