Live Review: Queenscliff Music Festival

Friday

As we scan our wristband and wander through Queenscliff Music Festival site's entrance gates, an 11-piece brass band lures us over to the nearby Glaneuse stage. We're not at all happy with said band's name, since Hot Potato Band sounds like a spin-off of The Wiggles, but this ensemble sure bring the ruckus! They expertly involve the crowd on vocal duty during a song that goes, "Mama don't want no [insert instrument] around here". It's requested that we holler, "Oh no she dooooon't!" in response to this line every time. This New Orleans-inspired song also ensures each band member gets a chance to solo/shine before Hot Potato Band segue straight into When The Saints Go Marching In - the scene is loose! Their cover of Vance Joy's Riptide gets a rousing reception/deafening chorus singalong. Vocalist Benjamin Goldstein has charisma in abundance and the trio of drummers bring an unhinged vibe. The band touchingly dedicate Believe In Yourself to the kids out there who are learning how to play instruments, which is a bit adorable. Yep, we'll prioritise catching this Cronulla outfit again over the weekend.  

This year marks QMF's 21st birthday and the tweaks made to the site's layout are good ones (especially the shortcut through the dunny area for quicker transit between Lighthouse and Hippos or Glaneuse stages - shhhh, don't tell too many people!).

We wander over to Lighthouse stage for The Teskey Brothers and, sorry to say it but they suffer by comparison this evening. Hot Potato Band's audience involvement is so next level, that we're left wanting more of the same from The Teskey Brothers. The band announce and then complete their 'last' song before realising they have another seven minutes left. One would think this is a signal for a random party anthem, but they launch into yet another slow and soulful number.

It's always a pleasure to see people of all ages rushing towards Ozone Lounge for the chance to dance to DJ Vince Peach's carefully curated northern soul-featuring sets. This evening he opens with I Say A Little Prayer, which just intensifies the flurry of colour and movement from eager dancers who sing lyrics across at strangers. There's an extra responsibility to watch where you walk at QMF, however, and we're pretty sure you'd be hard-pressed to find a bunch of kiddies playing Uno on a blanket on any other festival dancefloor both here and abroad.

When Peach fades out, it's to signal Xavier Rudd taking the nearby Lighthouse stage. We're pretty sure this Torquay singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist invented the man bun since he's been rocking the look for yonks. Song two, Let Me Be, gets a killer response and Rudd pauses mid-song to smile and soak up the vibe. "Time and time and time we see these / Acts against humanity" - Rudd's socially conscious vibrations are timeless.

At about this time an absolute knob barges through the crowd, roughly shoving an older bloke outta the way while calling out "Muuuum!" even though he looks about 40 himself - not cool! Rudd is ambidextrous beyond belief and waves an Indigenous flag while roaming across the front of the stage playing didge one-handed. "Good to see all the children here. Good to see the family vibe," he extols. Rudd then acknowledges the Yes vote, before giving a shout-out to "all the gay and lesbian brothers and sisters". Since he grew up not far from here, Rudd says he invited his parents along to this show, adding that when they clocked his scheduled set time (10.30pm-12am) they deemed it "too late!" before adding, "We'll see you at Christmas." When Rudd plays drums and didge simultaneously we feel like we've entered a rave cave and get our Melbourne Shuffle on.

How is it midnight already!? As we exit the festival and see revellers cutting shapes in The Brewhouse, it takes everything within our power to walk on by and conserve our energy for two more days of festival frivolity.

Saturday  

Festival recommendation: Google a quick, restorative yoga session (we go for the 17-minute option) to attempt in the backyard/space between tents prior to Day Two departure. That way you'll feel pious and convince yourself you're offsetting adult beverages. After our sesh, we feel limber and ready to face the day.

Strolling over to Glaneuse stage, with cocktails in hand, we prioritise checking out BIGSOUND buzz act Stella Donnelly. We love one of her bands, Boat Show, and Donnelly's critically acclaimed EP Thrush Metal features language warnings. The Perth-based artist quickly expresses concern about performing next to Kids Quarter, confessing, "I drop a couple of bombs during my songs." She wears an elegant, long-length cream frock with what looks like a black '50s boy-leg bikini underneath. Donnelly has bit of trouble tuning her guitar and apologises for being unprofessional. She impresses with a song that's interspersed with spoken word phrases. Then Donnelly tells us she wrote a song about how annoying she found the gender stereotyping in Sportsbet ads during footy season.

