There’s something about Maggie Rogers. Perhaps it’s her incredible presence and the way she looks directly into your soul when she speaks to you. It could be how Pharrell Williams fought back tears when he heard her music for the first time. Or maybe it’s her fresh approach to songwriting and her humble folk-pop steeze that have made her an overnight success. Whatever it is, the girl has made one hell of an entrance and she’s brought the fire with her.
The Maryland native became a viral sensation when she played an early version of her song Alaska to Williams at a music masterclass in New York. He was visually moved and showered praise, “You’re doing your own thing… I’ve never heard anyone like you before and that’s a drug for me.” The session was recorded and uploaded to Reddit where it went viral. Rogers has since signed with Capitol and released an acclaimed EP, Now That the Light Is Fading.
After learning harp at a young age while listening to the likes of Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, Rogers later brought pop, folk and even dance into her repertoire. She had a spiritual experience with electronica while studying abroad in France and, realising it’s elemental nature, she was inspired to combine folk imagery and harmony with the energy and backbone of dance music.
It’s this new direction that has the world fawning. “You have to be willing to seek, and you have to be willing to be real frank in your music and your choices,” says Williams, and to that end Rogers is creating something incomparable right here and right now.
We met up with her while she was in the country for Splendour in the Grass and had some fun down at Cat Alley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNWsW6c6t8g
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
If anyone had any doubt that LCD Soundsystem were still completely magical, they can rest in the knowledge that they have returned and they are still glittery as hell. The New York rockers finally made it to our shores for Splendour in the Grass and some sideshows this July. It’s their first time back since appearing at Big Day Out in 2011, after cancelling their reunion tour down under which was set for the end of last year.
The dance-punk group disbanded following their 2010 LP This Is Happening after throwing an enormous 3-hour farewell show at Madison Square Garden. Musically, they are universally acclaimed, in no small thanks to mastermind frontman James Murphy, and they are both revered by indie purists while becoming increasingly-known to the general masses. Their songs describe the emotional realities about becoming an adult and attempting to be a decent human being; they effortlessly express the fundamental and natural parts of being human.
In Sydney, the warehouse space of the Hordern Pavilion was jam-packed with die-hard fans, absolutely throbbing at the chance to see these oddball indie tastemakers work some pure magic right before their eyes.
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Birthday bashes are usually a helluva time, but they’re oh so irresistible when a whole bunch of stellar bands are on the bill. Sydney’s beloved Oxford Art Factory is celebrating it’s 10th Birthday this year and to commemorate it, they’re throwing a party called FREEDOM; a four part series of free events curated by music/art collective VOLUMES.
Off with a bang, the first instalment brought together the likes of Body Type, Imperial Broads, Pearls, Felix Lush and The Gooch Palms. And with Round 2 rolling in, things are heating up nicely with Aegean Sun, Sloan Peterson, Crocodylus, Betty & Oswald, Tropical Strength, Flowertruck, Julia Why?, and none other than The Lemon Twigs in the headline spot.
The Twigs have been making waves lately with the release of their debut LP Do Hollywood. Brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario are delightfully off-kilter and boast some intricate arrangements and delectable melodies on their latest record. Their look and sound are fairly removed from this era; it’s like Keith Moon, Pink Floyd and Procol Harum all entered the room at the same time and this is the result. They were in the country for Splendour in the Grass and their sole Sydney sideshow was a slammin’ free gig alongside some of the best talent going in Oz right now. We were stoked to say the very least.
Check out the shots below.
Crocodylus
Betty & Oswald
Tropical Strength
Flowertruck
The Lemon Twigs
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Head bangers and heavy rock fans united for Royal Blood‘s Splendour in the Grass sideshow in Sydney last week and, boy, did they get what they asked for. The UK drums and bass duo have been doing the rounds since arriving on the scene in 2013, experiencing a meteoric ascent of sorts, including copping some surprise backstage and birthday party appearances from the likes of Lars Ulrich and Jimmy Page. They’ve been quipped as a throwback to the proverbial old-school rock and roll, fusing monolithic bass with rapid fire drumming, which make for a lethal live combination.
