Off the beaten track and down an old dirt road, droves of sticker-clad vessels and their giddy crews found themselves on the winding path to Jungle Love 2018 (29-30 November to 1 December).
Thursday
Just few kilometres north of quaint South East Queensland town Imbil, a mysterious labyrinth of violet lights unravelled before the eyes of those approaching the gates. The bleating of billy goats and sheep atop a bass drum's distant boom welcomed punters.As one wandered down the rabbit hole toward the main stage Ampitheatre, Nice Biscuit sounded the alarm for the good times to come. Beams of pink and silver entranced the audience, guiding stragglers by UFO beacons to their cosmic concoction of metallic harmonies, driving rhythms and exquisite outfits - handcrafted by front-lady extraordinaires, Billie and Grace.
The tone was set and the evening well under way by the time yet another Brisbane-born ensemble, HRBRT, graced the Jambala tent. With a hip-loosening array of beats, drummer Nathan Macgregor led a family affair of hip hop, neo-soul, funk and electronica.
Some of the grooviest alumni of the Brisbane Conservatorium and Jazz Music Institute comprise the core of HRBRT, making heavy use of their impeccable skills and improvisational musicianship.
Quin (Pocketmoth) took over from there till the early hours of morning, dropping smooth, lo-fi beats to satisfy the dancers and ease tired muscles into a soothing sway.
Friday
Come morning, the luscious landscape of the Mary Valley Region came alive awash with green, rolling mountain ranges. Early risers made the short walk to the Workshop Space for two hours of Mandala yoga.Following that, a quick dip into the lagoon by the Jungle Boogie stage had campers limber up double-time with water aerobics, a refreshing combination to kick off the fun.
Water aerobics - image © Creation Saffigna
Onlookers marvelled with amusement and intrigue as herds of headphone-clad walkers were guided through the landscape by Guru Dudu's Silent Disco. Thirty-minute sessions ran throughout the morning, providing an enjoyable and unique way to experience the surrounding natural beauty.
Hideous Sun Demon - image © Creation Saffigna
By midday the music was well under way, as Melbourne's Hideous Sun Demon seized the Amphitheatre with swampy lashings of psych-punk ooze.
Next up Mildlife took to the Jambala tent. It's easy to see why the group were given two time slots this year. Their brand of synth-based, dance-rock brought an infectious and accessible wave of voguish cool to the early afternoon heat.
As the arpeggiators chugged on and the sun beat down upon the circus tent's onion-dome swirl, for this punter, one thing was clear – it was slushy time.
Golden Sound followed suit, bringing the funk courtesy of Peter G and his troupe of spanking groovers. With James Brown rhythms and lashings of vocoder melody, the gang got the party started 'right-ah!'.
Golden Sound - image © Creation Saffigna
By half past three it was time for the BlakOut. An all-indigenous array of music and performance artists, this hour of power brought by Digi Youth Arts and Alethea Beetson featured live mural painting by Dylan Mooney and Kane Brunjes at the Art Park, main-stage pop bangers by The Merindas, deep-cut grooves by DJ Baby Mama by the water, punk-rap spits by Jhindu/ Apeman, and a First Nation's playlist in the workshop space.
The Jungle Love Dating Show had crowds in stitches with a combination of scripted and improvised interactions, seeing sparks fly and hearts aflutter with the spirit of love.
Matches were made in heaven and in hell. One segment had a slight South American gentleman strip down to golden budgie smugglers. Truly an erotic experience.
Jungle Love Dating Show - image © Creation Saffigna
Fresh off the back of her recent tour of the United States, Gabriella Cohen sang dough-eyed songs of blissful abandon to the sunset as attendees slogged an uphill pilgrimage to the Hollywood-style Jungle Love sign.
A ceremonial fire held by the Theatre of Thunder atop the mountain overlooking the festival grounds held an air of magical symbolism, a ritual of connection solidifying the bond between all patrons in their collective desire to get down 'jungle style'.
Full Flower Moon Band tore down the sun's curtain with a rip-cord of classic grunge-pop riffs and full-throttle femme power vocals, welcoming the night with open arms.
A definitive highlight from Friday evening came in the form of Baskervillain; indie rock quartet-turned orchestra for their breathtaking performance at Jungle Love Festival. Their impeccable horn arrangements and sweeping harmony tones mesmerised the audience, with a vast bouquet of sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon' to flavours of Mac DeMarco and The Beatles.
Recent single 'Bitter Pink' had fans jumping and crooning along to the infectiously sardonic melody.
Baskervillain - image © Creation Saffigna
Amy Jane and her Vipers brought the razzle to the dazzle for their Akasha Cabaret, playfully integrating gypsy jazz and dance into a sultry narrative show.
Over at the Jungle Boogie stage, Mood Swing and Chevy Bass got the crowd pumping hard. Sample after classic sample kept dancers on their toes as beats dropped and the glitter-clad DJs revelled in the glory, a stunning light show of multi-layered smoke patterns decorating the adoring dancefloor.
Mood Swing and Chevy Bass - image © Creation Saffigna
Headliner and Australian festival darling Opiuo had the main stage hook, line and sinker with his crowd-pleasing goulash of spluttering electronica, ensuring that none would be left with the jitterbug blues once the clock struck midnight.
