The Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, where Golden Plains happens, is a special place that people keep coming back to.
There is a sense of trust as thousand of friends and strangers yet to be friends let loose and enjoy music at its best. There are so many ingredients that go into making the perfect festival and the organisers of Meredith, who hold Golden Plains in March, have for a long time seemingly nailed the recipe.One ingredient that is out of anyone's control is the weather, which for the last couple of Golden Plains has wreak havoc, adding a little extra spice (torrential rain and extreme heat) to that perfect recipe. This time around (8-10 March) the weather gods shined down on the festival, an ideal temperature of 30 degrees on both days provided the perfect platform for festival fun and adventures.
The trusted ingredients they get right every time include the diverse and eclectic music line-up, but beyond that is the ability to instil a sense of care within the temporary community. This goes into every decision that is made. Aunty Meredith listens to feedback and changes are made to ensure that every Golden Plains/ Meredith is able to be the best one yet.
Some things are ingrained like the 'No Dickhead Policy', while other improvements might seem little but make a difference like light warnings or the new toilet arrangements. All these things combined work together to make a harmonious environment to be enjoyed by all.
Image © Benjamin Fletcher
Kicking Golden Plains off on the right tone, helping foster that feeling of care and respect is the Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country from Wadawaurrung traditional owners Barry and Tammy Gilson and family.
Tammy called on the festival goers to care for Country over the course of the weekend, a sentiment which extends into everyday life. She did this by asking us all to take a moment to close our eyes and touch the ground, and feel our connection to Country in that moment and make sure to keep that with us through the festival.
While Uncle Barry called for us all to look out for each other over the weekend saying if someone gets knocked down over the weekend we help them back up. Following this, the festival was officially opened with Nolesy's long blink.
Chris Nolan, founder of Meredith Music Festival, and the festival which takes place on his family farm suffered a brain injury in 1996. While he can't move, speak or see much he can hear and understand what's going on around him. He communicates through facial expressions and the long blink is the indication that Golden Plains can commence.
First up was Mulga Bore Hard Rock, a young band from Akaye (Mulga Bore), a community about 170km north-east of Alice Springs. They have a deep love and appreciation for all things glam rock and especially KISS, and channel this influence through their music and onstage costumes.
Image © Benjamin Fletcher
The riffs were heavy, but the joy that was felt was the take-away emotion. They were clearly having fun onstage and this emanated throughout the crowd. As they rocked out, you couldn't wipe the smiles off the faces in the Supernatural Amphitheatre whether onstage or in the crowd.
The fun was infectious; you can't not have a good time when watching Mulga Bore Hard Rock. With big riffs and the energy to match, this is a band to keep an eye on. As Mulga Bore Hard Rock came off stage Jess Sneddon on interstitial duties dropped Warumpi Band's classic 'Waru', which kept the good mood rolling and the vibes high.
Wet Kiss came on and delivered a set of deranged art-punk weirdness. The gang vocals on 'Honey Walks Away' towards the end of the set was a highlight, as was the highly theatrical antics and resplendent costume choices of band leader Brenna O throughout. As they declared "this is my wedding day and you are all my bride", while laced in irony, it was clear this was a big moment for the band.
Teether & Kuya Neil brought their hard-hitting leftfield hip hop sounds, with rattling bass sounds blasting through the Sup. Kuya Neil, who makes the beats in the project, was on guitar duties while Teether translated his relaxed abstract rapping style to engage well in the live context.
Teether & Kuya - image © Benjamin Fletcher
Neil's guitar playing added a tone that verged on industrial metal, which within the collision of sounds stood out. It could be said about every act on the line-up, but this was a special moment for the duo and they brought some friends along; Alice Skye and Bayang both on unreleased tracks from upcoming album 'YEARN IV', and Sevy on standout song 'Addy'.
As the afternoon stretched out, Skeleten provided a soundtrack that could just as easily get people up and dancing as provide something nice while enjoying chilling with friends. An atmospheric and ethereal sound in production, which fleshed out with a full band, provided extra depth to Skeleten's intricate sounds.
Playing songs largely off the recently released 'Mentalized', it was really interesting to hear the electronic productions translated into the live context.
Skeleten - image © Benjamin Fletcher
Bonny Light Horseman are something of a supergroup in the folk world. They're no strangers to a festival stage either, having come together at a festival Bon Iver hosts back in 2018.
The lyrics are introspective while the instrumentation is delicate, but in parts they jam out and this is when the playing abilities of the band really come to the fore. One particular moment was during 'When I Was Younger', lifted from last year's album 'Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free'.
As the sun set over the amphitheatre, Sun Ra Arkestra felt really special. This is a band who have inspired many jazz musicians over decades. Getting lost in the free-jazz rhythms as dusk settled in towards the end of the set felt spiritual. There were themes of space throughout the set, and they really did blast the audience's minds into the stratosphere.
Bonny Light Horseman - image © Eloise Coomber
Thelma Plum is a national treasure; she writes songs that are relatable and also give insight into her own experience. Largely playing songs off recent album 'I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back', the standout moments came towards the end of the set with 'Better In Blak' and 'Homecoming Queen' both featuring crowd sing-alongs.
While both are largely planted in the pop world, the transition from Thelma Plum to Magdalena Bay felt like a shift further into the night. The kaleidoscopic sounds of Magdalena Boy created a sense of fun and frivolity; there was something wildly different happening in each part of the stage, which was intriguing, not to mention the multiple costume changes throughout.