And last Thursday night we found ourselves on the front line. Singer/ bassist Mike Kerr threw his instrument around and bellowed into the mic while the entire venue sang right along, while drummer Ben Thatcher commanded the helm in a wild furor.
What they do, they do so well; AC/DC produced 17 albums of their signature heavy rhythm and blues and their fans are among the most devoted in the world. Royal Blood don’t appear far off; with just two records to their name, the people are already flocking in droves.
If you missed them this time around don’t fret, they’ll be back next April for a massive headline tour. More info here.
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
The raucous night of nights finally arrived with Queens of the Stone Age rolling through Sydney on their way to Splendour in the Grass. The iconic five-piece were last in the country on a double headline tour with Nine Inch Nails in 2014 so this solo return Down Under is as sweet as ever. While they’ve been busy with their various side projects since then, their highly anticipated new album Villains is set for release in exactly one month from today.
Melbourne electro-punk outfit Ecca Vandal took the room first and damn-near nuked the stage with their signature abrasive, eve-of-destruction steeze.
QOTSA shortly followed, each member striding onto the stage with singer Josh Homme taking the rear; a silhouette hobbling out with a cane in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. They themselves ooze unadultered coolness but their music takes it to a whole other level. It was a truly unforgettable night.
Read our full live review here.
Ecca Vandal
Queens of the Stone Age
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
How about that Splendour In The Grass lineup yeah? Just when you thought they couldn’t jam any more outrageously good acts onto that poster, there they were. With tickets going onsale this week (and some lucky folks already stitching theirs up last week), we thought we’d contribute to Splendsanity by going through the lineup and near-killing ourselves trying to drill it down to five acts we’re most looking forward to seeing at this year’s big dance.
Of course we’ve cheated beyond all fuckery with our honourable mentions but, after much internal agony and deliberation, a top five has been reached.
Honourable Mentions:
Bad//Dreems:
Baddies have a new album coming out and they haven’t had a chance to play at North Byron Parklands since 2015’s deluge of mud and muck meant that they played to a largely empty moshpit while their fans were kept at bay by temporary fences. You can bet that they’re chomping at the bit to get stuck in and rock everyone’s socks into next year.
Royal Blood:
We naturally assumed that the Brighton duo spontaneously combusted following their Earth-shaking 2015 Splendour set. Looks like they’ll be back to finish the job and make 30,000 ears bleed once again. Bring it.
Meg Mac:
Debut album on the way? History of spinetingling previous Splendour sets? Voice of a fucking angel (who has to have sold her soul to the Devil to sound even better, surely)? We’re looking very much forward to being held enthralled by Meg, beleedat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbVceVtYoX4
Vallis Alps:
Because at some point we’re going to find ourselves more burnt than your Grandma’s hot cross buns on Good Friday and this transcontinental duo and their breezy electro-pop are the perfect cure.
The Smith Street Band:
The reason we’ll be that burnt is probably from screaming along to every word of the Smithies set, that new album is looking all kinds of tasty.
Mallrat:
Get up, Brisbane!
Lil Yachty:
Because it’s actually Lil Yachty. Like, for real, Lil Yachty is just going to be there and we have no idea why but fuck let’s do it anyway.
Bag Raiders:
Because of shit like this and don’t even pretend otherwise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XWomD6TazQ
Banks:
You know as well as I do that betting against Banks absolutely crushing it and putting on one hell of a show here is akin to putting your money on the Washington Generals (“SHE’S SPINNING THE BALL ON HER FINGER!”)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard:
Five albums this year? Is it five? And they STILL have time to play festivals or even blink? THIS I GOTTA SEE! Also, the black hole of a circle pit that Gamma Knife is going to induce, blow me down.
Stormzy:
If you’re not excited by being able to turn mid throwdown to any number of complete strangers or friends or whoever and screaming ‘TELL MY MAN SHUT UP’ right in their faces then you’re what’s wrong with everything.
