Project Description
Falls Festival
@ Byron Bay
31/12/17 – 02/01/18
Live Review
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Falls Festival returned to for its 25th year this New Year period and it ticked all the boxes; insane heat and humidity, torrential rain, a ridiculously long car trip, flooded tents and an amazing line-up of artists. The following are the acts I chose to see and review over the New Year weekend at North Byron Parklands.
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Day 1
Party Dozen
Kicking off the festival were Sydney avant-garde experimental duo Party Dozen. To say I was blown-away by their musicianship and sonic experimentation is an understatement. Genre-bending musicianship was explored throughout their set, with consistent overtones of jazz and punk. A mixture of structure and jam-band combined with their willingness to expand and explore divergent soundscapes, was the perfect way to open the festival. Any first act sets the tone for the festival, consciously or not. Party Dozen’s set was perfect to open the festival as it felt like every act on the line-up was touched upon in some way through. In musical experimentation reminiscent of Icelandic post-rock god, Jònsi of Sigur Ros, playing the guitar with a violin bow, the lead singer and saxophonist, Kirsty Tickle, sang through her saxophone, producing an oddly pleasant echo. The combinations of sound and genre through a “50 minute set for a 20 minute DIY band,” were astounding. Expect big, odd and expansive sets from these two, they’re a band to keep a close eye/ear on.
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DZ Deathrays – Set of the Day
A DZ Deathrays set is like no other. A punk-driven wall of sound intro leading into Shred For Summer set the massive crowd alight; punks, hipsters and oldies all crashing into each other as multiple pits opened. DZ haven’t released an album since 2014’s epic Black Rat. And to my and I’m sure many others momentous joy, a large portion of the set was from this album. They followed with Less Out of Sync and Reflective Skull, two anthems from the aforementioned record that sent the ever-growing crowd into a total meltdown (yes, I just did that). After that, The Mess Up rang out through the Forest Stage, and, in keeping with the iconic video, many punters downed their drinks and went a little wild, including one enviro-conscious punter using a trash picker to hold and finish his drink before charging headlong into the mosh. Closing out their set with Total Meltdown and Gina Works at Hearts, DZ Deathrays produced one of the best festival sets I’ve ever witnessed. I will eat my own waterlogged and viciously pungent shoes if I ever see or hear a better punk rock set in my lifetime.
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Confidence Man
Opening the Valley Stage (the Amphitheatre for you Splendour-only folks), were Brisbane band Confidence Man. Admittedly, the vocals weren’t overly great, with the female vocals barely legible. Whether this was a sound issue or not, I’m still unsure, but the sheer bounciness of their set almost made up for this. I don’t really know Confidence Man’s music that well, but it was a fun set and a chance to boogie down and cut some shapes. Personally, I feel that Confidence Man should not have opened the main stage on the first day, with their stage presence and following not having the same pulling-power of a more established band such as DZ Deathrays, a band with a larger fan-base, more easily recognised by punters who may not have heard of the band and a far, far stronger sound, to properly fill the natural amphitheatre at North Byron Parklands.
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Daryl Braithwaite
The fact that Daryl Braithwaite was on this years Falls line-up still amuses me. Let’s be honest here, he was on the line-up because of memes. Braithwaite’s Aussie classic, The Horses, exploded again as a ‘meme song’ (see Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders), and it’s safe to say the younger crowd at his set were only there for that one song. Still, an amphitheatre of 10,000+ punters singing The Horses was a sight to behold, and much to my surprise, he can still sing and hold a tune incredibly well for an older vocalist (honestly, I was suspecting something similar to what I like to call ‘The Meatloaf Effect’). Daryl Braithwaite’s set can be summed up in the overheard words of one punter; “What a fucking hooey!”
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Jungle Giants
Brisbane group Jungle Giants followed Daryl Braithwaite, and delivered a set full of indie-pop hits like Waiting for a Sign, You’ve Got Something, and Be Alright. Overall, it was a fun set, however, I feel the timing of their set was a little off, with an indie pop-rock band being far more suited to early or late afternoon sets, than leading into a night of hip-hop and electronic music. Also, the sound at the Valley Stage seemed problematic for almost every artist on the first day, with the microphones being too low to hear the majority of the words. Despite this, Jungle Giants delivered a very solid set and got quite a large crowd bobbing their heads and bouncing around.