Another sonic shift found us in the chaos of Osees, a band that was influential on the early sounds of Australian favourites King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Parallels can be drawn in the way Osees frontman John Dwyer plays and sings to how King Gizz frontman Stu Mackenzie does, as well as the double drummers which was a feature of early King Gizz.
Dwyer is like a mind scientist in the way he shifts from synths to guitar and leads the band. While the double drummers, who flow in and out of being in sync with each other, provide a rock-solid platform for the scuzzed-out psych sounds.
Osees - image © Eloise Coomber
As the time neared closer for KNEECAP to take the stage, more and more Irish sports jerseys appeared throughout the crowd. There was a definite buzz throughout the day with conversations about who people were looking forward to seeing always included KNEECAP.
The trio stormed their way onto stage. High energy throughout, there were calls for moshing, as well as a darkened stage. Mostly rapping in Irish language, a high intensity set was delivered.
Weary heads waking up the next day were met with the chill electronic stylings of Acopia, and the soulful soulful R&B sounds of Jada Weazel. Then Uncle Barry shared some stories of Wadawurrung Country with the crowd.
After a relaxed start to the day, by late morning it was time for the crowd to be jolted and R.M.F.C provided that. The wiry, angular sounds were just what was needed for those who hadn't quite woken up. R.M.F.C are a very tight band with dual saxophones; being such a tight unit allowed for the band to let loose a little too.
KNEECAP - image © Chip Mooney
Little is known about Elliot & Vincent with only one song available on the internet. The distortion-heavy, warped guitar and drums duo, who are reminiscent of The White Stripes, but also entirely their own thing kept the crowd rocking.
The laid-back sounds of Hermanos Gutiérrez followed, the instrumental Latin guitar duo creating soundscapes that washed over the crowd as the afternoon sun shone down. It was mesmerising and a true masterclass on what can be done with a guitar.
Inspired by Joni Mitchell and Nick Cave, Grace Cummings put on a show for the ages, with both influences present throughout her performance. At times leaning into the vulnerability and tenderness of the folk tradition that Mitchell comes from, while at other times she is a commanding and towering presence.
It was a visceral experience culminating in album title track 'Ramona'. While there had been a smattering of boots in the air up to this point, leaning over to look at the crowd in the front of the Sup, Cummings was greeting with many boots and you could sense what that moment meant to her.
Grace Cummings - image © Allegra Mazella
It was time for a sonic detour back to the '90s hip hop sounds of Bahamadia, who transported those in the amphitheatre to a block party in Philadelphia. While Cummings turned the emotion up, Bahamdia turned the fun up getting many dancing.
Again the interstitial DJ, this time Larry Quicksticks dropped a very well received moment following Bahamdia's set. While he had the canon of classic hip hop tracks to choose from, he selected Scribe's 'Not Many' that continued the good vibes.
The dancing continued with Adriana's set, the iconic late afternoon DJ set was a truly euphoric experience. Starting and finishing with a heartfelt tribute to her Greek culture with dancers onstage, the highlight was an extended mix of Bob Sinclar's 'World, Hold On'.
Cutting the music for what Adriana hoped would be a crowd sing-along moment, the opportunity was dropped by the audience but it was endearing and the vibe remained high throughout.
Durand Jones & The Indications are the perfect modern soul band, incredibly talented players and a passionate frontman. They sound amazing recorded, but are able to lift this in the live setting and sound even better.
Durand Jones & The Indications - image © Eloise Coomber
Durand Jones captivated the attention of the crowd and had everyone dancing at the same time. Songs about love but also songs about a "fascist arsehole", the set had many standout moments that were all lapped up by the eager crowd.
After Durand Jones & The Indications set, weather warnings announced a storm was rolling in. As a result, PJ Harvey's set was delayed by 15 minutes. The ambient music amplified the sense of eeriness prior to Harvey's set, which it felt like she leaned into when she did come onstage like an otherworldly being.
There are many sides to Harvey's music, but this set felt like it was more on the folky side of things with some rockier moments later in the set. The winds subsided and by the time Fontaines D.C. came on the rain had started to set in.
Joey Lightbulb delivered a stand-out interstitial set between PJ Harvey and Fontaines D.C. with a number of indie favourites played, but the moment came in the form of Kabin Krew's 'The Spark', a fun drum & bass song with Irish kids rapping on it followed by Amyl and The Sniffer's 'Hertz'.
At this point, the anticipation for Fontaines D.C. to arrive was beyond palpable. As the band started to play Fontaine D.C.'s frontman Grian Chatten was not to be seen onstage, yet he stormed on for the opening words of 'Romance'. Wearing a long trench coat, Chatten looked like a villain, the short opening song set up an almost sinister vibe.
Continuing with 'Jackie Down The Line' from 2022's 'Skinty Fia', the way Fontaines D.C. are able to create different atmospheres on each album is remarkable. With different sonic worlds created with every album they make, to seamlessly shift these sounds in the live setting is unbelievable.
What we were witnessing was one of the current best bands in the world at the top of their game. Early song 'Boys In The Better Land' and song lifted from latest album 'Starbuster' show how much their sound has evolved and both elicited huge sing-along moments from the crowd.
2manydjs - image © Chip Mooney
2manydjs brought the party vibes. Dropping mashups of iconic songs such as Talking Heads' 'Once In A Lifetime' or more niche disco and dance songs, it didn't matter what song was selected it got the crowd dancing regardless. They layered snippets of songs within songs, there was an intriguing sense of unpredictability but really it was a set to enjoy by just having a boogie.
Once again, Golden Plains delivered the magic that is synonymous with the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre.