The Peep Tempel:
Sorry about it Tame Impala, but “I don’t think Trevor is good for you” is the best use of the word ‘Trevor’ in a song hands down and it will be screamed at the top of a whole lot of lungs come Splendour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDlAtZgKkx0
Our top five though, in no particular order other than the order we thought of them, is:
HAIM
LA sisterly trio HAIM are fucking incredible, to put it bluntly. With such an ear for a quirky pop hook or melody that will have you thinking wistfully of the halcyon days of Fleetwood Mac, saturated with swagger and presented in an intoxicatingly compelling live show (ask anyone who watched them nearly level New York’s Governors Ball in the pissing rain last year and they’ll attest to the same).
Right now they only have their sublime debut album in 2013’s Days Are Gone to their name, but their long-awaited sophomore LP is reportedly due for release mid-year which times just perfectly with Splendour. The prospect of new HAIM alongside old standards like Forever, Falling, If I Could Change Your Mind and a The Wire that will leave Splendour wondering what hit it so hard, you’ll be dancing rain, hail, shine or cosmic event to HAIM and if you’re not then I don’t know how to help you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtADweFd5AE
ScHoolboy Q
The biggest hip-hop act on this year’s bill is ScHoolboy Q and you can rest assured his set will be worth the wait and the limbs you might lose once you’re in the middle of it. Uncompromising bars, beats that will belt you upside your head and a stage presence that’s less ‘fire’ and more ‘raging inferno’, this won’t be for the faint of heart.
2016’s Blank Face LP was one of the year’s best releases and fans have been salivating over the chance to hear cuts from it like THat Part, Ride Out and Groovy Tony alongside favourites from Oxymoron, his two self-titled mixtapes and Habits And Contradictions (I have been waiting to lose my ever-loving shit to There He Go for too many years).
Splendour promises to be a triumphant return to Australia for the Black Hippy cornerstone and survivors will be few and delirious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEMsjeq43_U
Future Islands
It’s a tough sell to tell the rest of the world you’ve properly lived if you haven’t seen Baltimore trio Future Islands live. In the upper echelon of Splendour acts this year in terms of pure energy, your eyeballs and earholes will find themselves superglued to frontman Sam as he scuttles around the stage in maniacal fashion cutting shapes harder than your shitfaced uncle at your mum’s last birthday and switching between operatic warbling and death growling completely effortlessly.
They’ve got a new album out this week in The Far Field, so expect plenty of rollicking new tunes to slither their way into their Splendour set alongside old favourites (and believe us, when Seasons (Waiting On You) kicks in, the collective noise of all that shit being lost will have your head spinning).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYIE5vSt5CA
Paul Kelly
The elder statesman of the Splendour bill, you can expect tears to flow like the Murray River as perhaps the greatest singer-songwriter this country has ever produced rips into his mythological back catalogue of hits. Kelly hasn’t played a festival slot since damn near stealing the show at Falls as part of the Merri Soul Sessions.
It’s a solo effort this time around and there might be more recently relevant acts on the bill, but do the potential fantasy cameos not leave you as short of breath as I am right now?
Because the very possibility of Paul Kelly bringing out any of the many suitable home-grown artists like Tash Sultana, Julia Jacklin, Meg Mac, Luca Brasi (for what would be a supercharged run through of How To Make Gravy a la their Like A Version cover of it), Dan Sultan and A.B. Original (for a Dumb Things with a hip-hop twist a la their Like A Version Cover of it) The Smith Street Band (God in heaven), Bad//Dreems (good God al-fucking-mighty) and so many other acts that would leave us with goosebumps until Christmas.
And let’s not pretend the world wouldn’t just end right then and there if Bernard Fanning and Paul Kelly ended up onstage together at some point, because it can only contain so much euphoria without imploding in on itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwMXUAp5rIY
Tash Sultana
Since coming within a bee’s dick of taking out 2016’s Hottest 100, Tash Sultana has been up there among the hottest names of 2017. She’s been amassing fans by the thousands in Australia, she’s been Stateside breaking it huge on late night TV of late and you can’t even say the sky is the limit for her at this point, she has no limits.
