Virgin

Splendour in the Grass, day two! Again, we aren’t feeling too shabby which is a little suspcious… we head into Splendour fairly early (well, before midday) and eat some Turkish pizza for breakfast while listening to monks chant, as you do. We check back with the happy campers, just in time to watch the group next to them getting raided by the booze cops. I wonder what they do with all the grog they’ve taken - big massive party at the end? We have a wander around the festival, checking out some ‘So you think you can dance’ breakdancing lessons, and contemplate getting a massage.

We head to the Mix-up tent where we catch the last of ELF’s set for our first dance of the day. Then it’s Slot Machine, and these guys are wicked! They are Byron locals; one of their members is a friend of a friend of the dude we are staying with, and told us to go see them. So we did, and how much fun are they! According to their bio, their gigs inspire group sex… hmm, I didn’t see any of that although you could hear them from the camping ground - who knows what was going on inside those tents! They were sassy, reminded me a bit of Peaches. Another awesome start to the day!

I was keen to see Van She, I’ve seen them twice this year with mixed results. Again, the crowd was very young and Van She were good. But I do think they are better suited to a smaller venue - they’d really kick butt in a club. But they are still quite enjoyable, and I really like their music. They end with Kelly, which is their most well-known single. With some time to kill we hit a few bars, check out the happy herbs tent, do some more people-watching and fashion-policing, and generally just relax and take in the Splendour vibe. What I love about this festival is how laidback it is - it doesn’t have the frenetic pace of the Big Day Out, or the idiots who just come to get pissed.

Time for The Grates, again! Their set starts with the theme to Batman (the 60s TV series), and out comes Patience in her Bat Girl outfit, complete with purple vinyl and a winged cape. The Grates don’t disappoint again, everyone is having a phat old time. My friend describes their gigs as like going to birthday parties, and it does feels that way! Patience rewards the enthused crowd with the label of ‘best Splendour crowd ever’.

A bit of Van She Tech (good stuff) before one of my must-sees take to the stage: New Young Pony Club. A band on the Modular label, these guys have a really defined, unique sound. But this doesn’t quite come across during their performance - I feel like any good band could’ve done what they did. Ty Bulmer has a lot of stage presence, and she works the stage well to ensure everyone gets to experience her vibe. She tries to wake the crowd up, reminding them ‘we flew 42 hours to be here!’ On the whole it’s pretty good, but they don’t blow me away. I want to be blown away dammit!

Then it was time for the Icelandic group, Sigur Ros. Up until now I wasn’t really aware of them - I had heard of them but didn’t know much. I was curious to see what they were like. And I am so, so glad I experienced them because they were amazing, astonishing, incredible and the absolute highlight of the Splendour in the Grass festival. Witnessing their performance was an absolute privilege and they moved me more than words can say. Such haunting beauty, soaring vocals, a majestic mesh of string and wind instruments, perfect arrangements.

Vocalist and lead guitarist Jonsi Birgisson is a revelation. His voice is more than angelic, it’s surreal. He often plays the guitar with a bow. The other members of the band - Kjarton Sveinsson, George Holm and Orri Pall Dyrason are incredible also - the love for their music is so clear on their faces. Sigur Ros’s style of music is pretty much indescribable; they sound like what nature might sound like. Iceland must be a very beautiful and special place. I can’t understand a word of the lyrics (it’s in Icelandic or according to some sources, a variation called Hopelandic I think?), but it doesn’t matter - you can feel what is being sung. My eyes are closed for a lot of the performance, and I even cry a little bit too. When my eyes are open, I see people holding each other close, lost for words, tears in their eyes, totally mesmorised by one of the most special performances any of us will ever see in our lives. I’m sure this all sounds very cliche. But a band that can cast such a spell over a massive festival crowd, move me to tears, is something very special. If something horrible happened and you were only allowed to see one band ever again, then please see Sigur Ros.