Yep, we can definitely see what all the fuss is about. Donnelly's angelic timbre wafts by on the sea breeze during Boys Will Be Boys and Grey, and her cover of Good Luck by Basement Jaxx is inspired. And there it is! Donnelly's Mechanical Bull takes it there: "But I'm a fucking asshole if you ask me."

The roaming entertainers are next level this year and squeals of children and adults alike draw our attention toward Big Rory & Ochie The Dog. Don't be fooled by The Dog as it approaches for pats or sniffs gussets, it's just as likely to roll over and cock a leg to mark its territory! And, yes, you'll get sprayed.

Over on Hippos stage, Canada's Lindi Ortega teams what looks like a blanket turned into a dress with red cowboy boots and a fascinator that's fit for the races. She's accompanied by a guitarist today and Waitin' On My Luck To Change is a highlight until Ortega introduces a cover that's close to our hearts. "This is a song by the Bee Gees," she announces and To Love Somebody's glorious melodies take hold. Everything about Ortega's sound and look make perfect sense in a live context, but we wouldn't necessarily chuck her on the stezza.

We cop a whiff of The Flying Calamari Bros food truck as we enter Pavilion for Caiti Baker, which reminds us we had better eat something soon. Baker - who is a true boss in the Amy Winehouse sense - is accompanied by a guitarist today, who she points out is also one of the producers of her album, Zinc. Baker's piled-high hair also calls to mind Winehouse and she's mastered a choice Elvis lip curl into the bargain. Her extraordinary vocal range and sky-high notes call to mind Mariah Carey's whistle notes at times. One lady in the audience makes a sound similar to an orgasm at the close of Baker's swoon-worthy track Believer ("They won't want you when I need you"). Baker thanks us for "warming her heart" with our enthusiastic applause. Her cover of Way Down In The Hold by Tom Waits takes us down a completely different route. Baker's guitarist says he "feels like John Butler" when he changes guitars (there's a choice of two). And then Baker sings Winehouse's Back To Black - natch. The only thing we reckon Baker could improve is her connection with the crowd; there's a lot of performing with closed eyes or looking down at the mic at present.

Departing Pavilion, we notice another roaming creature: Mirabelle The Snail. And, oh, the hilarity when the giant snail slithers over to a table and almost 'swallows' a seated punter whole! While consuming our halloumi bagel burgers, we stumble across Ron Artis II & The Truth and, man, are we so glad we did! There's one drummer at the kit and another playing bongos when we wander up to clock this trio. "Wherever you go in life, you're never expendable, you're never unloved," is how Artis introduces Before You Go. Artis then says this is his first time in Australia and he's noticed how much we seem to enjoy abbreviating words. Comprised of multi-instrumentalists, these band members constantly swap instrument stations — incredible! In parting, Artis encourages us to "try to see the good in people" before jumping from the stage into the crowd to shake people's hands and offer hugs. These are the kind of happy accidents/new favourite band discoveries one can expect every single year at Queenscliff Music Festival.  

After bumping into some buddies, we learn The Teskey Brothers did a no-show for their sets on The Blues Train this morning. They've since apologised for this "muck up" on their Facebook page, but really!?

Over on Lighthouse stage, Beccy Cole performs her beer-sculling onstage party trick, telling us that when she didn't do it during one performance a fan came up and complained, saying that even though her husband hated Cole's music he was usually happy to accompany her to the shows just to watch the country singer scull a beer. Her banter is quality! Cole then tells us a young bloke once hollered at her, "I wish you were my mum!" (which obviously made her feel old). They then present an operatic version of Dolly Parton's Jolene thanks to the skills of Cole's partner/pianist Libby O'Donovan. Purists may quiver, especially when Cole reinterprets a verse as if Parton were Australian and wrote the song locally (even changing the name of the song's subject to Nolene), but the QMF massive hoot and holler their appreciation. Cole even adds, "ya slag!" at the end of this song, to totally take it there.  

Just when we thought we'd seen enough roving entertainers, we notice Albrecht The Rhino backing up to punters sitting around a table and parking its giant backside on top of them. The kids absolutely love this one and gallivant around trying to avoid Albrecht The Rhino's huge, horned head as it surveys the area for 'victims'.       

We then decide to check out the action on Queenscliff streets and spy a little busker wearing a John Butler T-shirt, looking the part with a feather in his hat. Turns out it's 11-year-old Finnigan August from Torquay (check out his Facebook page). His rapid-fire, flamenco style of guitar playing sees many passersby pause to throw coins in his case and we'll be sure to keep a keen eye out for August's name on future festival bills.

