Splendour In The Grass Day 2: Reunions, Gumboot Chafe and That Dude Dressed As A Unicorn
What happens at Splendour...
Well I'll be damned, another sunny day meets eager punters for day two of Splendour In The Grass. The shuttle bus is chock full of punters spontaneously bursting out into the chorus of various Dune Rats songs (it gets VERY old, VERY quickly to hear drunkards screaming Scott Green seven trillion times but we love the energy).
The grounds are rife with jeans and long pants today - yesterday was a record low temperature for Splendour and people must've learnt from their mistake - so patterned '70s style flared pants are everywhere. The wind's taken a backseat today though, so the day seems a little warmer than yesterday. My gum boot chafe from yesterday is giving me a bit of hell even though I've opted for jeans today - like, what did I even expect? Rubber was rubbing my leg raw for 15km - but that's where my complaints stop. Luca Brasi's killing it at the Amphitheatre in all black, kicking out footies into the crowd and generally are just in top form, while Bag Raiders is pounding out an electro dance party over at Mix Up.
We give the boho and vintage stores a bit more of a gander today and I pick up an absolutely sick original Holloway varsity jacket from the '80s that belonged to an American softball/basketball player called Karin. Cheers, Karin. Hope you weren't one of those mean-spirited popular jocks that American teen movies always depict. The other stores aren't really my thing but you can pick up a whole heap of ponchos, denim articles of clothing, jewellery and get your hair braided or face glittered up.
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South Indian food from the Global Village is on the cards for lunch today, as we listen to the folky sounds of Essie Thomas. There's an old dude dressed as a unicorn (not a onesie, like, an actual horn stuck to his forehead) here and a dreadlocked hula-hooper. Also been spotting a lot of littles today with special AAA Junior lanyards and Little Splendour merch, which is bloody adorable. It's so good to see parents getting their kids involved in the music scene this early - some are having a boogie (better dance moves than I can muster, to be honest) even with their huge protective headphones on. When they're not staggering around like little drunk humans, a lot of these kids are sleeping or riding around in cosy little trolley things, the perfect way for parents to pull them around.
Little Splendour, a guarded off little area where I'm not allowed to go because I haven't yet spawned my own little human, houses a play wonderland, full of sandpits, games, quiet areas and entertainment. The fence is made out of big rough-hewn coloured pencils that I'm dying to take a photo of but, again, can't. People in the Splendour In The Craft tent are getting creative making paper straw prisms, yarn… things, felt appliqués on t-shirts and everything in between. It's very rustic chic in here, weathered floorboards have been lain down and there are bamboo poles with fairy lights and flags adorning it.
We hear a sniff that Bernard Fanning will be bringing his mates from Powderfinger for a few songs so we jet back in time to hear (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind and These Days, the whole crew back together after all these years. Later, Rag'n'Bone Man's soulful vocals surprise me, as do Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda who are having (and giving punters) a damn good funktastic time. Royal Blood are two but have the power of twenty and Queens Of The Stone Age are, well, Queens Of The Stone Age. Bloody explosive.
So, by 11pm my legs are feeling a little like they're about to fall off my body. Since yesterday morning, I've clocked 24km and now I'm dragging my feet like a zombie and I can't move faster no matter how hard I try. I'll never laugh at shuffling zombies trying to walk normally again.
Back 'atcha for day three.
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