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Thundamentals
I’d never seen Thundamentals live before, but judging from the songs I’d heard I was expecting a fun, bouncy set. It was anything but. The microphones again were far too low for any semblance of lyrics to be heard, the rapping and singing was off key and so far out of tune that it became unlistenable. I try not to criticise a live act too harshly, because it takes a lot of courage and talent to write, arrange and perform music, but this was honestly the weakest set of live music I’d ever experienced. Their hits like Paint the Town Red, Think About It and Sally got the crowd moving and grooving, but the weak and out of time vocals, coupled with low microphone volumes and what seemed like the same beat for every song made this a poor festival set, particularly for the main stage and a New Year’s Eve slot.
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Foster the People
This wasn’t a set. It was an artistic performance of a band about to reach their peak. Everyone knows Foster the People from their 2010 sleeper hit Pumped Up Kicks and the success of their debut album Torches. Much of the performance was from Torches and it was just absolutely magical. Running through older tracks like Helena Beat, I Would Do Anything For You, and Don’t Stop, as well as Houdini that followed into a jam band-esque transition into Call It What You Want. Mixed in between the older songs was Coming of Age the lead single 2014 release Supermodel, and many songs from 2017’s Sacred Hearts Club, such as Sit Next to Me, Harden the Paint and the scintillating closing song Loyal Like Sid and Nancy. Lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mark Foster brought a little bit of Freddie Mercury to the performance; strutting and working the stage, delivering absolutely sublime vocals and searing riffs, and holding the crowd in the palm of his hand, even down to his tucked white singlet. Foster the People delivered one of the greatest festival sets I’ve witnessed, and the almost-packed out amphitheatre I’m sure would agree.
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Photo Credit: James Matthews
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Flume
Sydney producer Flume held the much-coveted Valley Stage midnight slot on New Years Eve, and it was a bit of a let down. The graphics and lights were amazing, as they were for pretty much every electronic set of the festival, but, as with the majority of DJ’s and producers, there isn’t any stage presence or movement on-stage, and so can easily drift into a rather dull set. Running through a large portion of his back catalogue, such as his breakout single On Top, Hyperreal, Enough, his mega-hit Never Be Like You, and a throwback to when he was one half of WhatSoNot the trappy remix of Major Lazer’s Get Free. For a NYE slot, and coming off the bat of the previous year when Childish Gambino ushered in the new year, it was a rather dry set.
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Photo Credit: James Matthews
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DAY 2
WAAX – Surprise, Surprise
Brisbane indie-punk 5-piece WAAX opened the Forest Stage on the second day of the festival. A brilliant set, packed to the brim with searing riffs, driving bass and impressive drum fills. Admittedly, I don’t know the band well enough to recall any song names, but they were truly impressive onstage as a group. A very strong stage presence and the clear, powerful and evocative vocals of front-woman Marie DeVita characterised a masterful punk set from a relatively young band, that “had the countdown to the New Year in a Tullamarine BP.” Kudos to you, WAAX.
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Camp Cope
Do headlines follow Camp Cope or are they headline makers? Their set at Falls was vocally weak, with nasally singing carrying out across a semi-flooded Galaxy Stage. The instrumentation was enjoyable, with quality riffs ringing out through a packed Galaxy Stage. An all-female punk band, Camp Cope take sexist issues within the music industry and the wider world to town through their music, and I respect that greatly. More needs to be done, and in an ideal world there would be an even split of male, female and transgender artists at festivals. I have the utmost respect for the women of Camp Cope and the message with their music, but not everything is political, and to get a point across successfully and sway minds, you can’t place the blame on Falls Festival (and by extension Secret Sounds and Live Nation). However, festival line-ups are more or less a popularity contest of who is available, willing to travel to, and around Australia, and most importantly, the music tastes of the audience. Change is so desperately needed, but rather than blaming the festival organisers, offer solutions and be the change you wish to see; petition for an all-female stage at future festivals or start your own festival (such as Gizzfest or Til the Wheels Fall Off).