After that, we didn’t want to see Wolfmother or The Presets - we didn’t want to ruin the moment. My friend Nat and I walked around, talked, reflected on what we’d just seen, then headed to Tipi Forest for the awesome Olli Wisdom. Nothing like a bit of trance to wind-up a festival… A catch-up with the camper friends, then the walk home into town. Nat said to me afterwards, ‘The thing about Splendour that’s different to other festivals is that there is always a surprise, always something that makes you go, “wow”.’ So, despite the blisters on my feet, the lack of sleep, the bus being massively late and almost missing my flight home, I didn’t care. Sigur Ros were my surprise, my wow.

Photo courtesy of kumakae - check more out on Flickr.

Day one of Splendor! I wake up with only a minor hangover - a miracle considering Nat and I probably kept Smirnoff and Bacardi in business single-handedly last night at the Great Northern. In need of a greasy breakfast and a beverage with fruit, we head to a little cafe in Byron and eat and drink our way to good health. We catch the shuttle to Splendour and are slightly alarmed when we hear that someone has been lining up for their wristband for about an hour. We so should have got those the night before… But when we get there, yes the line is long but it moves quickly. 10 minutes later we’re inside getting our drink tickets, then getting drinks, then our stubby coolers. Now time for the music!

First up we check out Art Vs Science, winners of JJJ’s Unearthed Splendour competition. And what an awesome start to the festival they are. The crowd is pretty big for a first act, and AVS don’t disappoint - in fact, they are impressive. Great energy, their sound is a mix of rock and dirty (almost French) electro. It’s also a chance to check out the fashions on the field, with some very interesting choices. And some pretty disturbing ones too. AVS manage to get many of the punters to take their shoes off and wave them in the air while massive blow-up penguins launch into the crowd. These guys have a big future (AVS, not the penguins).

Next up, we check out The Galvatrons. I immediately notice all the teens, and start to think maybe this gig won’t be for me. And I am right… it’s pretty boring actually. I think they think they’re a bit like The Darkness, with all the glam-rocker stuff going on, but in the end it’s just a bit… ordinary. With some spare time on our hands we check out the markets and merch, then pay a visit to our mates at the campsite. A few more drinks and smokes then it’s back to catch Hadouken! at the Mix-up tent. A few of the post-Splendour reviews around listed Hadouken! as a highlight, and I don’t disagree - they are awesome fun, a group who really knows how to build up a song (and the crowd) into a frenzy then just unleash! They do a great cover of The Prodigy’s Breathe, the visuals alongside the stage are of Tetris and Streetfighter etc, and each song has us jumping. Great performance, and it will be great to see them again.

I’ve seen Gyroscope a few times, but every time I see them they blow me away. IMHO they are one of the best groups to come out of Australia, and live they are so impressive. The definite highlight of their set (and until day 2, the festival), is when they break into Beds Are Burning during Fast Girl. It sends shivers up my spine, and every single person in that tent screams every word - and it feels like they mean every word, too. They then go straight into Snakeskin, just perfect. Gyroscope are awesome and if they don’t break internationally then there’s something wrong with the world rock music scene.

I was very excited to see MSTRKRFT, but apart from the dude climbing the tent pole and their mix of The Presets’ My People, their set is kind of boring. Maybe I’ve been very spoilt over the past couple of years, having seen Daft Punk, Justice, Jamez Zabiela, Bass Kleph, Aston Shuffle and so many other DJs and acts… or maybe I’m not easily pleased! I don’t know. But it just isn’t fresh or new and I am slightly disappointed.

Continue the disappointment with Cold War Kids, who I thought were just depressing and emo. Again, just my opinion! PNAU are excellent but by this time I am a bit sick of the crowds and all the drunk, munted punters who can’t follow ‘festival dance etiquette’ (which is, when it’s fricking packed to the rafters DON’T dance with arms flailing, elbows in faces, jumping up and down with your group of silly friends). I move right over to the side, then sing Embrace like my life depends on it.

