Bring on Festival Season! Parklife 2010
Saturday September 25
Words: Clare Kempnich & Kate Scantleton
Pictures: Kate Scantleton & Clare Kempnich
The weekend of the 25th September marked an important event in the diaries of thousands of Queenslanders – yes, it’s that time of year again: Parklife 2010. After debate about the location (the festival was originally scheduled to be held at the Gold Coast Parklands), the event returned to it’s former home in Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens. Speaking to some of the Fuzzy event directors on the day, it was clear that most festival-goers would be happy with this decision – the reduced ticket sales meant for an improve on the crowding issues experienced in previous years: a problem that would only be worsened in the larger Gold Coast location.
With heavy rain clouds lurking in the morning of the event, it seemed that we would be set for a damp day, so to speak, and that is exactly what we got. Not five minutes after doors opened, we experienced what can only be described as a torrential downpour. Not willing to let the weather ruin our fun, we headed off to the first set, Teleprompter. Named the Triple J QLD Unearthed winner for the event, the Brisbane four-piece kicked off Parklife with huge enthusiasm. Teleprompter have a knack for blending classic dance-pop sounds alongside indie-rock, to create songs that truly deviate from other bands currently in the Australian music scene.
After this, it was off to catch Melbourne two-piece, Gypsy & The Cat, another band to make it big after hits on Triple J’s Unearthed. Having had recent success on the international stage, it was nice to have the duo back on home turf unleashing dreamy, folk-inspired synth-pop tunes. They’ve been compared to Empire of the Sun, but to be honest, they are a lot softer, and their music just sounds a bit more refined overall. They have an extensive list of musical influences, all of which can be recognised in their songs: think of a combination of Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead and Simon and Garfunkel. One of my most memorable moments of the festival, was hearing wildly popular Jona Vark live, which brought the crowds despite the weather.
Next stop was international act, Darwin Deez. Possibly containing some of the catchiest lyrics/beats that I’ve heard in a long time, the New York band delivered a great set full of non-stop energy. Along with summery pop-rock tunes, Deez also sports an amazing permed mop of hair and unbelievable dance moves. Don’t think you know who they are? Five words for you: “you are a radar detector”. Yes, that’s Darwin Deez. Though I hadn’t heard too much more from the self-titled debut album Darwin Deez, he certainly proved to be more than a one-hit wonder; the rest of the album sounds like Surfer Blood met Beck for a summer picnic. What’s not to love?
Following this was the loveable Liverpool band, The Wombats. People have often said there music is somewhat repetitive, and this may be true – but when you’re on to a good thing, why stop? For me (and many others, no doubt), their original album, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, was one that I knew every word to, and could play on repeat without getting sick of it. For this reason, I was so happy to catch their entire set, if only for the fact that I could sing at the top of my lungs and fit right in. They played all of their hits, and introduced their new single Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves) – overall just one of the most energetic and enthusiastic sets of the day. Another defining moment? I think it was about halway into Party in a Forest [Where’s Laura?] when about 1000 sets of hands flung into the air to embrace the long awaited sun! Ponchos were discarded and Parklife was on the up from this point.
Running quickly from the Wombats to the Riverstage, we were lucky enough to catch the trail-ends of the Midnight Juggernauts. After seeing these guys play the Hifi just a few weeks ago, I already knew the kind of stage presence and energy they can bring to their shows. In saying this, their set today was incredibly different to their headliner tour – it was more comfortable, natural and relaxed. Mixing their own tunes (crowd favourites as always being Into The Galaxy and Tombstone) with a cover of the classic Baker Street, this was the epitome of the perfect festival set. Kudos to you boys, you did Parklife proud.
I think that one of the reasons that Bloc Party are such a popular band is due to their live performances. At the heart of this is frontman Kele, here at Parklife for a solo set. His new album The Boxer has been released with vast success, and has had fans everywhere dancing along to his electro-style songs. He’s got a huge voice, and an even bigger presence and he’s not afraid to show it. With a coy wave to the photographers leaving the pit after the third song, he launched into a high-energy mix of songs from his new solo project and some of Bloc Party’s classic hits. His set proved he’s got talent beyond Bloc Party, and here’s hoping we see another solo album from him in the near future.
Labelled one of the greatest DJ’s of all time, Mix Master Mike was certainly not going to be one to miss on the day. He was a contributor on two of the Beastie Boys albums (Hello Nasty and To the 5 Boroughs) and thus earns my immediate utmost respect. But to be honest, I have never really understood the job of a DJ. I’ve obviously been exposed to a lot of amateurs (I never really thought pressing play on iTunes was too challenging), because this guy has some serious skill. Obviously possessing an amazing knowledge bank of music, he mixed everything from Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down to Little Richard. Songs thirty years old were being blended with current-day music in a way that was truly creative and exciting. What a great experience to watch him perform – and one that should never be passed up if given the chance.
Next was one of my most highly anticipated sets of the evening, The Dandy Warhols. Playing at the same time as big name Missy Elliott, I was worried that if the Dandies might do a Richard Ashcroft and jump set if not enough fans showed. How could I have ever doubted them? The crowd was enormous, and got right behind the band as they played hit after hit. Lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor has such a distinct voice, and, not having seen them live before, listening to him was kind of like being in a trance. Thankfully, they worked in We Used to Be Friends nice and early (thankyou, television shows Veronica Mars and My Restaurant Rules for permanently tainting that song for me) and then got right to the good stuff. It’s not like every song isn’t a winner, but perhaps the most notable for me was I Love You. This song is just a bit darker than most of their music, and has an eerie hypnotic sense to it that just translated to stage perfectly.
It was nice to see that Australian band Cut Copy were one of the headliners of the night. Their synth-pop songs have had audiences dancing since their original release album in 2004, and not much has changed since then. The music has become a bit more laid back in the past few years (compared to singles like Lights & Music and Hearts on Fire), but they still put on a fantastic show. Currently sounding more folk-inspired (for example, their latest single Where I’m Going), it seems that Cut Copy are going to be sticking around for a whole lot longer. It was a great way to close out the night for the Kakadu stage, as I’m sure the huge crowd watching them would agree.
Finally was big-name act, Groove Armada. Parklife is apparently their last Australian tour, so fans packed out the Riverstage to say one last goodbye. It’s been said that their latest album Black Light should “fill every dance-floor”, and hearing it live for the first time on Saturday night, it made it clear that this was all truth. One of the most inspiring acts I have seen in a long time – everything was perfect, from the costumes (those sequinned pants!) to their blend of new style electronica songs with much decade-old classics. The crowd couldn’t get enough of it, and the atmosphere from the 8000-strong crows was just amazing. Ultimately, the end of their set not only meant one of their last performances in Australia, but also the end of Parklife. But what an amazing way to finish.
After what was a long day at Parklife, fans filed out of the Botanical Gardens, taking the party with them. A giant thankyou to the Fuzzy directors for giving us yet another fantastic festival. In terms of crowd control – this was among the best festivals I have ever been to: it seems to decision to keep Parklife in Brisbane certainly paid off this year. On another more serious note; if you are a regular attendee, seriously consider going the VIP ticket option. Yes, it’s more expensive, but let me tell you the bar-free lines, couches and FLUSHING TOILETS are more-than worth it. Although I think I will actually take someone’s life if I see one more failed attempt at a fake tan or another dilated pupil anytime soon, I can’t help already looking forward to Parklife 2011!