Splendour will be the biggest show Tash Sultana has played on home soil and you can expect her to leave crowds utterly mesmerised by her near Jedi-level prowess in the looping arts. Jungle will have that same crowd absolutely seething with delight, as will Notion, hell, as will literally everything this 21-year-old does because she does it so damn well.
Every year at Splendour there seems to be a local act who seizes every shred of the opportunity and steals the entire show. Last year it was Gang Of Youths, the year before that it was a Tkay Maidza-Meg Mac tie and this year it’s looking more and more likely like it’s going to be Tash Sultana being crowned Queen Of Splendour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpFdHub8XpY
Splendour In The Grass 2017 tickets are on sale from 9am this Thursday via Moshtix
Splendour In The Grass 2017 (July 21-23) full lineup:
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
ROYAL BLOOD
HAIM
SIGUR RÓS
SCHOOLBOY Q (ONLY AUS SHOW)
VANCE JOY
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
PEKING DUK
RL GRIME
BONOBO
FATHER JOHN MISTY
TASH SULTANA
CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN
PAUL KELLY
STORMZY
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD
GEORGE EZRA
FUTURE ISLANDS (ONLY AUS SHOW)
BANKS
BERNARD FANNING
DUNE RATS
CUT COPY
ÁSGEIR
ALLDAY
MEG MAC
RAG’N’BONE MAN
THUNDAMENTALS
LIL YACHTY
SAN CISCO
CLIENT LIAISON
REAL ESTATE
DAN SULTAN
VALLIS ALPS
D.D DUMBO
MAGGIE ROGERS
TOVE LO
POND
THE SMITH STREET BAND
BIG SCARY
OH WONDER
A.B. ORIGINAL
DOPE LEMON
THE KITE STRING TANGLE
YOUNG FRANCO
JULIA JACKLIN
KINGSWOOD
AMY SHARK
LUCA BRASI
THE LEMON TWIGS
VERA BLUE
SLUMBERJACK
BAD//DREEMS
BAG RAIDERS
TOPAZ JONES
MIDDLE KIDS
OCEAN GROVE
CONFIDENCE MAN
BISHOP BRIGGS
LATE NITE TUFF GUY
JULIEN BAKER
KILTER
LANY
HOCKEY DAD
KIRIN J CALLINAN
AIRLING
COSMO’S MIDNIGHT
GRETTA RAY
MOONBASE
THE PEEP TEMPEL
TORNADO WALLACE
THE MURLOCS
MALLRAT
LUKE MILLION
THE WILSON PICKERS
ROMARE
JARROW
GOOD BOY
KUREN
ONEMAN
WINSTON SURFSHIRT
SET MO
HWLS
HARVEY SUTHERLAND AND BERMUDA
CC:DISCO!
ENSCHWAY
DJHMC
NITE FLEIT
ALICE IVY
WILLOW BEATS
WILLARIS. K
MOOKHI
SWINDAIL
DENA AMY
ANDY GARVEY
PLANÈTE
SAM WESTON
SUPER CRUEL
CHRISTOPHER PORT
LEWIS CANCUT
KINDER
You know the year is well underway when they announce the official dates for Splendour In The Grass and you can start speculating like a lunatic about who might be on this year’s lineup. Usually your first port of call is to peruse the Fuji Rock lineup, which is always announced prior to Splendour and, as it doesn’t overlap with Splendy but is held around the same time, can always be counted on to feature at least a couple of artists who’ll make the brief jaunt from Japan to Australia. Last year we shared James Blake, Sigur Rós and Jake Bugg, the year before was The Vaccines, Catfish And The Bottlemen (although they did have to pull out at the last minute), Royal Blood and Johnny Marr. Who might we see this year? Cop a look at this:
It’s a ripper of a lineup and should be sending palpitations around the vital organs of fans of any of those artists. Slightly unlikely (although stranger things have happened) are South London crooner Sampha, who’s about to embark on a national tour here in support of goddamn ridiculous new album Process as well as the aforementioned Catfish And The Bottlemen, who just got done ripping through one of the stormiest sets Falls Festival has ever witnessed. Iceland’s quirkiest export Bjork was in Australia just last year for Vivid so she may also not be quite as due for another visit as her fans would welcome.