I meet up with Nat at the end of The Living End’s set. They still know how to rock, and are still the best live Aussie rock band you’ll ever see. I’m not a huge fan of their last two albums, but I still love them. During this, we get talking to some dude who had lost his friends and is confused about set times. He hasn’t realised he’s missed The Music, Hadouken!, Cold War Kids. He didn’t know what stage he was at, didn’t know what stage he was going to… it was a long, confusing conversation! (I saw him at New Young Pony Club on day two, so obviously it all ended ok).

‘Are we not men?’ ‘We are Devo!’ To see such legends at Splendour is a massive privilege, and one we were not going to miss out on. Their performance is like musical theatre, complete with dramatic introduction showcasing their clips over the years - providing memories for the folks who remember them, and an overview for the young kiddies who don’t know much about them. I remember seeing them in their weird hats when I was a kid - I was slightly scared but also fascinated… Anyway. I love an act that has a dramatic element and is a bit out-there, and Devo are certainly that. Most people get right into it, singing and dancing their way through all the hits. I know this is so boring but Whip It is still my fave! Lots of older people in the crowd too, which is great to see. Booji Boy is a bit freaky, the suits are great, and the hats are awesome (kindly thrown out to the crowd to tear themselves apart to grab). So, the end of day one… we went home tired and very happy. Get ready for day two!

For more Splendour In The Grass photos, check out Bradii’s Flickr photostream

A night of no sleep… a 4am wakeup call… a 6.30am flight to Brisbane… the only way is up after that! I am collected from the airport by my friend Nat and her mates Bill and Tegan, and we commence the drive down to Byron for Australia’s premier music festival, Splendour in the Grass. For them, they’ve done this journey many times before. For me, it’s my first Splendour and despite the no sleep and early morning action, I am very very excited. The drive is punctuated by the obligatory stops at Maccas and the bottle-o. I think I speak for all of us when I say the highlight of the roadtrip is the new Tugun bypass, which we wouldn’t even have noticed if Bill hadn’t helpfully pointed it out to us. Thanks Bill haha.

We arrive into Byron, where it’s already starting to get busy on the roads. Cars and vans crawl up the road into town, people making their way to their various accommodations. Byron is completely booked out for the weekend - and I mean completely. Good luck to the folk who rock up without anything booked, hoping to score something. We (sort of) help the guys set up their campsite at Splendour, and have our first experience with the Splendour booze cops (aka security), who are going from campsite to campsite trying to bust people for bringing grog into the camp. We have a couple of very, very close calls, but all good. Others are not so lucky - some festival volunteers tell us a group were searched, the cops called and drugs found. Not good at all, and all before the festival has even started.

Nat and I make it to our accommodation, which is with a friend of a mother of a girl that Nat works with. Get that?! We are very lucky to get a place to stay, all we need is a bed and a shower but it’s good to stay with a nice family. We relax for a bit, then spend an obscene amount of cash at a gourmet grocery store and eat chocolate mousse, cheese, dips and pasta salad until I feel slightly sick. Then it’s time to get ready for the Dew Process pre-Splendour party!

The venue is the Great Northern hotel, a happy pub filled with punters relaxing before the weekend, waiting for the pre-splendour party or watching the footy on the TV. We notice The Galvatrons having a drink and a few laughs, and meet some dude from Melbourne (who I think was trying to score a place to stay for the night!). We have some random chats with a range of people, really nice folk who are sooo happy to be going to Splendour! On our agenda for tonight (our overall aim: “we’re not having a big one”) are Yves Klein Blue, an up and coming young band from Brisbane; Tokyo Police Club, a young Canadian band; and The Grates, who I’ve resisted seeing since I heard of them years ago (and I thought they were kind of annoying), and am now finally about to check them out.

