Some three hours and 40 minutes away from home, the Sydney attendees at Groovin The Moo in Maitland emerged blinking from the bus into the most glorious weather imaginable. Huge shout-outs to the enterprising locals who’d whipped out a barbie and cheap bottles of water, ready for the slavering all-aged crowd on arrival.
With its ethos of inclusivity, GTM attracts a broad array of punters, and the resulting fashion spectacle is dizzying, if not haunting. “I’ve seen so many butts today!” one attendee commented, seemingly bewildered. Other keen festival bingo fans quickly ticked off exposed buns, miles of cleavage, glitter on every surface, full-body Spiderman costumes, the traditional bovine onesie, and the hot item of 2017 – leather tassels.
Over on one of the dual main stages, triple j Unearthed winners Introvert managed to garner a healthy crowd as they finished their set with their signature song ‘It Is Too Late’, to one of the most generous applauses of the day. Soon after came L-Fresh The Lion, accompanied by a live band and a wild child hypewoman in the guise of Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. Is there anything better than hip hop with live instruments? L-Fresh seasoned his grooves (and dance moves) with Punjabi accents that got the crowd jumping, declaring his work an act of protest that registered instantly.
Perth’s Methyl Ethel (named for frontman Jake Webb’s alter ego) played confidently to the expanding audience, thanks in large part to Webb’s unassuming charisma and natural talent, which has taken their music from behind closed bedroom doors and home recordings to every capital city in the country.
Over on the main stage, Allday grabbed the attention of every screaming girl in attendance, sneering at technical fuck ups between smooth, disaffected rap tracks. For some straight-up cognitive dissonance, K. Flay followed him with dark, distorted R&B; not content with a lone DJ, she upped the distortion by throwing electric guitar in the mix, and refused to be ignored. Melbourne indie outfit Northeast Party House stayed true to form, delivering a solid set with a nod to ’90s punk (a cracking cover of Blink 182’s ‘Dammit’), and ARIA Award winner Montaigne held her own over on the Cattleyard Stage.
Thundamentals by Daisy Hofstetter, Groovin The Moo Maitland 2017
Then came the feelings: Against Me! (in Wil Wagner’s words, “The greatest fucking band in the universe”) performed with every scrap of their legendary fire. ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’ is the kind of song you roar through tears, and it lit a fire that lingered in the heart through the train ride home.
On the contrary, Britain’s Architects – the day’s heaviest act – may have overdosed on testosterone. Here, the all-ages pit got ugly fast, and security leaping in to remove belligerents faced a veritable war zone. Despite a formidable array of stage tech, the mix did not do the djent ragers justice, and they took it out on festival staff with characteristic hostility.
‘Death To The Lads’ could not have been more timely – The Smith Street Band’s Wagner would hug everyone in the pit before bashing a single skull. Instead, he thanked a suited-up fan for “finally dressing up and showing us a bit of fucking respect”, with a huge laugh. Sadly, filling in for the sick Tash Sultana, Amy Shark’s less propulsive songwriting got lost in the wake of Smith Street.
The Jungle Giants’ rollicking indie-pop provided an ideal soundtrack as the sun set over the showground, and fans were treated to the first live performance of their latest single ‘Feel The Way I Do’. Next up, celebrated German outfit Milky Chance (with their touring band in tow) didn’t disappoint as they played a heavily acoustic set of new music from their latest album Blossom, plus a few of their older hits.
The Darkness by Sean Foster, Groovin The Moo Maitland 2017
At the Moolin Rouge stage, Loyle Carner slayed his set with humility and charm to spare. This kid’s going places – be there when he does. He may have even joined the throng for Pnau’s impromptu bush doof, and if he didn’t, he missed the biggest dance breaks of the day. Now a trio with the inclusion of Sam Littlemore (Nick’s brother), they were joined onstage by the outstanding vocalist Kira Divine (“All the way from the USA!”) for their slew of dance party anthems: ‘Embrace’, ‘Wild Strawberries’, and their latest single ‘Chameleon’.
Meanwhile at The Plot, Olympic basketballer turned professional beat spinner Liz Cambage turned up the heat, while the boys from the Blue Mountains, Thundamentals, blew the roof off the Moolin Rouge big top.
Oh, and sorry, Against Me!, but the title of “greatest band in the world” has already been (self-)claimed by The “Motherfucking” Darkness. This band is perfection – never more so than when leading thousands of punters in horrific ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ karaoke. “You need to be louder than whatever that shit is,” jeered Justin Hawkins. That shit was Snakehips, for the record.
The surprise of the night was The Wombats, who overcame yet more technical issues before delivering a thrilling, high-octane set that one wouldn’t have expected from the guys who did ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’.
Violent Soho by Charlie Hardy, Groovin The Moo Maitland 2017
But no one outshines Violent Soho, who facilitate ocker mosh pit heaven without fail every time. This time, toilet paper flew left right and centre as the Brissy boys lived out a dream by pulling Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson out of the crowd to belt ‘More Than You Are’ – a Maitland exclusive, and the perfect aperitif to cap off the evening.
The locals watched on gently amused as the snaking line of revellers made their way to the buses for that long ride home. It’s an annual ritual for them now, after 14 years of Groovin. And with a lineup this strong, who knows what kind of sounds will be flattening the landscape in years to come?
Main photo: Daisy Hofstetter, Groovin The Moo Maitland 2017
