For the sixth, consecutive year Groovin The Moo hit Bunbury, West Australia, for a day of rocking proportions: great food, awesome people and even better music.
As the biggest event for the winter festival season in WA, GTM would have to be one of my favourite affairs on the live-music calendar with this year upping the ante for years to come. As usual, with Bunbury’s weather being completely unpredictable at this time of year, it was a good idea to check the weather forecast. With previous years oscillating between fierce heat and torrential rain, I took the safe bet of packing for all occasions, which turned out to be a fabulous idea, as by 8pm I was freezing my arses off.
Click here for photos from the festival.
Nonetheless, the festival gods decided the day (Sunday 26 April) was an opportunity to bless the Groovin Goers with fine weather – perfect for festival-fashion staples: muscle shirts, cut-off shorts and daisy-flower crowns.
With patrons lining up from 9am for an 11am start, it was amazing festival staff were able to maintain order as the sold-out venue soon filled to its capacity. However, they did this with ease and should be commended on the smooth running of the event. Side note: the food was also second to none; I had my fair share of Levi’s donuts and consequently felt like a slug for the rest of the day, but I digress.
The 2015 festival was equally as good as previous years, with an amazing line-up and a mix of genres – definitely an event for everyone. For some, the day proved to be a marathon of running between the four, major stages to secure a front-row stance within the mosh pit which, at the Triple J and Channel V stages, was a sea of dancing people from 11am well into the night.
Peace - Image © Siobhan Blake
UK artists Peace were definitely a highlight of the day, bringing their indie-rock vibes to a mosh of crazy fans who were enjoying the live-music experience, recording a song or two on their phones.
One of my favourite performances of the day was Perth band Tired Lion. Maybe it's a sense of hometown pride, but lead singer Sophie Hopes’ vocals have an awesome, '90s-grunge vibe; she has an obvious chemistry among the entire band; not to mention they sound just as good, if not better live. These guys are definitely ones to keep an eye on.
Tired Lion - Image © Siobhan Blake
As always, WA fans went wild for Perth indie band San Cisco who have recently released their new album, 'Gracetown'. This didn’t stop the crowd from singing along with a couple of old gems such as ‘Fred Astaire’, ‘No Friends,’ and of course the crowd favourite, ‘Awkward’. This year the band stepped it up a notch, performing in the Moolin’ Rouge tent drawing an impressive crowd.
San Cisco - Image © Siobhan Blake
Continuing with the trend of standout acts, Sticky Fingers delivered the goods with their amazing stage presence (as usual) not to mention the energetic music they produce; as well The Preatures were vibing their soft-rock sound mixed with melodic vocals.
Peaches delivered an amazing set filled with confronting music along with her crazy outfits. How someone can be so beautifully photogenic AND have such an amazing voice I will never know.
Peaches - Image © Siobhan Blake
Sound quality across all stages was awesome along with plenty of toilets, friendly staff and fantastic food/ drink options – the day was definitely not one to miss. All in all the day was well run, I even listened to some bands I had never heard of and LOVED – Groovin The Moo is a definite go-to for a chilled-out day of music; there is always someone watch, not to mention the great atmosphere of the festival.
It always puts a smile on my face going to an event where you witness stocky men with tattoos bringing their young daughters to see their favourite bands – equip with pink earmuffs and loveheart sunglasses, bringing an overwhelming sense of nostalgia reminding me that GTM was my first festival experience at just 13 years old.
As always, I will definitely be returning next year and the years to follow.
Click here for socials from the festival.