I expected the venue to be more packed, especially considering it was sold out, but it’s nice not to have to fight your way closer to the front of the stage or become part of a whole-floor moshpit. For us, it’s a chance to check out bands that we might not be able to see during the festival due to timetable clashes. Yves Klein Blue - firstly, what a cool name. Named after artist Yves Klein’s famous blue paint that “does not lose its brilliance over time, forever appearing wet and freshly applied”. Let’s hope these dudes can follow suit. They’ve definitely got talent, lead singer Michael Thomlinson has a cool voice and the band have a good indie-rock sound that remind me a bit of The Strokes (with less ego and less polish but more to like). There’s so many good Aussie bands that it’s hard to stand out but I think if they stick it out for the next couple of years, they will do very well. And to get a guernsey on the Splendour bill, well, some people would argue they’ve done well already. A good start to the evening.

Tokyo Police Club are great, really fun and energetic, great rhythm, and the keyboardist Graham Wright kinda steals the show, he’s so into his keyboards - it’s great to watch. They’re a mix of rock, indie, post-punk and pop with a rolling beat and catchy riffs. Thoroughly enjoyable, lots of people get up to dance, and it’s happy times. The numerous vodkas and beers are now starting to, ahem, take effect, so my dancing probably didn’t look as coordinated or as good as it felt.

Then it was The Grates, and it was obvious this was the group everyone was waiting to see. Lead singer and big personality Patience Hodgson is an amazing frontwoman, she’s absolutely gorgeous and lovely. While you appreciate John and Alana and their talent, you just can’t take your eyes off Patience. Looking around, everyone has huge smiles on their dials and dancing with their friends, strangers, anyone really. When Patience does her ribbon routine, she uses the ribbon that Nat’s sister Fo bought for her (just before the gig, Nat gave the ribbon to a friend to give to Patience). They play tracks off their latest album, which I much prefer to songs like Trampoline etc. It’s a more evolved, rockier sound, but still has the fun and freshness of their earlier stuff. I am definitely no Grates expert however - I’ll leave that job to Fo and Nat!

The end of the night comes all too quickly… but those vodkas have really done the job. Not ready to go home we forge on ahead, back to the public bar area and meet some chefs and some boys from Melbourne and so many others that I can’t quite remember… But I do remember the walk (or should I say stumble) home - we must have looked a sight. Tucked away into bed by 2am, it’s not a bad effort. And we had a great night with good tunes and good people. So much for good intentions! Next: Day one of Splendour

I bought V Festival tickets way back in November – one for me and one for the dude I was sort of seeing at the time.

‘There’s no way we won’t be talking in March!’ he laughed.

‘Just pay me whenever you can!’ I laughed.

How things change. By Christmas, we were no longer talking, I don’t even know why. But I was stuck with an extra ticket to V Festival. The prospect of going on my own: not appealing. But to see The Smashing Pumpkins, Queens Of The Stone Age, Cut Copy and The Rakes, I was prepared to make the sacrifice all in the name of music.

I got lucky when I befriended a fellow I shall call Phill, because that’s his name, and when I asked if he wanted to come with me to an awesome music festival he said yes. We stopped for a burrito and a coffee, picked up ‘Overalls Guy’ then headed to Sydney. On the way we discussed various interesting topics: billboard signs; sexism in advertising; the best toilets at various roadhouses; lollies. And music, mostly of the jazz variety however – not my favourite genre, but I’m willing to learn.

In Sydney, we had the usual experiences one has when visiting: a very cool gig at The Basement; a variety of prostitutes offering their wares; drunken private school boys stumbling around the Cross; coffee in Newtown. Then a wee rest at the hotel before getting ready for V…

I watched the sea of fluoro washing down Oxford Street and spilling into Centennial Park (a LOT of fluoro). I kept checking my watch, in a slight panic that perhaps I hadn’t left enough time to get inside and meet Bob to get the low-down on my job for the festival, then missing the start of Cut Copy’s set. Having been living in Canberra for a while, the Sydney humidity was also making me sweat a bit. Mmm, sweat = not attractive.

But the journey inside the gates into the world of V couldn’t have been smoother: a free can of energy on the way in, to quench the thirst; an extremely short line-up to get in, to make me stress less; and signs everywhere, showing the way to Bob.

Once VIP passes were safely in my hot lil’ hands, it was time to evaluate whether V Festival was The Shit. How do you make a person happy at a music festival?

