Live Review: Groovin The Moo

This year’s Groovin The Moo attracted thousands of crop tops, top-knots and the odd cow costume here and there.

Some local talent kicked things off for the day, with Timothy Nelson & The Infidels first on the bill. They brought the groove to the V Stage, Nelson’s smooth vocals pulling in a steady flow of folks. The frontman proved to be a jack-of-all-trades, mastering the keyboard, guitar and Afro cultivation. Tired Lion and Doctopus kept things moving with their rumbling bass lines and punchy vocals. Vocalist Sophie Hopes expressed that she’d never been drunk this early in the day before – a declaration that proved favourable with the audience.

Zimbabwe-born Australian singer/rapper Tkay Maidza only scraped through the Hottest 100 last year, when Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off was humorously disqualified after a popular fast food chain breached strict voting rules. This has deservedly garnered more attention for the 19-year-old Adelaide talent, whose popularity is growing at an alarming rate. The skippy joyride of Brontosaurus kicked her set off, which continued in a similar vein for the lively remainder of the performance.

By now a sizeable crowd had gathered in the Moolin Rouge, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Northlane. The band paired their signature screams with some cosmic visuals on a huge screen behind them, transporting fans to a realm of thrashing, head-banging and, strangely, some shoe throwing. Meanwhile Ozradecks, Sonder and Bobby Chance kept things bumpin’ over in Mootown, strobe lights and sweaty beats transforming the tiny tent into a pop-up nightclub.

Sydney five-piece The Preatures launched into an electric performance from the get-go, thanks predominately to the larger than life frontwoman Isabella Manfredi, who blasted the audience with her enthusiasm and warmth. “This is for all the mean girls who bullied me in high school, and all the guys who weren’t very nice to me” led into the powerful and anecdotal Cruel, which served as a strong highlight for the performance.

Freo favourites San Cisco were given a warm reception when they took to the Moolin Rouge Stage. A packed tent meant that fans had to spill out onto the surrounding greenery, but nobody seemed to mind. Breezy tracks, Golden Revolver and Bitter Winter among them, got people singing along on command, desperate to show their WA pride.

Back at the V Stage, You Me At Six were deceptively timid as they began their set, slowly easing onlookers into Room To Breathe. Singer Josh Franceschi’s vocals soared in Loverboy and Stay With Me before taking time out to address the crowd, his British accent undoubtedly winning over some new fans.

Self-proclaimed ‘trap lord’ A$AP Ferg swayed violently around the Moolin Rouge Stage, spitting cold-blooded verses about having sex with other people’s “bitches”. A$AP Ferg’s particularly distasteful and crude lyrics, when accompanied by fleeting and colourful geometric images and his signature heavy trap production, were actually extremely enjoyable – given you didn’t take the whole act too seriously.

People meanwhile were flocking to catch a glimpse of Ball Park Music. Fans were throwing every word of their set list right back at frontman Sam Cromack, and the band’s slick riffs and ridiculously tight harmonies pulled all eyes to them. It’s safe to say they knocked this one out of the park (sorry).

Hot Dub Time Machine is “the world’s first time travelling dance party”. Spanning all eras and genres, the Sydney-based DJ’s set kind of felt like a chronological Girl Talk performance without the mash-ups. This isn’t necessarily an insult though: he was able to set the crowd into a willing frenzy with transitions such as Björk riding into House Of Pain when the time period had crept up to the 1990s.

New Zealand brother-sister indie pop duo Broods did very well in bringing their moody and atmospheric aesthetic through into a live context. Beginning with a hauntingly looming bass line, it was impossible to deny the rich sincerity that was portrayed through both Georgia’s angelic vocals and Caleb’s eclectic multi-instrumental production. Over on the V Stage, Wolfmother shredded through a slew of old favourites like Joker & The Thief, no doubt satisfying those who had stuck by the band for over a decade.

RL Grime delivered exactly what his fans would have wanted from him on the night: an intense and unforgiving series of equally dark and manic bass music. The arpeggio-driven catchcry Because Of U somehow drove the already menacing energy levels of the crowd up a couple more notches, representing a polished performance from one of WeDidIt Collective’s most striking forerunners.

Hilltop Hoods rounded out the shows for the Triple J Stage, their distinctive beats and unstoppable flows getting everybody in the crowd bouncing along. Their performance of Cosby Sweater got a mammoth reaction from fans, promptly setting off an infectious singalong session.

Hugo Gruzman and James Lyell, more commonly known as Flight Facilities, have been putting out their version of disco house since 2009. The duo has described itself both on an individual and group basis as ‘perfectionistic’, which certainly shines through in both their crisp production and meticulous live performance. To the delight of the audience, the set featured all of the duo’s goodie bag of major hits including Crave You and Stand Still, which when cleverly interspersed with some deep house production, made for a refreshing and conclusive performance for the day.

Groovin The Moo’s ability to completely sell out in a state that routinely forces other festivals to pack it in speaks volumes about what it takes to make people want to come back again and again. This reviewer’s willing to bet that it’s all in the cow puns.