Returning to Lighthouse stage for Lamine Sonko & The African Intelligence, we immediately note the frontman's wild, unhinged and spontaneous dancing pumping up the crowd. They took out The Age Music Victoria Award for Best Global/Reggae Album through the week and Lamine Sonko & The African Intelligence deliver their African roots music with extra verve this late-afternoon. Sonko's performance suggests he's truly possessed by this music as his limbs flail in all directions, interpreting every note and nuance.

Now it's time for Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Band! Yothu Yindi members Witiyana Marika, Stuart Kellaway and Kevin Marlangay are joined by the popular Indigenous singer-songwriters Yirrmal, Constantina Bush and Yirrnga Yunupinga plus keyboard player/saxophonist Ania Reynolds and guitarist Megan Bernard for this project that marks a new remix package that has come out to celebrates 25 years since the release of Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix). After a late announcement that Dhapanbal, the daughter of Dr M Yunupingu, is making a special trip to Victoria for her debut performance with this group further adds to the buzz of anticipation in this tent.

There are many Treaty T-shirts up on stage while other members sport T-shirts that read "More Yidaki". Tribal Voice gets things moving and there's something about those clapsticks that insist we move. Reynolds is an absolute joy to watch, a wide smile spreading across her face as she contributes to delivering these important messages. Djapana lifts our energy higher and we completely lose the plot, limbs akimbo as if the didge takes control of our bodies. Goanna's Shane Howard, also a founding member of The Black Arm Band, is welcomed to the stage. Dhapanbal helps introduce a song she tells us her father had a hand in writing. "We were promised a treaty... Where is our treaty? We're still waiting." We know what's next and the crowd assembled before Lighthouse stage erupts as Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project launch into the Filthy Lucre Remix of Treaty - "Clap your hands and dance!" We need no encouragement. This tune would ignite any dancefloor and we immediately feel like we're coming up on pingers. Just how a song inspired by injustice can somehow be simultaneously jubilant is testament to the Gavin Campbell/Yothu Yindi collaborations    

DJ Vince Peach sparks up the decks over at Ozone Lounge so we're lured onto the dancefloor before Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen take the Lighthouse stage. The keyboardist's outfit of white trainers, two-piece grey marle tracksuit and red beanie really is everything. Come on, mate! You're on stage, not collecting the mail in the height of winter! Their lessons in old-school, New Orleans funk captivate while we gyrate. 

There's not many festivals where you could clap eyes on an actual possum running through the crowd, but QMF is one such festival and we do.

We get a bit of wanderlust for this portion of the evening. Sex On Toast at Hippos? Sure, why not. But they just don't excite us as much as some of the other acts we've caught throughout the day, so - next! Over to Glaneuse for Jazz Party, who have been getting rave reviews all over town. Geez, they have a great whistler in the band! We're told to express our appreciation for the band's drummer, who "blew his knee out on the dancefloor" at Mullum Music Festival last weekend, but still turns up to play for us. We applaud, but then remember one of our faves from yesterday, Hot Potato Band, are on Hippos stage right now so off we go.

And Hippos is lit! Definitely where it's at right now. It's great to see vocalist Benjamin Goldstein's confidence has skyrocketed overnight. The rest of the band totally own it as well, their simple chorey delivered with extra gusto this evening. Three drummers, endless brass and master of ceremonies Goldstein win us over once again even though it's a very similar set ("Mama don't want..." goes off afresh). We overhear a lady announcing to her friends during Hot Potato Band's set, "I'm gonna stay here 'til they finish." Then during Riptide a member of Hot Potato Band brings out a digital wind instrument: the aerophone. They then introduce their "favourite girl band" The Mae Trio, also performing at this festival, to the stage to perform a song Goldstein explains they contributed to. We're instructed to holler, "This is how it should be!" as directed and it turns out this is also the title of the song. With lyrics like, "Under sun / Having fun / Too much rum," they're onto a winner. And The Mae Trio even learn some of Hot Potato Band's chorey to join in for the verses.

