Reviewed on Sunday November 8
Though some would have you believe Sydney’s cultural life is dead, killed by a combination of hipsterdom, gentrification and the dreaded lockout laws, the evidence simply does not support such claims. One need only look as far as Newtown Festival for proof that New South Wales’ live music scene isn’t only surviving, it’s burgeoning.
Acts of every single genre were represented, with bands filling out stages across the grounds. Though the biggest drawcards of the day, The Laurels and Jinja Safari, both impressed, the greatest pleasures of the festival weren’t provided by the established names. Rather, the most stirring tunes were belted out by the bands with fewer fans; by the musicians nobody saw coming.
The Persian Drugs wowed on one of the more tucked-away stages, their cover of ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ hypnotising a lone five-year-old standing at the front of the small but attentive crowd. Performing a very different kind of set, but with no less gusto, True Vibenation turned the area in front of their performance space into a most public party, while the reliably impressive Steve Smyth belted out a scintillating series of tunes. Though he claimed to be hungover, no sign of booze-induced malaise infected a single note of Smyth’s playing, and his backing band similarly stunned.
Even the weather seemed to be on the day’s side. When a sunshower broke out during a set by the supremely talented Gordi, the short burst of rain seemed orchestrated, fitting the musicians’ aching tunes perfectly. In fact, her performance proved to be one of the highlights of the day, with her epic yet intimate songs breathing a stunning life through the space.
Yet perhaps most impressive of all were Betty & Oswald. Spinning a tangled knot of songs from their vantage point on the Newtopia Stage, they played with wit, warmth and energy, at once inspired by a swathe of genres, and yet seemingly so fresh as to be inspired by nothing at all.
Indeed, in many ways, the day belonged to them. Or, at least, they summed up what makes Newtown Festival great. Despite what the cultural miserabilists would have you believe, there are bands out there like Betty & Oswald who you have never heard of, playing music with the power to alter the direction of your life. All you need to do is listen.