There’s probably not much call for country singer Sturgill Simpson (even though he is cooler than cool) and Elvin Bishop must be nearing 104 years old at this point and probably hasn’t fooled around and fallen in love without needing a hip replacement since the late 80s, so two big festivals in the space of a few days might be pushing it for him.
But beyond that? Desert rock royalty Queens Of The Stone Age would be a major get, the band have been in the studio for what is reported to be an album coming later this year so that seems as good a time as any for them to head back to Australia. Also with a rumoured album in the works is Lorde, who hasn’t been sighted here since filling in at the drop of a hat for Frank Ocean at 2013’s Splendour In The Grass. Father John Misty absolutely needs to get back here as soon as possible and croon the pants off of us all (new album Pure Comedy will be here April 7th), as do The xx, who just released their first album in five years in the stunning I See You.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKrSYgirAhc
British producer Bonobo just released the stellar Migration and doesn’t have any Australian dates yet on his huge world tour so his might be a name to watch come Splendour announcement time, as will New York City dance rock royalty LCD Soundsystem, who were rumoured to have been forced to cancel what was to be their most recent tour of Australia before it was even announced, they too have an album rumoured for 2017.
The other two biggest acts on the bill, Aphex Twin and Major Lazer also don’t have any tour dates clashing with Splendour’s and they’d no doubt be received rapturously were they to stop for a visit. There’s so much speculation and anything is possible, and it’ll only be set to ramp up even further once the rest of the Fuji Rock lineup is released. Splendour’s isn’t due for at least another month or two, so daydream away, we’ll keep you covered on anything concrete here.
Image: Tone Deaf
Words by James Tait and Dani Hansen
The dust (and surprisingly minimal mud) has settled on another Splendour In The Grass. Everyone who attended has probably recovered physically (probably), if still a little fragile emotionally, so now that the big dance is over, we thought we’d look back and commit to the nigh-on impossible task of whittling three entire days of amazing times down into just the ten best moments, but we did:
James:
10: Tegan And Sara have everyone longing for their youth
I was never a huge fan of Canadian twin power duo Tegan And Sara growing up, their indie pop not resonating inside my misguided heavy metal-sensitive ears back then, but the impact they had on that Sunday afternoon crowd was undeniable. My significant other danced around with a kebab and a dart in one hand like she was a 14-year- old on too much red cordial and the people just sprinting for the moshpit whenever an oldie would play was a sight to see.
Couple that with the duo’s fantastic chemistry and perhaps some of the best crowd banter all festival and it was a wonderful Sunday afternoon show to behold.
9: Leon Bridges has Splendour swooning
It was always going to be tough for Texas’ own Leon Bridges, playing to the GW McLennan tent at the unfortunate same time as national heroes Violent Soho were laying waste to the amphitheatre. Nobody who chose the former left disappointed though, the crooner charming the figurative pants off of everyone in attendance, having them boogie-ing along to tunes like Twistin’ & Groovin’ and Better Man, raising their hands to a bonechilling rendition of River and singing back every word of Coming Home and even taking a surprising turn with a raunchy cover of Pony by Ginuwine that saw levels of bumping and grinding increase by over 9000.
It was a stellar set from Bridges who, at the tender age of just 26, will surely be back to have Australian crowds swooning many more times in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV04xStT3FA
8: City Calm Down invigorate the Sunday afternoon crowd
Another Australian group quickly making their mark as one of the best rock bands in the country are Melbourne’s City Calm Down, who made the most of their opportunity on one of the biggest stages of the national music calendar. Their Sunday afternoon set was full of twists and turns and hits from their breakthrough 2015 album In A Restless House. The tired and sore early Sunday afternoon crowd found themselves full of energy, screaming the words to Rabbit Run and Wandering and losing their ever-loving shit to a mammoth Your Fix that ended the set.
