Live Review: Splendour In The Grass 2016 Day Three

Blossoms aren't the most well known in this small crowd, but today the Stockport rockers seem confident in winning some new fans. "Apparently this is your winter, but I need some Factor 50," frontman Tom Odgen says in a thick leather jacket, in the brunt of the Amphitheatre's midday sun. From the funky Deep Grass to the clever indie-rock of At Most A Kiss, you can't help but draw comparisons to young Arctic Monkeys. Break-up anthem Getaway is a crowd favourite.

 

Having missed her original flight to the festival, the ascendant Jess Kent appears totally unfazed in front of her swollen audience at the Mix Up Stage. Indie-infused electro-hip hop tunes flow forth as the young performer commands the stage with confidence and swagger enough to rival several of her more established contemporaries. It doesn’t come across as brash or conceited, however, as Kent proves that she definitely has the chops to hang in the big leagues, nary setting a foot wrong and hitting a hard-to-match high point with her massive 2015 single Get Down, which garners the kind of reception that suggests that this triple j fave will be far more than a flash in the pan. It’s a remarkably assured Splendour debut for the young star, and it’s doubtless she’ll be back, providing she catches her planes on time.

We head on over to Mix Up where Lapsley holds court. She has a serene presence onstage in her simple white T-shirt dress, but when she speaks there are chav elements. There's three dudes onstage with her, making the beats/triggering the samples. She sometimes times sits down to play keys. It's all very mellow. "Are you all pissed yet?" she enquires before telling us she'd be "rolling around the floor by now" if the tables were turned. Operator (He Doesn't Call Me) gets some bodies moving, livening things up a bit. This is nice enough music to eat brunch to, but a bit boring.

Pocket rockets from Perth Tired Lion draw a crowd from under the nice warm sun to their early arvo slot in the GW McLennan tent. It's a just reward for their effort - the riff-heavy ditties come thick and fast in You're Not My Friend, Suck and I Don't Think You Like Me. Singer Sophie Hopes mesmerises with her fierce but fragile vocals that wail then lightly purr and trill. Delving into new and old - along with some crowd happy snaps - goes down a treat for crowd and band alike, inspiring the leading lady to gush "It's so good to see a loose Australian crowd here to get fucked up". 

The Ampthitheatre’s sizeable stage looks veritably cramped as the many members of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra take their places, armed with an eye-popping array of instruments and a wonderfully dorky air of coolness. MSO conductor/bandleader Nicky Bomba is a pocket rocket of delight, skanking and bounding his way all over his domain while holding both his players and their delighted audience quite literally in the palm of his hand; over the course of a wide-ranging and unforgettable set that joyously bounds from the pseudo-sneak of Get Smart (during which Bomba conducts the crowd in a massive scat sing-along before finishing the song three times, each conclusion drawing larger and larger applause) to the insanity of He’s A Tripper, wherein Bomba repeatedly instructs the entire crowd to freeze mid-dance – and they do. It is a sight to behold. New single Sly Boots also proves a high point, as does Specials classic and ska staple A Message To You Rudy; hell, the entire performance from the whole orchestra is an exercise in consummate showmanship, prodigious musicianship, and next-level audience interaction; a genuine highlight of the entire festival.

"He precedes a spoken-word piece with a scathing takedown of Pauline Hanson."

Meanwhile, at the Mix Up Stage, hip hop veteran Urthboy proves that rap is far from just a young(er) man’s game, commanding as large an audience as ever as he strides about his platform with the kind of presence and sure-footedness that only comes with authentic experience. He touches on all manner of emotions, from the overtly political – he precedes a spoken-word piece (first delivered at the Opera House as part of TEDx back in May) with a scathing takedown of Pauline Hanson – to the genuinely sentimental, bringing out celebrated songstress Kira Puru to perform the hugely affecting Daughter Of The Light. It’s his all-star finisher, however – a cover of Meg Mac’s Roll Up Your Sleeves featuring guest appearances from Puru, Bertie Blackman, Joyride and Hermitude – that proves the biggest highlight of them all. Considering the quality of his showing today, that’s no small feat, A-list friends or not. It’s brilliant stuff.

