With the festival season drawing to a weary close, I found myself wondering on the way to Mountain Sounds Festival how I was going to survive another day of over-priced food, sunburn, drunken idiots and bands going through the motions of a 40 minute set, potentially featuring “this new one we’ve been working hard on.” Thankfully, it instead provided a mixture of the best parts of well-run Australian music festivals; impressive local acts, a beautiful location, near perfect sound and a bill chosen according to the structure of an exhaustive 12 hour day.
Upon arriving at the festival’s location (quite literally a plateau on top of a mountain on the NSW Central Coast), the casual dynamic of the festival was striking. The festival’s three stages had handwritten signs at their entrances detailing set times, the pop-up op shops had materials spilling out onto the grassy walkway and punters opted to sprawl on the grass as opposed to stand up at the barrier. This was the perfect atmosphere for ambient electro act Elaskia who opened proceedings on the Sailor Jerry side-stage. The blissed-out beats provided from the group allowed the few who had arrived early to relax and settle into proceedings. Despite a bit of noise bleed from the Bus Stage on the other side of the festival, Elaskia took hold of the difficult task of opening a music festival by encouraging punters to come forward and dance.
Over on the main stage, World Champion were making the most of their early slot by dancing around the stage and sharing in jokes with the few people who had made their way to the front of the main area. With their sweet, electro-fused-indie, which occasionally held hints of reggae jams, the newcomers on the scene proved to those lucky enough to watch their set that they had a sound that was worth listening to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt10R2XpjIg
Odd Mob was the first set of the day that really got the festival vibes pumping. Beginning their set to a scattering of people in the Dance Tent, the area quickly reached shoulder to shoulder space as news spread around the site that “those dudes who play that Is It A Banger song is starting!” Indeed, when said song dropped, many a shape was cut in the tent. But the biggest reaction was reserved for the group’s remix of Where Are U Now by Justin Bieber himself. Proof of the ex-teenage heart-throb tuned cool celebrity’s growing status, the tent positively erupted, with punters hurling themselves into each other in a rave riddled frenzy.
By now the festival had well and truly warmed up, with beers flowing, beats pumping and all manner of strange individuals coming out of the festival woodwork. However, the inclusive, casual atmosphere remained in the air all around. Over on the main stage, I Know Leopard and Hockey Dad brought crowds off the grass and down to the front of the stage for their sets, but punters opted rather to dance in their own space and sway with the music as oppose to crushing in near the front of the stage. I Know Leopard were particularly impressive, with the one-two combo of Close My Eyes and Perfect Picture bringing an ambient yet joyfully freeing feeling upon the crowd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ17vt_L3Ro
With the sun beaming down and the inevitable fatigue beginning to set in, one man wonder Harts stepped up to the plate and delivered one of the most barnstorming sets of the day. With a surprisingly small crowd gathered to watch him work his wizardry, punters were rewarded as Australia’s own version of Marcel Rodriguez Lopez set about expanding his songs with erratic, 5 minute shredfests. Backed by simply a drummer, Harts did the rest, astounding everyone assembled, with his ability to punch out both the bass and guitar lines of his songs proving another highlight.
After such a virtuoso performance, one could assume that a band with such a live reputation as The Delta Riggs could match the standard of Harts. But unfortunately, the Victorian party starters lacked the energy and swagger that got everybody talking in the first place. Rather than looking like a bunch of cocky teenagers strutting around the stage, the band looked tired and even bored at some stages, with the band’s highly spun For Tonight dropped second in the set list with next to none enthusiasm. Despite this setback, the appeal of the band still proved to be infectious, with one of the largest crowds of the day turning out to see them perform.
The conclusion of the Riggs sparked a mass exodus of punters from the main stage area, with the approaching set by Nina Las Vegas packing the dance tent to capacity. This resulted in a vast majority of the festival missing arguably the set of the day, given by indie rockers Holy Holy. Performing cuts from their recent album When the Storms Would Come, the bands vast, atmospheric anthems coincided with a beautiful sunset over the lush Mount Penang parklands. It was a special moment for all involved, capped off by the security guards allowing a particularly elderly fan over the barrier to dance in a space free from the small crowd and up close with the band.