It might have been their tribute to the late David Bowie though with their stomping cover of Let’s Dance that got the crowd going the most though, everyone jumping around like a pack of giddy idiots with shit-eating grins everywhere. Frontman Jack Bourke mesmerised the crowd throughout, showing off a stunning vocal range and helping City Calm Down absolutely own that stage for the afternoon.
7: Gang Of Youths cement their position on the national stage
No band wanted to be at Splendour In The Grass as badly as Gang Of Youths. We’d pegged them as one of our must see acts prior to this year’s event but not even we could be prepared for how good they would end up being. As frontman David Le’aupepe’s booming voice rang out over the amphitheatre, throwing Saturday afternoon goosebumps around like they were party favours running through huge renditions of Poison Drum, Radioface, a couple of new tunes in Strange Diseases and an as-yet- untitled taste of their next record as well as a set-closing Magnolia that left throats hoarse and nary a dry eye in the whole place.
Le’aupepe took every opportunity to thank the crowd and to express how grateful the band were to be there, something refreshing to see given some of the more established acts on hand seemed as though they felt the opposite. Gang Of Youths are some of the best storytellers in Australian music going, energetic and evocative, honest and so hungry. Saturday was their coming out party to the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_jUv_mMF5Y
6: The Avalanches are back with a bang
A source backstage reported The Avalanches boys looking just slightly nervous ahead of their Friday night set, understandable given it was their first Australian show in over a decade. Any notion of nervousness was chokeslammed out the window immediately though and it felt like the trio had never left that stage. The entire amphitheatre crowd was seething, grooving along to hits from Since I Left You and Wildflower alike (Frankie Sinatra went off like a frog in a sock). Mixing up Frontier Psychiatrist with Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy a stroke of genius.
Having been forced to cancel their international appearances, their lone appearance at this year’s Splendour felt even more special. Even though many in the crowd would have been watching Sesame Street back when Since I Left You first dropped like a bomb, The Avalanches won everyone over and proved that 16 years hasn’t slowed them down one bit.
Dani:
5. Fat White Family
Pandemonium from the get-go. As the band settled into their first song, frontman Lias was drinking straight from a bottle of Absolut whilst screaming down the mic; the rest of the band keeping the loud, trashy rhythm going around him. He threw burgers and fries into the crowd at one stage and shoved the mic down his pants. By their fifth song, Lias was substantially blind, shirt and pants off, and proceeded to perform the rest of their set completely starkers.
At some point he also threw his beer bottle into the crowd, hitting me square in the shoulder and spraying beer everywhere. That was my second band of Day 1 and it was certainly my highlight of the entire festival. Fat White Family were everything I hoped they would be and so much more.
4. The Strokes
Similar to many other fans of the indie scene, I’ve digged The Strokes for a very long time. This was, however, the first time I had seen them live and I loved every second of it. They made the crowd wait half an hour before gracing the stage but when they finally arrived, I was reminded of how eternally cool they are.
Unsurprisingly (and to my utmost delight), Julian was being typical Julian; first complaining about how bright the lights were on stage and then addressing the crowd with wry and barely audible anecdotes. We heard a few of their newer numbers, although they covered most of their debut album Is This It as well. As a long time fan, I appreciated this wholeheartedly. Every member held their own and each song was on point. Perfect finish to Day one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBv-f8RCoPk
3. Spring King
For their first Australian festival, I knew these Manchester natives would bring an absolute riot. The band opened with old favourite Better Man and ascended into their usual raging surf-rock-infused awesomeness as the crowd grew accordingly. A few songs in they had already blown an amp and, during the interim, got some live impromptu elevator music going while jokingly commenting on the stunning weather we were having.
This was the perfect start to Day two: hilarious one-off moments with my favourite Mancunians.
2. Tired Lion
As one of my favourite Aussie acts out at the moment, I made sure I was front and centre for this Perth four-piece and they did not disappoint. The crowd for their set was huge and clearly loving it as there was some rioting/circle pit action happening behind me for most of it.
It may be a cliché to say how refreshing it is to see a garage indie band fronted by a woman but, man, Sophie Hopes absolutely owns that role. The band have honed their own brand of 90’s alt-fuzz and it was incredible to experience from 10-feet away.
