Live Review: Newtown Festival

An overcast sky threatened to dampen the Newtown Festival in its 35th year, but for the most part the rain stayed away and good times were had by all.

Artists created pieces live in explosions of colour and canvas at the Live Art Hub. The tastes and smells were international; dozens of food stalls offered everything from Venezuelan and Nepalese food to chocolate-covered frozen bananas.

The Vocal Local stage which sat atop La Toosh Crepes And Coffee was swinging early with The Little Stevies banging out folky pop songs.

Between the sea of stalls made up of local designers and trinket auctioneers were the Essential Stage and the Federation Stage. After a dog show featuring a celebrity look-alike competition bands took over the stages, Jones Jnr being one of the first. Their inventive loops ducked and dived as their soulful melodies soothed. Ev Jones' vocals were effortlessly stunning.

Betty & Oswald, a tight little duo playing folky summer songs, drew a crowd of around 50 to the Tantric Turtle Café stall.

Gay Paris delivered the heaviest set of the day. Wailin' H Monks' vocals were almost as fiery as his glorious red beard. He screamed and growled through the high-octane set and the Essential Stage was stomping.

Guineafowl were soft and sweet. Their clean-cut blues-inspired indie rock had Newtown dancing in and outside the gates.

Palms sounded heavier in the flesh; reverb-drenched vocals and guitars gave the set a fuzzy lo-fi feel the kids seemed to love.

Home Brew and his eight-man onstage entourage entertained too. Kill The Prime Minister got the biggest reaction from a crowd of Greens voters and poem I Wish You Weren't A Lesbian provided laughs.

Dappled Cities closed the day at the Federation Stage, the indie rock veterans constructing a set of delicate overlapping melodies and screaming vocals, held together by drums and bass that keep tracks moving. After dipping from each of their four albums, Dappled Cities closed with nostalgic anthem Born At The Right Time and sent Newtown off to enjoy their after-parties.