Firstly, signage. Initially a bit confusing, but that was because I’d printed the map out in mono, not colour, so I couldn’t initially tell whether the blue stage was the ‘Other stage’. Tip for next time: print the map out in colour. Or get the festival booklet, which has the map in it. But signage for toilets and bars was very good.

Secondly, bar and toilet facilities. These are the things that can make or break a festival (apart from the actual music, which I agree is also important). Now, I had VIP access so my experience was excellent – no waiting for drinks and clean dunnies. By all accounts from other punters, they had positive experiences with the ‘you’re special but not that special’ facilities. It helped tremendously to supply free stubby coolers and blow-up drink trays – even haters were heard to say, ‘I had to wait five minutes for a goddamn beer… but at least I got a free stubby cooler!’

Third, easy navigation between stages. This is essential to me, because at festivals I tend to move a lot between stages – so short and easy distances are very important. Again, V Festival trumps other large festivals in this regard – I wasn’t stuck in traffic, required to navigate large mountains, or detour around the whole festival site before getting to the stage.

Fourth, security staff. Unfortunately on this count, the security staff sucked. I can’t remember how many times people crawled over my, and other people’s, shoulders to get over the barrier into the mosh. And the usefuless security guys just made feeble attempts to stop them. Still some work to be done there.

Fifth, crowd and general vibe. Pretty awesome actually; no dickheads wrapped in Australian flags, random and friendly discussions between punters, and happy dancing. And for the bonus, the first festival where I haven’t seen a fight (not that I’m saying there probably wasn’t at least one).

I think the happy and shiny vibe reflected people’s experiences with the other festival elements – when line-ups to get in/drink/eat/go to the loo are quick and you get to see your favourite artists with minimal fuss, you’re going to be a lot happier aren’t you?

And finally, but most importantly, the music. I think there was something for everyone, and if you didn’t walk away at least loving one act, well, why are you there in the first place? While some acts weren’t as good as they normally are, other acts made up for it a thousand times over. A mix of old, new, young, old, cool and daggy - it was a day in musical heaven!

One of the great things about V Festivals that set them apart from other music festivals is the careful selection and scheduling of artists. It’s not a mish-mash lucky dip of bands, and there’s a good balance between established artists and artists about to break. And you’re less likely to face the heartbreaking choice of seeing one awesome band over another.

But I was torn… do I see French electro duo AIR or London rockers The Rakes? However, thanks to a timetable glitch, I no longer had to try to be in two places at once – which would have not only been painful, but pretty horrid for others to witness. So anyway, I happened to catch AIR and I’m so very glad I did.

Before I go any further, I need to let you know that this blog doesn’t focus on songs themselves. AIR create such a harmonious and beautiful atmosphere that it would be a shame just to focus on what tracks they played… it’s all about the mood. In my humble opinion anyway.

AIR is an acronym for Amour, Imagination, Rêve - meaning Love, Imagination, Dream. A more perfect description of their music would be impossible to find. AIR transport me to a lazy Sunday afternoon, lying in the sun, coming down from a massive weekend. I’m totally relaxed…pretty good considering it was Saturday afternoon, I’m wide awake, and had just seen The Rakes.

No other artist has this sound, I don’t believe. AIR are utterly unique, groundbreaking. They remind me a little of Pink Floyd, except way more chilled-out. With the voice of a boy angel but the face of a rogue, Nicolas Godin almost has a hypnotic power over the crowd. Keyboard magic comes from underneath Jean-Benoît Dunckel’s fingertips.

People sway, hold each other, listen intently, eyes closed. AIR are a bit too chilled for some punters so they take their big eyes over to the Virgin Mobile Venue for electro house goodness.

Towards the end of AIR’s set, I tear myself away to grab a beer before heading over to see Queens of the Stone Age. The organisation of the V Festival is such that you don’t have to miss whole acts just to get a beverage – in, out, drink, you’re done! Nice…

Back to AIR…in a word: beautiful.