1. James Blake
It was during this set that I fully realised for the first time the genius of James Blake. Performing just before festival headliner Flume on Day three, the anticipation for this British mastermind was palpable. His first time touring Australia, James lamented that he felt it was “about time” he made his way here and that he was “so happy we came with such force.”
His music has this incredible push and pull that hits you in waves, and even though he was performing to thousands, the energy in the Ampitheatre was hauntingly zen. I waded through Limit To Your Love but my jaw dropped when Radio Silence came around. I was almost in tears. Soon after, Flume opened with Helix and I actually was in tears. And thus ended my Splendour in the Grass of 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpR1xIUBJvs
Image: Broadsheet
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard are known for having a diehard, fringe-lunatic fanbase who go to extreme lengths to express their passion for the band; however, one fan at this year’s Splendour In The Grass has been shown as having set a new and wholly terrifying bar for commitment to the Gizz.
In some grainy footage uploaded on Facebook, the fan in question is seen sitting on the ground, surrounded by his concerned friends urging him not to walk and is clearly in a considerable amount of discomfort. What happens next will make any old, crusty metal-head raise their bony devil horns in approval (and also vomit in horror).
The video shows the fan, against the wishes of his friends and the laws of human anatomy, stand up and walk towards the main stage of the festival with the intent of catching the Melbourne psych-wizards…
WITH HIS FOOT POINTING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. A clean, perfect 180 degrees.
It’s honestly one of the foulest things you will ever see. Who would have thought that one band would inspire so much insanity, pain and dedication? Watch the brutal footage below, or don’t. Seriously. This is the kind of shit you can never un-see. Don’t say you weren’t warned:
https://www.facebook.com/izzak.morris/videos/902558736522751/
Good. God. Almighty. Crap on a crust. Sweet merciful Christ riding a unicycle. WHY? Why did this happen? I mean, to be fair to the guy, King Gizzard’s Splendour set was nothing short of phenomenal (the circle pit among the biggest Splendour has ever observed) but this is surely physically impossible. All the bleach in the world can’t erase an image like that from your eyeballs.
There’s been no response from King Gizzard as yet but man, can they give that guy free tickets for life or something? Or start a GoFundMe for the replacement foot he now surely needs?
King Gizzard have become renowned as one of the most energetic and mind-warpingly good live bands currently kicking around, having played a string of sold out dates across both Australia and Europe in support of their latest album Nonagon Infinity.
They’ll kick on with a few dates left of their own national tour before probably starting work on at least one of the alleged four (!) studio albums they have planned for 2017.
After videos like this, you have no excuses for missing one of their shows ever again. May God have mercy on that young man’s soul.
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD TOUR DATES
Thursday, 4th August: Oxford Art Factory- Sydney
SOLD OUT
Friday, 5th August: Metro Theatre- Sydne
SOLD OUT
Saturday, 6th August: Uni Bar- Woolongong
Image: Noisey
With the 2016 edition of Splendour In The Grass less than 24 hours away from kickoff, we’re sure many of you are relaxed and quite comfortable, having made all of your plans weeks and months in advance and are just sitting pretty waiting for the big day to arrive.
We’re also sure more than a few of you are tearing your hair out because you haven’t a clue what you’re doing and haven’t made any plans yet beyond ‘turn up and hope for the best’. If you’re the latter, not to worry, we’ve got you covered with our last minute Splendour planner’s guide for this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GkVhgIeGJQ
How you’re getting there:
Oh, your annual Splendour road trip is approaching? That’s a whole lot of hours travelling packed full of good times – literally, your four best friends packed into your Toyota hatchback as you head from one end of the state to the other. Now is the prime time to organise the essentials: snacks, drinks, sightseeing pitstops and tunes (here, we’ve done that one for you: 100 Best Tracks of 2016 So Far).
