I didn’t know what to expect from the inaugural edition of Falls Festival at North Byron Parklands; however, the music, the art, the food, the atmosphere, the amphitheatre, and even the toilets exceeded my expectations.
Byron was lucky enough to welcome in the New Year with world-renowned funk hip hop legends The Roots. The Roots were boppy, bassy, booming wonderment. The countdown itself was a little underwhelming and could’ve been revved up more by The Roots, but the 10,000+ crowd cheered, cried and kissed while The Roots welcomed in 2014 with 'Hell Yeah'.
Brisbane locals Violent Soho should never be allowed to play during the middle of a summer day. It's as simple as that. We sweated, we crowd-surfed, we fell down, we got back up again, we swallowed copious amounts of the dust that the Forest Stage was infamous for and we jumped up and down, flailing our bodies around until the point of almost vomitting. But it was worth it because the energetic, grungy quartet were flawless and played all of our favourites such as 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend', 'Covered In Chrome', and 'Neighbour Neighbour'.
Australian psychedelic heart melters Pond drew in a bigger than expected crowd in the amphitheatre. Quite frankly, Nick Allbrook (lead singer) is possibly one of the most entertaining, kookiest, and eclectic people I've ever had the pleasure to see perform. He looks like 12-year-old, and acts like a mixture of Jim Morrison and Peter Garrett. Set highlights included ‘Moth Wings’ and ‘Xanman’. Pond are a must-see-before-the-drugs-destroy-them act.
American ‘80s folk-punk legends the Violent Femmes explosively began their mid-afternoon set with ‘Blister In The Sun’, which saw thousands stand and skank in awe of these iconic rockers. They played their self-titled 1983 debut album in its entirety and even if you’re a naïve Gen Yer or avid Femmes lover, the old blokes had everyone twisting and grooving to their funky and mountainous bass and guitar riffs.
Psych-tronica supergiants MGMT are renowned for their dodgy and lifeless live performances so expectations for their closing performance were low and there was a lot of debate between revellers on who to see – MGMT or Crystal Fighters (who played the same closing timeslot). Those who chose MGMT probably left disappointed. There were two major flaws in their set: firstly, their performance was barely audible for reasons unknown to the audience (apparently though, if you scored a spot in the first five rows then the sound quality was incredible). Secondly, their stage presence lacked intrigue and energy (no surprises there with that one). On a more positive note, the visuals were mindblowing and the 2,000+ flashmob dance to ‘Electric Feel’ made all of MGMT’s sound and performance problems disappear.
By: Keara Forde
Music festivals are arguably one of the best ways to see the year out — cool tunes played really loud, watched by hordes of happy, swaying people in a beautiful open outdoor space. And this year’s Falls line-up was particularly appealing, boasting an eclectic mix of folk, pop, electro, hip hop and everything in between on two stages.
With so many quality artists and acts to choose from, it was difficult to decide what to watch. Winning out over afternoon naps following a rather large NYE was Tom Odell’s set. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned Englishman, obviously struggling with the heat, sat at his piano and sang sweet songs about love, loss and life lessons. The crowd knew him and most were dedicated fans who were singing along to the lyrics. He slipped a Rolling Stones cover in so he scored bonus points from them for that too. With easy banter he was appreciative of his fans, acknowledging how cool Aussie audiences have been as he toured the country but also pointing out that the heat was killing him. To which the crowd replied, calling for his shirt to come off. Alas it stayed on.
Heading over the the Amphitheatre Stage to check out Bonobo, we followed the crowd from Tom across to sit on the side of the hill. Late afternoon breezes and drink in hand — it was the perfect setting for this set of chilled out tunes. The stage was filled with musicians: a sax player, singers, a percussionist, a keyboardist and Bonobo himself and the talent was apparent. Even the volunteers picking up rubbish were dancing along to the beats.
After a change of location to get out of the hill, we settled in to watch The Rubens. Even though they have only released one album, the loyalty and devotion of their fans guaranteed them a prime slot on the main stage. They didn’t disappoint, playing almost every song from their album with slick musicality and ease. An intoxicating blend of rock, folk and indie — and with all members being really easy on the eyes — The Rubens were a definite highlight of the festival.
Straight after The Rubens was Grizzly Bear and the jump from relaxed alternative rock to psychedelic art rock was surprisingly perfect. Having seen Grizzly Bear on multiple occasions, expectations were high and they didn’t disappoint. With their eerie sliding vocals, spacious songs and an intensity that is compelling, this was a set that won’t be easily forgotten.