Not that that could be an issue with the likes of Ofa Fanaika's CHURCH collective around. The group of jazz funk legends have been cutting their teeth at Brisbane's Rumpus Room and Bearded Lady for quite some time now, and boy did it show.
Captivating songwriter and vocalist Georgia Rose set the scene with a bold and inviting session of improvised soul, before being joined by the group's founding leader Ofa in a duet. Ofa's voice shot from the stage like a crack of thunder, lifting hearts and getting the crowd moving.
Asabi E Goodman later joined the ranks, dropping smooth fire like hotcakes as members of HRBRT and Kerbside Collection: Andrew Fincher, Lachlan Swampdog, and many more held down the score.
CHURCH - image © Creation Saffigna
A particularly blistering performance by guitarist Brandon Mamata left a lasting impression, which saw the artist throwing down spine-tingling lines somewhere between Chuck Berry, Jimmy Nolen and George Benson (look 'em up, folks).
Later in the evening, an appearance by Brisbane Green's Gabba Ward councillor Jono Sri on the saxophone had the room filled with ear-to-ear grins and hips shaking like maracas until the wee hours of morning.
Saturday
Following a sleepy session of acro yoga and another splash of water aerobics (or for some, a hungover dog paddle on flotation devices), it was time to get creative at the Workshop Space with Create Your Own Tie Dye and Stamp Making.One of the morning's treasures was Mufaro and the Barehouse, who had the crowd stomping up a cloud of dust to a medley of Anderson Paak's 'Come Down' followed by Childish Gambino's retro classic, 'Redbone'. Meanwhile, things got a little sticky at the Slime Workshop.
Nearby, between sets of shady trees, novices and professionals alike took part in the balancing act of Slackline classes.
Acro yoga - image © Creation Saffigna
Bristol's China Bowls brought the feels to Jambala, tranquillising with their enchanting vocals and laid-back neo-soul grooves.
The University of Queensland's Nonsemble came next, featuring orchestral rock originals and nostalgic renditions of Arcade Fire's 'Empty Room' and Radiohead's masterpiece 'Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi'. This was a welcome standout from the other acts, one of only a few classical-oriented performances.
This time around it was the hilarious sounds of Simi Lacroix's 1980's teen ballad pop that would sing us up the mountain for the sunset parade.
The Sonic-Atmos Butoh Troupe and a procession of Japanese drummers held the space for the final sunset, amusing, touching, and weirding out attendees with an ornately decorative performance complete with ape masks, whips, droning music, bubbles and a smoke machine. Surprises abounded at this year's Jungle Love.
Sonic-Atmos Butoh Troupe - image © Creation Saffigna
A light-up piano gripped players in carved wooden fingers, and woodland wanderers were serenaded by its firefly glow as members of Luminescence bowed lush melodies of cascading strings at dusk.
Perth's own Demon Days had the kids busting moves at the Amphitheatre, with flocks of fans old and new taking to the dancefloor to get down to their alternative hip hop expressions. Shibari classes by Vixen Ropes had lovers in a bind before The Jungle Love Allstars Tribute to Justice kicked off, bringing the hits via familiar faces while loop pedal ninja Kenta Hayashi blitzed at the Jambala tent.
If you peeked into the Green Room after the happy hour hubbub had subsided, one could be lucky enough to spot a rare, teal-haired bird strutting about, singing softly under his breath: “G'day, Nick!”. Mr Allbrook looked up and smiled. It was time for the main event.
Click here for more photos from 2018 Jungle Love.
Pandemonium struck the Ampitheatre as POND took to the stage with breathtaking confidence. From the moment of the first synth stab to the last, the band's wild cataclysm of psychedelic space rock epitomised the spirit of the festival.
'Giant Tortoise' obliterated minds with its classic rock riffing, while modern classic 'Waiting Around For Grace' had fans undulating like a seismic event. But this was no environmental disaster, but rather, a miracle of nature, a synthesis of all the energy accumulated in anticipation of one of Australia's most beloved local groups.
Headliners often get undeserved attention at festivals, however here, only high praise seems appropriate. POND were a force to be reckoned with, a blazing bastion of love and understanding. Spirits were high and the tide rolled on as the crowd dispersed to see CHURCH perform another four hours of improvised bangers.
The grapevine buzzed with seductive talk of the alluring Kunst Club, an exclusive bunker on the outskirts of the land with whispers of DJs, art installations, and a room devoted to an ongoing game of Twister.
But a quick ride on one of the many available Rainbow Bikes to the entrance revealed a line with a wait of at least 90 minutes. For this punter, that was more than enough to put Saturday to bed, keeping the magical mystery of Jungle Love 2018's final few hours alive.
With a ticket cap of 2,000 heads, it was clear that Jungle Love had retained its reputation for grassroots community spirit. As described by their official page, '...it is not a place to spectate, but one to participate'. This philosophy dripped from every pore of the operation, with many in attendance involved in shaping the glorious tapestry of music, stage management, performance art or workshops.
This was a first Jungle Love experience for many, and by all means it stood up to its name. To those who experienced significant FOMO this year, unfortunately, your fears have been confirmed. It was spectacular.
Beautiful people, it was a pleasure to feel the warmth of a festival with its heart so inherently rooted in the right place. Until next time, keep the love alive.