Also, this is the best time to nut out your schedule for the next three days so bring a notepad and have the set times on hand so at least one of you can scribble down a plan in the car. Alternatively, if you’re around Sydney like I am and not really keen on burning rubber for that long, or simply don’t have the time, flights to Ballina take just over an hour. We’re two days out from Splendour and Jetstar are still offering trips from $55. Sometimes all you need is some light turbulence and a mid-flight snack to prepare you for a crazy, jam-packed weekend full of festival fanatics and your favourite music.
Who you’re seeing:
With four main stages and nine other festival areas featuring all kinds of amazing things to see and do, you certainly won’t be bored. On the contrary, you may start having mild spasms over the amount of choice you do have. Clashes are always a pain but very manageable. Should I catch Flume or Sigur Rós? Jagwar Ma or The Jungle Giants? Motez or Hermitude? Do I want to chill with some lols at the Comedy Club or muzz to The Delta Riggs spinning the decks!? If none of those appeal to you, check out our list of the ten acts you can’t afford to miss from this year.
It can all seem a little overwhelming but it only takes two seconds to download the always helpful Splendour In The Grass app and begin to get a handle on which acts you want to see, then sit down with your mates and form a plan. There will be a bit of compromise involved but, all in all, everyone will have an amazing time if you’re all seeing the acts you truly love.
Of course it will probably all go to pot on the day, what with toilet stops and drinks and food breaks, but hey, at least you’ll feel easier now if you have some kind of rough idea what you’re doing right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOypSnKFHrE
What you’re taking:
If you’re camping, you’ll need at least some form of tent and a sleeping bag if you don’t already have one. Places like Big W and K-Mart are the absolute goods for cheap tent-ery and camping items. Camping or not, you’ll want to have a pair of gumboots handy. The weather forecast for this year’s Splendour might look all sunshine and rainbows right now, but this is Australia and mother nature cares not for your festival happiness. A little bit of rain can turn the Byron Parklands into an absolute pit of mud and despair that not everyone enjoys sliding around in, so get your hands on a pair of gumboots even if iPhone weather says it’s sunshine ahead.
With all that mud and sweat and grime, you need to sort out basic toiletries as well, at least some form of body wash will do and a towel and toothbrush at the very least. Sure, you could opt out of that altogether and just not shower for three days straight, but the punters parting like the red sea in the moshpit as you and your disco stench pass by will be noticeable. Now would be a good time to go to K-Mart and get cheap underwear and socks too.
You also want food. All of the food. Splendour has three food halls on site this year with more tasty goods than you can poke a wizard stick at, so they’ve got you sorted for meals throughout the day, but snacks for after you get back to your tent or wherever you’re staying after a long day’s debauchery will be like manna from heaven.
Where you’re sleeping:
Even with all the forecast sun during the day, night time is probably going to be anywhere between a little frosty and ‘Jack Nicholson frozen in The Shining‘. It’s important to have a decent tent that you can keep dry. You’re going to want at least one pillow (if worst comes to worst you can use your bag) and a sleeping bag. If you can, a blanket on top of that will have you wrapped up like the world’s happiest burrito even if the outside world is cold and full of terrors, otherwise you can sleep underneath a sea of your own clothes just as effectively (if a little messier).
By the time you get there you’ll probably be emotionally drained from trying to get everything sorted at the last minute and it can be tempting to want to just throw everything and go and get amongst the tomfoolery. Make sure your tent is properly stood up and stuck in the ground so hard not even an earthquake could move it before you start celebrating. You don’t want to be that person everyone in the campsite is laughing at because their tent is propped up worse than Pauline Hanson’s logic or floating away in the Byron breeze.
Try and make some kind of note of where your tent is pitched before you head out on that first day as well, few things are worse than wrapping up a long day’s Splendour-ing and traipsing back to the campsite with dreams of a warm tent only to not have any idea where you’ve left it and having to spend a further half an hour stumbling around in the dark looking for it. Pick out recognisable stuff (your closest bathroom number is usually a good bet) close to you and remember it above all else.
What not to bring:
A shit attitude or Native American headdresses. Please don’t. Otherwise, as long as you’ve followed the basics, your Splendour In The Grass should be an absolute whale of a time. We will see you there!