Holy Holy had set the bar for musical excellence high, but Alpine were the perfect act to not only match it, but take it higher once again. With a majority of bands appearing throughout the main body of the festival keeping their tentacles within Australian shores (for now), Alpine provided the perfect example of the standard needed to make an impact on the international stage. Numerous trips around both Europe and the States in the past 18 months have helped the band grow into one of the country’s most exciting live acts, with front women Phoebe Baker and Lou James powerfully combining to deliver a performance of conviction, passion and almost unprecedented energy given the nature of the bands’ music. Foolish and Shot Fox were both incredible live cuts in their own right, but it was the anthemic Damn Baby which ultimately stole the show, translating into a huge festival-friendly epic when performed in the live context.
Art Vs Science have developed into not only one of the country’s finest live acts, but also as examples of the heights possible for artists to achieve if they dedicate themselves to their craft. It was therefore fitting that the bands were given a headliner slot for the dance tent. I was only able to catch the first two songs however (with Tired of Pretending getting the tent positively heaving), as there was an act that I simply couldn’t miss, regardless of scheduling conflicts.
After weaving my way through the crowd to the second row of the rapidly filling main field, the stage lights dimmed and Violent Soho took to the stage. The band tore through select cuts from their back catalog, with Dope Calypso and In The Aisle inciting mini circle pits throughout the crowd. However, it was new cuts Like Soda and Viceroy that garnered some of the biggest responses, with the former fast becoming a staple of the Australian festival circuit. The band’s hurricane set came to an end after notorious sing along Covered In Chrome, leaving a field of drunk, sweaty and deafened punters with a solid argument against the “rock and roll is dead!” debate to ponder in their tents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRWi-SvzviY
Mountain Sounds was the perfect example of a smooth running festival with a great culture, with a positive feeling remaining present throughout almost the entire day. Keyword: Almost. Unfortunately, during Hockey Dad’s set, I witnessed an example of exactly what is wrong with our culture today. During the band’s set, a mini circle pit had broken out in front of the stage, with a selection of punters joyfully bouncing off one another and singing along. Security proceeded to physically force crowd members to stop dancing by placing a selection of them in headlocks and attempting to drag them out of the stage area, with multiple punters pepper sprayed for attempting to resist the aggressive nature of the guards. A woman in front of me then recoiled and asked the security guard standing in front of her, “Did you just touch my boob?” Upon persistent questioning, the guard smiled at the woman and held out his fist for a fist bump. The woman in question proceeded with a group of other friends to a separate group of security guards in order to explain what had happened and demand that disciplinary action be taken. The group of security guards shook their heads and laughed at the incident, no doubt refusing to believe the complaints of a festival goer who had been indecently assaulted. I found the reactions of these so-called helpers disgusting. The fact that such a serious issue is promptly laughed at is both frightening and sad. It was a sour experience that left a bitter taste in my mouth for the rest of the day, and I can only hope next time such serious accusations will be treated with the respect and seriousness that they deserve. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be the first time people have encountered abuse at festivals either.
Despite this incident, all the bands on the Mountain Sounds bill provided top quality entertainment. The vibe was good. The music was better. And the scenery was the best. Kudos!
IMAGE: Facebook
It’s been seven long years since Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist for seminal New York City rock band The Strokes, has put out a full album under his own moniker (that was Come Te Llama all the way back in 2008) and two since he first got back into writing and recording his own work with the AHJ EP in 2013. This year saw the release of his third LP, Momentary Masters, an album Hammond Jr. wasn’t sure would ever get made but one that has brought him storming back into the hearts and minds of his many fans.
He took some time out of his ongoing mammoth tour of the United States to have a chat to us about the album and his forthcoming tour of Australia, including a set at New South Wales’ stunning Mountain Sounds festival on the Central Coast, his first time back in the country since The Strokes played Splendour In The Grass in 2010 and his very first time here as a solo artist.
Hey Albert, how are you doing?
I’m good! How are you?
Yeah I’m getting there. Where in the world do we find you at the moment?
I just got home to New York but I’m leaving tomorrow to LA. So just New York right now.
Not a lot of rest time on this tour I see, how’s that going?
Oh it’s amazing. We just finished an eight week tour of America and in the middle of that there was a week in Japan. Going really well.
Great to hear. Well I’ll jump in to what’s the biggest news for you right now, which is the new album that you’re currently taking on tour Momentary Masters. It’s your first album since Como Te Llama back in 2008. Can you tell us, seven years on from that record, how different it was for you to be back in the studio writing and recording your own work?
In some ways it’s… I guess I knew it, so it’s not really like anything has changed like that. I guess I really felt it on the EP. After rehab I didn’t write music for a while, not because I didn’t want to, I just didn’t really have the energy to do too much. So the EP kind of brought me back and I did a tour for that and the band came from that and so when I went in to do this with a band, I mean I wasn’t as confident as I feel now but I was definitely on the way. I was excited, I was really excited. That’s probably the best way to put it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6U8nEmXWU
Is there any extra pressure on you given that this is work you’re putting out under your own name?