And if you want to compare music to sex (and who doesn’t), then AIR are the post-shag entanglement in bed. Followed by a cigarette.

For more AIR photos like this one check out The Untrained Eye’s Flickr photostream…

When I was at uni in the mid-nineties, the Smashing Pumpkins’ were the soundtrack to my angst-ridden, emo life. Stereo turned up to 11, lights out, I got lost in Billy Corgan’s angelic/demonic voice and guitar. I thought Corgan was a genius, like a mad scientist. I was fascinated by stories of the making of their album Siamese Dream and the drug issues that seemed destined to plague the band forever. To this day, Disarm is one of the most beautiful and saddest rock songs ever made. And I dreamed that one day, I would see them live (before any of them OD’ed or something).

So, I had high expectations. Massively high. And despite other reviews you might read on the interwebs, Billy and the band absolutely smashed it - a perfect balance between their older, melodic material and their newer, harder stuff.

Opening with Today is a great start - it sets a great tone to the rest of the gig. Their rendition of Tonight Tonight is perfect, what I love about this song is how tender AND hard it sounds - kind of epitomises the Pumpkins’ sound generally. Corgan’s skirt is very nice, although I’m not sure I would personally go with a long, frilly silver number. He can carry it off, whereas some others might not be able to.

Jimmy Chamberlain is incredible. He looks healthier and bigger, and pounds those drums like his life depends on it.

I don’t know about anyone else but I found the D’Arcy and James I’ha replacements…interesting. Is it just me or did they get replaced with lookalikes? Very talented lookalikes mind you… and Ginger, she’s HOT. It’s kind of weird - but then again, Corgan’s not the straightest lace in the shoe - I give you the frilly skirt.

Corgan has an undeniable power over the crowd. When he smiles, everyone bathes in it. For me, it feels like I’m a kid again, getting rare approval from a distant but brilliant genius father. Wow, that sounds like a giant wank, but… I feel valued to be there. His voice…the guitar… I feel like I’m there again.

Corgan rips out an acoustic version of 1979 and the crowd hushes, waiting to be invited to sing their hearts out. And they do. Under the spotlight he looks blissful as his eyes close, a small smile on his face, singing, ‘And we don’t know/Just where our bones will rest/To dust I guess…’ What a beautiful dedication to the fans.

Later, I compare the beauty of that track to the up-tempo, rolling, intense rendition of Bullet with Butterfly Wings - such different songs, both equally so powerful. Pumpkins’ fans go absolutely nuts, screaming, ‘Despite all my rage/I am still just a rat in a cage’ back at Corgan and the band. It must be hard for a band NOT to feel like gods on stage.

The best bit for me is the last 10 minutes or so before encore. Corgan just lets rip, it sounds like a gigantic jam session in the world’s biggest open-air garage. How can sounds like that come from a guitar and a human being? I can’t stop shaking my head. And the encore is brilliant, covering The Church’s Reptile and ending with Cherub Rock.

My only disappointment is they don’t play Disarm or Bodies. But that’s nothing…I saw one of the greatest bands ever, and remembered things from my childhood and teenage years that I thought I’d long forgotten. And when Corgan came out to thank the crowd, I think to myself, if I die tomorrow I’m totally ok with that.

Post-script: To the silly girl who kept wanting to jump the barricade next to me: If you’re reading this, you should know that you were very annoying and the sound of your whiny, monotonous voice is, in my memory, now mingled with Corgan’s voice. Thanks heaps. Learn some festival etiquette FFS!

Living in Canberra means a trek up to Sydney for festivals and the like. This can be a cumbersome experience, particularly if the mode of transport is bus. This time I was lucky enough to score a lift and the trip began with a coffee - a very nice skinny flat white from Tonic, a little café bar in Civic that I’ve never been to before, but will definitely go to again. But yes, I love a good road trip, and love to talk a lot of crap. Combine the two and it’s fun city for me (maybe not so great for others haha).