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Luca Brasi
Tasmanian punk-rock powerhouse Luca Brasi had their set delayed by about three hours after being caught up in Hobart (shout-out to the wonderful Alice Ivy for swapping set times with them). Opening with Aeroplane from their brilliant debut If This Is All We’re Going to Be, you could just tell that the band were stoked to be playing their songs to a tent full of diehard fans. A little bit of banter and a shout-out to the fans; “thanks for sticking with us through the cock up that was today!”. They followed up with Say It Back, Cascade Blues and Got to Give, even debuting a brand new song, Nose Beers. They closed out their set with the absolute tune Anything Near Conviction.
Aussie punk rock has been absolutely killing it over the last few years, and Falls this year showcased a reasonable portion of this incredibly large pool of talent. Luca Brasi have gathered an incredibly loyal fan-base, and with consistently great songs this will only grow. They’re well on the way to being one of Australia’s biggest rock bands.
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Everything Everything – Set of the Festival
My introduction to the artsy, math pop-rock of Everything Everything came in 2013 with the release of their second album, Arc. I had to wait another two years to see them live for the first time, on tour promoting the release of their third album Get to Heaven. Their set at Sydney’s Metro Theatre was, for a long time, the benchmark to which I personally held live music and performance. Front-man Jonathan Higgs is one of the most gifted lyricist and vocalists I’ve ever had the privilege to experience live. His vocal control is astounding, to reach some of the lower notes and a second later be singing in a perfect falsetto was a true display of vocal acrobatics. Musically, the band experiment and fuse genre into a cohesive song in such a way you’d really think it shouldn’t work. From the vocals, to the instrumentation, down to the structure of the set-list, this set was perfect. Three of their four albums was represented by at least one song (with 2010 debut Man Alive the only absentee), and the flow of the set-list truly showed the bands full potential. They ran through songs from their latest album, 2017’s A Fever Dream, such as Desire, a song dealing with humanity’s desire vs. the consequences of, and it just seemed so appropriate at a music festival, as well as lead single Can’t Do and A Fever Dream. From 2013’s Arc they played the intensely dance-able Cough Cough, and the bass-heavy Kemosabe. The largest quantity of songs came from Get to Heaven, with the self-title song being performed, as well as Regret, Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread, and No Reptiles before closing with the lead single from the aforementioned album, Distant Past. What Everything Everything delivered as a band and as a festival performance was jaw dropping.
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Glass Animals
Oxford genre-bending musical wizards Glass Animals hit the Valley Stage just after sunset and delivered one of the most explosive electro indie rock sets of the year. Playing mostly from their 2017 release How to Be A Human Being, the filled out amphitheatre was grooving and screaming the lyrics to every song. Every song from that album is festival appropriate, but the set-list was perhaps the highlight of the entire set. It just flowed, seamlessly between songs and banter. They threw out hits like Life Itself, Youth, The Other Side of Paradise, and Season 2 Episode 3, and even played their delicious Like A Version cover of Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy. They played Gooey, the smash-hit from their 2014 debut Zaba. The stage presence of the band is something else as well, they all just hit their flow on stage. They finished the set with Pork Soda and at that point all I could think of how fitting it was that pineapple festival attire was absolutely everywhere. Glass Animals delivered one of the most engaging and crowd-pleasing sets of the festival and absolutely blew it out of the park(lands).
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Cosmo’s Midnight
I’m not overly familiar with Cosmo’s Midnight but they served up one of the most pleasant and graphically beautiful electronic sets I’ve experienced. The only songs of theirs I knew were I Need You and History, but it was just such a bouncy, happy set. The graphics behind the duo were for the most part incredibly stunning Japanese-style natural scenes, mixed with cityscapes of the same art style. It was a visually and sonically stunning set, and I can’t wait to hear more from these two.
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Run The Jewels
Alternative hip-hop supergroup Run The Jewels hit the Valley Stage to close the festival on the night of the second day. Made up of Atlanta born rapper Killer Mike and New York rapper and producer El-P, the group ran through a solid portion of 2014’s Run The Jewels 2 such as Oh My Darling, (Don’t Cry), Blockbuster Night Part 1, and the Zach de la Rocha feature Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck). Tracks from 2016’s Run The Jewels 3 included Don’t Get Captured and Panther Like a Panther (Miracle Mix), as well as running through their 2017 release with American producer DJ Shadow, Nobody Speak. Overall, it was a quality set, with the duo also addressing sexual harassment issues; “If she ain’t witchu, then don’t fucking touch her.”