No. I mean there’s pressure in anything that you do that you like, just the natural pressure of just wanting to be great. I mean, you’ve looked up to all these people who you think are great and you’re just trying to get there, watching yourself make mistakes and maybe try to reach some things. There’s pressure but nothing that you wouldn’t expect when you’re trying to make it in the music business.
(Laughs) If I didn’t want pressure I should have done something else.
You mentioned just before you didn’t write anything for a while and you were feeling a bit flat and I know I read that there was a period of time there where you weren’t all that sure that this record would be made. How did you overcome that?
Well that wasn’t really this record, the EP kind of brought all that forward. Actually One Way Trigger (from The Strokes last album Comedown Machine) was the first song I wrote again and it brought me back and made me excited and I kind of held onto it to work on it and didn’t want to show anyone because I was kinda like ‘Oh I feel like I’m back for me but maybe I don’t really want to show anyone’ in case they didn’t like it and then it would be back to the drawing board for me.
So it finally happened and it came out on The Strokes record and we didn’t tour so I started working on some stuff that I had and then this EP came out, sort of this mini record and it kind of felt cool to me, so different and fun, and so it went from there, it just kept on growing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reifFcUoTKw
With that floodgate of creativity that you opened, is there some stuff there that didn’t make the album that you might revisit?
Yeah we had recorded these two other songs but I just didn’t get to put any singing on them but I was going through the songs and when I reached ten I thought it just feels like a record so let’s stop going through all this stuff. I don’t know, maybe I’ll look at them later and they could be fun little things for when you put out a record, I don’t know what you call it, like B-sides? I don’t know if that really makes sense.
Also yeah I have a bunch of new ones that I want to try so I don’t know, we have a lot of stuff to go through.
Do you think that Momentary Masters might have been a gateway to more frequent output from you?
Well I want to make it on my own in the music business so I can’t just sit back and relax. There’s this perception of me that I’m just doing this for me because there’s nothing better to do but I always wanted to have a career in it because I feel like I can do it and I want to be an entertainer. So I’m just trying to do that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSJvqciulr4
And how are the songs that you’ve come up with now translating from the studio to the live stage?
Yeah that’s one of the best parts of doing both things, doing the recording and then going to play live and then going back to record. They kind of feed each other with what you want to make. You know because there’s certain things that you get tired of but it was everything that I was missing in this record. So we play between eight and nine of the new songs every night and the setlist is really fun and amazing.
I ask because you’re about to come out to Australia for your own headline tour.
I am!
The first time you’ve been out here since you were with The Strokes for Splendour In The Grass back in 2010 and I don’t think you’ve ever toured here as a solo artist.
I have not!
Is there anything in particular that you’re looking forward to doing while you’re back down under?
Everything (laughs), I love it down there. I’ve been trying to get down there since the EP but it’s just kind of hard to get all the way down to the bottom of the world you know. Or I guess it’s on top of the world if you’re you guys. I don’t know.
We’re tragically far-flung. You’re also dropping in at the Mountain Sounds Festival while you’re here, was there anything in particular that drew you to that festival?
Oh man, I think there’s too much knowledge being credited to the artist there. My booking agents have been working really hard to get me there. I mean I wish I had my pick because if I had my pick I’d be booked on all of them (laughs).
No you’re just trying to get one to have you. Sometimes it takes a year or two for anyone to notice but yeah, I mean I don’t know why exactly, they just said that we could make it to Australia and I told them fucking book it then! (Laughs).
Well I’ve no doubt you’re going to enjoy it, you seem to love Australia and that festival happens to be in one of the nicest parts of the country. Really picturesque down there on the Central Coast.
Oh man, sounds awesome. Can’t wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmcBbkU0kw
Have you had a chance to check out the bill you’re on? Anyone you know already or you’re looking forward to seeing?
No I haven’t yet! Someone else asked me that too and I told them that usually when you’re playing a festival your tour manager the day before will ask you if you want to see any bands and you’ll look at the list and be like ‘oh cool these ones!’ but no, I haven’t had a chance to pre-look at it yet but I feel like I should now if I’m going to be doing more interviews, I feel bad! (Laughs)
I like hanging around and watching bands though. You’re saying it’s picturesque like that, I think I want to go and just hang out and listen to bands and enjoy that you know.