Melbourne's City Calm Down are enjoying some Splendour winter sun on the Amphitheatre stage, where a decent crowd has gathered to catch some '80s-tinged alt pop. Once synth man Sam "has finished texting his girlfriend", singer Jack Bourke quips, they launch into favourites Son and Pleasure of Consequence, then dish out oldie Pavement, Rabbit Run and a version Bowie's Let's Dance. The throbs, floaty synths and Bourke's dulcet tones are the perfect soundtrack for three o'clock fuzzies on day three.

As we stalk towards the front of GW McLennan, Marlon Williams is just showing off with those sustained Hello Miss Lonesome notes that defy the realm of possibility. We try to hold our breath as long as he holds a note, but wind up gasping for air. Williams sports a buzz cut. He tells us he's seen a lot of awesome things and a lot of awful things as well during his time here at Splendour. Even rubbish collectors stop in their tracks, turning to the stage to see who owns that spectacular voice. While it's impressive to hear a coupla chicks singing along with every Dark Child lyric, we hope they don't know the words to any more songs because clearly Williams' voice is what we came here to see. His backing band The Yarra Benders have come into their own and even Williams can't contain his excitement watching his fellow musicians at times. Williams belongs in front of an audience. Such easy banter! I'm Lost Without You is a belter; more rock'n'roll swag is brought to the live arena than the (also excellent) recorded version. And the man's been on Later...With Jools Holland fer chrissakes! 

American neo-soul collective The Internet, an offshoot of Odd Future, deliver a silky smooth, funk-fuelled show. Newer hits like Girl and Under Control put the crowd into a rapture, while Special Affair is a sensuous break from their soulful beats. Frontwoman Syd tha Kid enlists the crowd for help during Just Saying, chanting "you fucked up", and they readily oblige.

Hill dwellers at the Amphitheatre quickly descend on the pit as pint-sized Canadian twins Tegan & Sara emerge and leap straight into Back In Your Head. With a new album on the way, they admit it's been a while between drinks and "how great it is to be back in Australia", but a Canadian flag waving in the crowd is a nice reminder of home. The downbeat and acoustic – Nineteen, The Con - and the punchy and synth-laden – Living Room, Walking With A Ghost - traverse the best of the old and new, with selfies galore by the girls during closer Hell capturing a set loved and lauded.

"These national treasures bring good vibrations."

The crowd inside Mix Up tent seems looser than ever this year and Jagwar Ma sure rile 'em up. There's a roar of recognition when Howlin' starts and an enthusiastic sing- along follows. We're completely at their mercy come Let Her Go. A punter wearing a banana costume sits on his mate's shoulders as inflatable beach balls are volleyed around and Come Save Me is about right. Another dude on shoulders brandishes a massive black dildo. There's a lotta weed being smoked in the front section and we're not sure whether it's Jagwar Ma's tunes, the secondhand ganja smoke or both that make us so high. A stage-diver clears an impressive distance - much to the crowd's audible delight - before security grab him mid-crowdsurf and drag him back into the photography pit. These national treasures bring good vibrations. 

There are a lot of people at The Jungle Giants’ set at GW McLennan. Like, a lot; spilling-well-past-the-boundaries-of-the-tent-no-seriously-this-actually-might-be-a-genuine-safety-hazard A LOT. Having bounced on-stage to Candi Staton’s immortal tune Young Hearts Run Free, the Brisbane indie-rock foursome launch into a dominant and comprehensive set that runs the gamut of the band’s growing oeuvre, from more recent fare such as What Do You Think, Lemon Myrtle and natural standout Kooky Eyes to early tracks that helped get them to this position in the first place – notably, breakthrough ditty Mr Polite proves as popular as ever, generating utterly gargantuan clap- and sing-along efforts from the heaving throng within earshot.

"This is our last ever gig, ever, in the world, ever, this year," Courtney Barnett tells the Amphitheatre. She draws a noticeably diverse crowd - proof that the artist's brand of slacker garage rock has no age limits. There are essentially two performers here - Courtney and whichever of her left-handed guitar collection she's wielding at the time. It's hypnotic watching her six-string dexterity, and come Depreston, the entirety of the amphitheatre adopts her off-kilter lyrics.