We decide to return to Lighthouse stage to check out Bernard Fanning with the hope that he'll play plenty of Powderfinger songs (even though he's billed solo). He plays These Days, which is a result, but then we all stand there agape when this song morphs into Purple Rain — just, no! Prince doesn't even sound like an obvious influence of Fanning's. He then pays tribute to Tom Petty with I Won't Back Down, which sits better since we can hear Fanning's inflections are similar to the recently departed legend. But then there's an adult contemporary version of Black Sabbath's War Pigs - ugh! Make it stop! By the time Fame by David Bowie enters the mix, we're running for the hills and when we hear Fanning's version of Blueberry Hill — more Richie Cunningham than Fats Domino — in the distance, we know we made the right choice.

The last band booked for our Saturday night entertainment is The Bamboos - always a class act. Kylie Auldist's radiant personality and impossible-to-fault, soulful pipes perfectly complement Lance Ferguson's suave demeanour and effortless guitar playing, and we dance blissfully until our feet feel as if they might drop off. Not to mention they always wear slick stage attire, which is much appreciated. The impressive brass should blow our brains out, but we're easily able to chat with each other even though we're down in the thick of it.

Phew! After Day Two, which sees us trekking around watching bands for 12 hours, we're understandably spent.

Sunday

The cobwebs are harder to shake going into Day Three, but more potential fave-new bands await discovery so it's down the hill we go. Inside the festival site there's more roving performers (are we obsessed with them, or what!?) and it's pretty cute watching the kiddies line up to 'feed' The Giant Seagulls chocolate Tiny Teddies. The Giant Seagulls' squawks are so authentic that they're difficult to differentiate from the real thing.

Over on Lighthouse stage, Nai Palm positively shimmers up on stage in a fully sequinned, multi-coloured leotard with her sexy white guitar (which she tells us is female and called Michael Jackson). Her trio of backing vocalists bring lush layers to their sound and it's a fine way to ease into the day. Palm tells us she was given the opportunity to play a Jimi Hendrix song in the legend's flat during a recent visit to London and we're reminded of her international acclaim (her band Hiatus Kaiyote made history when they became the first Australian group nominated for a Grammy in the R&B category in 2016, ferchrissakes). Palm and co mesmerise, but she definitely seems to be allergic to hooks.

We can't squeeze into Pavilion so stand on a ledge to peer in through a window and admire Little Georgia, which teams Ashleigh Mannix (yep, Brian's daughter) up with Justin Carter. The duo present gorgeous harmonies with particularly heartfelt delivery that draws attention to the lyrics.    

There's no dressing area in Pavilion so The Southern River Band's lead singer Callum Kramer strips down to his black Bonds briefs for a change of pants before waving to acknowledge the lack of privacy. "Where's our drummer?" Kramer, who sports an excellent choice of footwear in Dunlop Volleys, then inquires over the mic. Carlo Romeo materialises on the drum stool and after a bit of last-minute sound checking we're away. Pavilion is a sauna and Kramer starts the set shirtless, observing we're probably "all suffering from the effects of alcohol in the alcohol-free zone". (He later sculls some brown liquor directly outta the bottle 'sidestage' before hastily apologising since Pavilion is supposed to be an alcohol-free zone.) They open with a song featuring the chorus lyrics, "Cigarettes aren't helping me none". Kramer has a cheeky Bon Scott-esque glint in his eye as he wields his axe with exaggerated rock posturing and admits The Southern River Band's first, and hopefully not last, time playing Queenscliff Music Festival is "one of the best experiences of [their] lives". The Southern River Band from Perth are clearly fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kramer's outlandish performance calls to mind Van Halen's Diamond Dave. We'll be sure to watch the progress of this killer band with interest.

Heading over to Ozone Lounge for our final DJ Vince Peach-led boogie, we're already sad that QMF 2017 is coming to a close, but there's still some dancing to be done to the original version of Tainted Love (that's correct! Not a Soft Cell song). The Temper Trap take the stage, but there's a bit of overlap and we keep on dancing some more. When we eventually wander back inside Lighthouse tent we're aching to hear Sweet Disposition. Singer Dougy Mandagi apologises for the technical difficulties the band experienced throughout their set and then in comes that distinctive fluttering opening riff. Those assembled go nuts! Our clap-along is deafening and surprisingly dead-on the beat. Then our singalong starts: "A moment, a love / A dream, aloud..." — it's as if we're collectively thanking the band for this exquisite song. None would complain if they played it a few more times in a row.  

A sea of genuine smiles on dials heading toward the exit signals another memorable QMF.

On Symonds Street, a quirky busker wielding a puppet entertains passersby with a song featuring a chorus that sounds something like "I got the homeowner blues". Queenscliff Music Festival is over for another year and we've discovered many new bands to obsess over in the coming months. See you next year.