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DAY 3
Winston Surfshirt
Sydney soul, funk hip-hop six piece Winston Surfshirt took to the Forest Stage on the afternoon of the final day, with front-man, the eponymous Winston took to the stage with a mostly full bottle of vodka, that was finished by him (mostly) and band throughout the set. 2017’s Sponge Cake was delayed by almost two years, after signing to a new label and getting George Nicholas from Seekae to mix the album and the finished product was well worth the wait. Running through their hits Ali D, Same Same, a classy cover of Goosebumps by Travis Scott and closing with their breakout funkadelic masterpiece Be About You. The penultimate track of the set, The Moments rang out and a wave of chill vibes and big smiles ran out through the crowd, while torrential rain pelted the Forest Stage while a solid group of dedicated fans braved the torrent and grooved on the hill. It was a brilliant afternoon set, these guys know chill.
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The Smith Street Band – Set of the Day
What more can be said about The Smith Street Band? With the release of 2017’s More Scared of You Than You Are of Me, Smith Street cemented their place as one of Australia’s favourite acts, and their set at Falls to open the Valley Stage for the final day was sheer brilliance. Calling to the depths of their back catalogue and promoting the new release, Smith Street delivered an emotive and engaging set. Starting out with Song For You and following on with Birthdays, the crowd were jumping and screaming at the top of their lungs from the get go. Then came my favourite, from 2013 EP release Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams, Ducks Fly Together. Front-man Wil Wagner has a way with words that is poetically simple and universally relatable, coupled with the masterful musicianship of the band and the female backing vocals, the set was perfect for a late rainy afternoon. Following on from this was Young Drunk from 2012 album Sunshine and Technology, Run Into the World, a softer track in the middle of the set, before the anthem crescendo of Shine. After this was the most evocative cover of the festival, The Smith Street Band performing When You Were Young by The Killers, and they absolutely nailed it. They closed their set with Surrender the lead single from 2014 release Throw Me In The River, before closing with Passiona and lead single from the new release, Death to the Lads. The Smith Street Band are always a joy to watch and never fail to leave a crowd with a smile and sweaty clothes.
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Bad//Dreems
I missed the earlier set from Bad//Dreems but managed to catch them at the Jack Daniel’s Barrel House (shout-out for hosting the Media event as well). The Adelaide four piece delivered a punk driven hard rock set that opened up the smallest yet most intense mosh pit of the festivals duration. Lashing out with Gutful, Cuffed and Collared and closing with Mob Rule, a shorter set and an absolutely raucous crowd made this an incredibly enjoyable set.
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Vince Staples
Why Long Beach, California rapper Vince Staples wasn’t at the main stage still confuses me. The Forest Stage was packed like sardines, with a full overflow to the bar and up the small hillside. On the back of releasing 2017 album Big Fish Theory, Vince Staples set at Falls was a brilliant and bombastic set. Opening with Homage and leading into BagBak and then his track with Gorillaz, Ascension. Following on with this was Big Fish, and his track with Australian producer Flume, Smoke and Retribution, his feature on GTA’s track Little Bit of This and Big Fish Theory lead single 745. Halfway through 745, one particularly moronic punter engaging in a special brand of douche-baggery, decided to climb to the very top of the scaffold towers holding the Forest Stage tent roof, which led to the sound being cut and thousands of boo’s ringing out. Come on, don’t be a dickhead. Vince closed one of the best rap sets I’ve seen with Blue Suede, Yeah Right, and Norf Norf.
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Peking Duk
Peking Duk have become festival regulars to the point where they seem to be on every line-up Australia-wide every year. Playing the original of Stranger and a Stranger remix throughout the set, jumping on guitar and bass, and having a live drummer was the last thing I was expecting from Peking Duk. It was a thoroughly enjoyable set, as they ran through Say My Name, Fake Magic, High and playing a new song Wasted. They were joined on-stage by featuring singers for the majority of songs, including an acoustic rendition of Take Me Over. Overall, Peking Duk had a brilliant set, and it was a very fun way to close the festival for me (my tent was flooded and broken and my car oh so close to being bogged, so I missed the last set of the night).
Check out James Matthew’s Gallery from Day 1 of Falls Festival Byron Bay!
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