The Tiny Dancer stage is perhaps not the ideal spot for Brisbane chanteuse Wafia's gentle croon to be heard, with some noise from next door's Mix Up tent puncturing the blissful vibes this little lady is generating. Still, everyone seems pretty absorbed in the crisp beats and absolutely faultless vocal gymnastics going on during Meet In The Middle, a cover of Frank Ocean’s Lost that she totally claims as her own, and megahit Heartbeat. 

The Mark Lanegan Band create enviable atmosphere over at GW McLennan. Of course there's double denim everywhere and at last Splendour get their injection of authentic rock'n'roll (sorry The Strokes). Lanegan's got the kind of charisma that draws us in and then, before we know it, we're nodding along; the music inevitably reaches our extremities. Rather than individual songs being recognised and celebrated, The Mark Lanegan Band live experience is more one of consistent awe and adulation. Way too much badassness.

There is already a turbulent sea of people ready to greet Sydney indie rock lads Boy & Bear, but more are still rushing to the front when they stride on stage. Singer Dave Hosking is brief but sincere in his appreciation to fans, with guitarist Killian Gavin backing up his sentiments to admit “it’s the biggest crowd we’ve had”. The hits come flying thick and fast – Limit Of Love, Bridge, Three Headed Woman, Feeding Line, Southern Sun and Part Time Believer, which nearly didn’t make an appearance tonight. Luckily it did though, because it was easily one of the loudest sung songs by the crowd, complete with the whistle.

The Preatures have been around for eight years - the same amount of time frontwoman Isabella Manfredi has been with guitarist Jack Moffitt , she tells us - and their onstage chemistry is palpable. As a five piece, they deliver funky pop-rock with punchy guitar licks, most evident in fan favourites Cruel and Is This How You Feel?. In keeping with Sunday's impressive line-up of female musicians, they perform covers of Divinyls' Boys In Town and Sleater Kinney's Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl. Manfredi herself is a modern rockstar, with the rebellious swagger of '70s icons like Blondie or Patti Smith.

"Time flies when you’re having a blast."

A drummer and another dude behind a console, opposite and facing James Blake, help bring his music to life. Each musician is elevated on their own riser, forming a triangle with Blake stage right. But there's a sense that punters are really here to get good possies for Flume. There's technical difficulties so Blake tells us they've gotta "improvise", which probably negatively impacts the set's flow. We're effectively bathed in white light at the tail end of the heartbreaking and mesmeric Retrograde. Blake thanks us for "the reception" he is given and seems genuinely overjoyed to be playing before this festival crowd. They close with The Willhelm Scream, during which the drummer demonstrates some fine use of mallets and we marvel at this song's perfect simplicity. 

While Flume has claimed a chunk of peeps over at the Amphitheatre, Jake Bugg more than holds his own before a super vocal crowd ready for one last party in the GW McLennan tent. The UK retro rock guitar don is a dapper young fellow but man does he write some fun songs. Retro rocker Two Fingers inevitably gets many pairs of fingers waving in the air, before Love, Hope And Misery bring things down a notch, along with the vocal heavy mix. Seen It All, There's A Beast And We All Feed It and Slumville Sunrise inspire massive sing-alongs and airborne underpants, and before you know it the humble gent is closing with Lightning Bolt. Time flies when you’re having a blast.

After three long, hard, fun but exhausting days, Icelandic post-rock luminaries Sigur Ros take to the Mix Up Stage amidst plumes of stage smoke, beams of light and roars of applause. After three long, hard, fun but exhausting days, the beautiful, layered, swirling, lilting, crashing, exploding, recoiling, uplifting magnificence that is Sigur Ros’ music – which tonight includes the mystery and suspense of creeping opener Óveður; the slow, agonising build and orgasmic release of perennial favourite and mid-set highlight Glosoli; the understated gorgeousness of Vaka; the beauty and devastation of Popplagið, and everything in-between, delivered with boundless elegance, grace and inimitability by the men on-stage – is more like an hour-long fucking lullaby. Questionable placing on the schedule aside: obviously, this is one of the sets of the entire event. Their crowd is small-ish but packed in so tight as to be familial, all swaying and smiling and keeping eyes to the floor or utterly locked on the mesmerising musicians and visuals lest we accidentally close our eyes and fall asleep, for all the dreaminess occurring around us. Bravo.