Exactly. There are some really talented Aussie musicians on the bill so maybe some fantastic new introductions there. As far as your Aussie fans go though, what can we expect from your shows while you’re down here?
Yeah I don’t know, we put on a really great show. I don’t know what to call it anymore, there’s just so many genres and subgenres of stuff that I don’t know. But we put on a great, entertaining show that I feel like, just based on it in America, that I get a lot of surprised people who didn’t know that they were going to have so much fun. Which I kind of like, it’s like, ‘oh, I had to convince you that I could do that’. I feel like I’m at that stage with this record.
Well we’re all looking forward to it immensely. Just to wrap it up, aside from continuing on your album tour and then coming this way, have you got any plans for the near future? Do you get any time off at all?
Yeah I’ll get some time off on the holidays for sure. I wanted to go to Australia and then to South America in March and we’re going to try to record when I get back so that then we can fill up Spring and Summer with European and American festivals. I just wanted to record some things and see where it can go without the pressure or the idea that you’re trying to make a record.
Excellent. Albert I’ll let you go catch a break before you head out to LA but thank you very much for your time this morning and we’re all looking forward to seeing you when you get here.
Oh that’s right, it’s morning for you guys.
Monday morning to be exact, which is just awful.
Ah man. Well I’m looking forward to coming to Australia too. Come say hey while I’m here!
Momentary Masters is out now via Vagrant Records. Albert Hammond Jr. is on tour in Australia for the following dates and venues:
Tue, Feb 16th: The Gov, Adelaide
Wed, Feb 17th: Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
Fri, Feb 19th: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Sun, Feb 21st: Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Albert Hammond Jr. is playing Mountain Sounds Festival on New South Wales’ Central Coast on Saturday the 20th of February. Tickets available here.
Mountain Sounds Festival has returned for another year, following on from the hugely successful 2015 event! Now in its third year, the festival will be taking place on February 20, 2016 – a fitting end to what’s sure to be a mammoth ’15/’16 festival season. The event boasts a seriously impressive lineup featuring Albert Hammond Jr (of The Strokes), alongside the cream of the Australian crop, including The Delta Riggs, Motez, Slumberjack and Holy Holy.
Situated within the gorgeous surrounds of the Mount Penang Parklands in Kariong (right in between Sydney and Newcastle), sleeping under that fresh starlight is a truly unforgettable experience. Meanwhile, the festival owners – who hail from the area – are going to great lengths to ensure that the event is sustainable, eco-friendly, and with minimal waste. Keep an eye out for locally sources food stalls, markets, live art installations and more, as well as silent discos and campsite parties. Sounds pretty sweet to us!
Early bird tickets are all gone, but you can purchase tickets here for $89 +BF. Head to the official website for more information.
Peep the full lineup here:
After a spectacular first run at things last year, boutique festival Mountain Sounds returns February 21 2015 with a killer homegrown line up, with the final act announced today.
Touch Sensitive joins an already exciting crowd of performers, many of whom have recently proved their festival chops at Falls and Southbound. Headliner Alison Wonderland brought down the house on New Years Eve at Falls Byron Bay, and if DZ Deathrays blast out their cover of Sandstorm again Mount Penang Parklands might just collapse in on itself in a mosh-related natural disaster.
I am a big fan on Mountain Sounds, and was glad to see a small, well-run festival outlive the flurry of festival failures that seemed to be resulting in the cancellation of a festival every other week for a while there. The venue is truly spectacular and only a few hours from Sydney, once home to the glorious but sadly defunct Peats Ridge Festival. Camping out in this special place with these sick beats is an end-of-summer festival must. I have the feeling Mountain Sounds might be in for a sell out crowd this year, so get your tickets ASAP here.
THE FULL LINE UP…
Touch Sensitive
joining…
Alison Wonderland
Safia
DZ Deathrays
The Kite String Tangle
Luke Million
Northeast Party House
East
The Griswolds
Daniel Lee Kendall
The Jungle Giants
Tkay Maidza
D.D Dumbo
Winterbourne
Odd Mob
Little Earthquake
Acaddamy
PH Fat
Nova & the Experience
Dr Kong & the Stem Cells
AViVAA
Owen Rabbit
Colour Cage
White Walkers
Rookie
Via Alchemy
East of Here
Carmada
Coda
Harper
Hatch
Kilter
Lemond
Pepa Knight
Ratlife DJ’s
Stephane 1993
Sydney Social DJ’s
Tropical Zombie
Zavier