When I go to festivals, I go for the music. (You’re probably thinking, ‘yeah, derr…’ But festivals can be so much more than music - hanging out with friends, getting trashed, making new friends, sneaking into VIP sections etc etc). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wandered around a massive venue alone, set-times around my neck and highlighted, looking like a total nerd with no friends. Pfft, who cares - I always make friends on various barricades, in toilet queues, at the bar. I may be alone but I’m never lonely!

I have a particular preference for being on the barrier around the pit. Something to hold on to, usually have a bit more space in front (but this is a trade-off, always some sweaty dude’s body pressed up tight against my back), and still close enough to be part of the gig, not just watching it. So this is where I find myself for Queens of the Stone Age. I’m pumped. The dude next to me looks like he’s going to try to jump the barrier…’Dude, don’t even go there,’ I warn him. ‘If you’re gonna jump, do it next to someone else.’ He looks at me, a little surprised. ‘Nah man, this is the best position! I’m stayin’ right here!’ We bond over our mutual love of the Queens and mutual distaste for barrier-jumpers.

So yes, the Queens. And Josh Homme.

If the word ’sex’ hadn’t already been defined by Wikipedia, my definition would be Josh Homme. He’s sex on legs, sex on a stick, sex on everything. And when he says, ‘I wanna fuck every one of you here tonight’, not only do I believe him but I think, hmmm, maybe somehow it will happen? (Zara, please, please tell me you got some Homme-lovin’ with your backstage artist pass!) Man, this guy… hmm. I think I need some quiet time, please excuse me.

The Queens are slicker and sexier than Valvoline, and have the complete package. Tight. Grinding. Rolling. Pounding. Heavy. Sounds like sex (sorry, it’s on my brain, clearly). It’s rock ‘n’ roll heaven and for those suckers who missed it, you really missed an awesome performance.

The crowd screams every word to No-one knows, Sick sick sick, Little Sister, Go with the flow… my throat starts to feel a little hoarse. I wait patiently for Feel good hit of the summer… I’m still waiting dammit.

The new-look lineup does the job, I defy anyone to spot a weak link in this crew. Perfectly blending hard, edgy rock with soaring and even tender melodies, Homme’s voice melts the crowd while Joey Castillo on drums makes sure there’s no let-up in intensity. On the big screens we’re treated to lots of closeups of Homme, Castillo and his tatts and the rest of the band, all doing their thang… and when the camera pans back to show the surging crowd, I fully realise just how many people worship the Queens.

I don’t want it to end, but it of course does. Fantastic gig… and the Pumpkins still to come…

The first act I see at V Festival in Sydney is Cut Copy, who’ve just gone number one on the ARIA charts with their new album In Ghost Colours. (BTW I’m loving this album more and more every time I hear it, it’s a more developed and mature sound compared to their debut Bright Like Neon Love. As a child of the Eighties, it’s like I’m 13 years old all over again and I love that feeling.)

Anyhoo, the Cutters are one of my favourite acts, no question. In my eyes, they can do no wrong – they’re Melbourne boys after all! However, their set isn’t quite as good as other recent performances…maybe it’s the large venue? Nerves? Big night before? I don’t know… to me they lack some of their usual spark, although maybe it is just me because the thousands of fans who came to see them love every second of it.

Tracks from their first album, Bright Like Neon Love, and second album, In Ghost Colours, interchange tit for tat. But Cut Copy don’t really get going until their fifth track, Just A Dream – the beat’s thumping and the young crowd go nuts. Tim Hoey and Dan Whitford compliment each other perfectly on vocals, pumping the air with their fists and Dan characteristically reaching out to the crowd.

Far away gives way seamlessly to Saturday, always a massive crowd favourite. Everyone sings along, and the Cutters mix it up a bit towards the end of the track with some great electro house. Lights and Music is next, and it’s clear everyone’s bought the latest album and memorised every word already.

The bass thumps, the band pumps, the crowd humps (nah not really, they’re pumped too). Security takes it upon themselves to cool the punters down and quite a few people get hosed in the face – some love it, others do not! I try valiantly to protect my camera, all good until I too get a faceful of hose.

Their big hit Hearts on Fire, the most played song on Triple J radio last year, finishes the gig. Another great end to a Cutters set, another satisfied crowd…

Cut Copy over, time to refuel at the V Bar. Now, I’ve never had VIP access before so had all sorts of ideas in my head – free booze, marble and granite toilets, spending ‘quality time’ with festival artists – one can dream.

The booze isn’t free, but not having to line up for even a minute is a pretty big bonus. And the toilet seats aren’t gold-plated, but again, it’s great going to a fairly decent loo (Splash!down, bless!) with a nice handwash. And yeah, might have even met a few artists if those MTV bastards (hee hee) had’ve let us up on the viewing platform. Why didn’t I lie when asked if I was with MTV? I’m too damn honest… I need to sort that out.

Like Nick Cave, I also don’t believe in an interventionist God. But there was some freakin’ good fortune when I stumble over to the Other Stage to catch those rakish London hipsters The Rakes at V Festival in Sydney.

I didn’t know the set times had shifted to an hour earlier because my stupid low-tech phone can’t receive the V Festival Buddy. Peeps, here’s the hot tip: the Buddy is a brilliant (free) product for those who don’t believe The Powers That Be will magically get you to the right stage at the right time. Download it before you go!

I miss the first couple of songs but the rest of the set is so good it doesn’t really matter. This band’s been on repeat on my last.fm radio for the last, well, forever, so it’s exciting to finally hear them live.

Lead singer Alan Donohue has an odd charm and charisma to burn. He likes to dance, arms flailing around matched with crazy blue-steel eyes. The Rakes’ sound is so infectious that I defy anyone not to do a silly dance and mirror Alan’s wild, slightly robotic moves. It’s fun city.

Alan tells a little story of his memory of his last visit to Australia five years ago – a poo on the toilet floor at the Glebe Backpackers. Well, it’s nice to be remembered for something, even if it is the waste product from a very, very drunk tourist.

Bass player Jamie Hornsmith looks like he’s pulled 10 bucket bongs before heading on to the stage. Maybe he’s just jetlagged…yes, that’s it. International artists can use that excuse to get away with pretty much anything, can’t they?

Lead guitarist Matthew Swinnerton reminds me a wee bit of Rivers Cuomo, complete with geek glasses and rockin’ licks. The riffs are contagious-ly and dangerously good. Drummer Lasse Peterson keeps the lads on track and the songs rolling along, and his band mates ensure he’s never forgotten either.

The Rakes have a smaller crowd than they deserve, maybe due to the timetable issue, but the punters are no less passionate – everyone there is there to see them (read: not stand there like tools, looking beautiful, talking to other beautiful people, not listening to the music at all). The Rakes’ material is never pretentious so it’s natural their fans are also not. Dancing away, singing along and having a grand time, the crowd is lovely and fun.

Clever lyrics and catchy, quirky guitar riffs are The Rakes’ trademarks. Tracks from their first album Capture/Release, such as Terror!, Strasbourg and Retreat whip the crowd into a micro-frenzy. Swinnerton’s guitar in We are all animals references the perennial crap club fave ‘Footloose’ fairly heavily, and it’s hard not to smile broadly and dance about like a lunatic.

Great lyrics are hard to come by in a music world often dominated by monotonous electro samples and ‘my bitch is in the ghetto’ shit. So the lyrics to a track like Terror! are an absolute relief. There’s nothing special here, nothing fancy, it’s just simple and honest and smart without being too cool. But they are so very cool.

Alan’s got a dry, ironic sense of humour and he laments the fact that Earth Hour will coincide with Duran Duran’s set – how unfortunate that all lights and sounds will be off then…

The Rakes finish with The world was a mess but his hair was perfect (possibly the best song title ever) from their latest album Ten New Messages. Title aside, the song is also great and a crowd favourite. I wander back to the V Bar for an ale or two, murmuring, ‘Baby don’t go/To the haunted hotel/Got a really bad feeling/In my lungs and my bones…’