Project Description

THE DROP FESTIVAL

@ Torquay

20/04/19

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Kelsey Hentschel

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The sun was shining, and the wind had subsided, the weather for The Drop Festival on Saturday could not have been better. It was a beautiful day for a beach side festival in Torquay. Festival goers poured into the venue with gusto, ready for a big one!

First up for the day we had Chitra, the Triple J Unearthed winner! ​Chitra,​ ​is a​ ​genre​ ​bending​ ​songwriter​ ​that seamlessly​ ​weaves​ ​the​ ​blunt​ ​force​ ​of​ ​rock​ ​n​ ​roll with​ ​the​ ​candid​ ​storytelling​ ​and​ ​heartache​ ​of​ ​country​ ​and​ ​soul. Having only one song officially released I was keen to see what she would bring to the table and I was not disappointed. Although a bit shaky in areas, I see a lot of potential in her and can’t see what else she has in store for 2019!

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ALEX THE ASTRONAUT // Photo – Mirrin Gray

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Alex the Astronaut followed, and she had absolutely no troubles in front the crowd, a festival natural!! Alex is pretty sweet, she gives us a little back story as to how far she’s come, which is amazing. Alex’s song-writing is so powerful, and simultaneously personable and universal. Alex was unaccompanied on stage, it was very simple and raw, I loved how genuine she was. My favourite from her set was probably “Happy Song”, although I can’t go past “Not Worth Hiding”.

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Each set only left approximately 20 minutes in between acts which was a perfect amount of time to zip off for a bathroom break and a quick trip to the bar for a few vodka red-bulls. The festival had plastic cups which were kept and collected by patrons for refunds of $1 per cup. An interesting concept. However, I’m not completely convinced was as effective as they’d hoped.

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Next up we had Aussie music icons The Jungle Giants! This was a typical set from these festival veterans, smashing out hit after hit, as to be expected their set went off without a hitch. It was quite funny however when lead singer Sam Hales paused to announce that it was in fact their tour manager Tony’s 19th birthday! The crowd incited cheers and began the obligatory happy birthday song. The band went on to play “Used To Be In Love” which they playfully joked, “If it was about Toby it’d be called ‘Still In Love’!”. Overall a high energy fuelled set.

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HOCKEY DAD // Photo – Mirrin Gray

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Before long we were greeted by duo Hockey Dad. The boys opened their set with fan favourite “Homely Feeling”, which was ideal. I haven’t much to say about these legends other than if you have yet to see them live, get down to their next show asap! Highlights from their set were unsurprisingly “Join the Club” and “Sweet Release”, their hits! The crowd was so hyped for this set, people were dancing around spinning strangers and shouting the lyrics with unmatchable force, everyone was just so into the music. Not to be cliché but it really was a “good vibes only” set.

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Next on the line-up were 80’s inspired indie-pop sensations Client Liaison. It was dark at this point, meaning the lighting effects were in full effect. Expectedly they emerged dressed as stylish as ever, decked out with shoulder pads, flared pants and extravagant dangly earrings! Client Liaison are the kings of the multi-set costume change. I have never seen anyone else change up their outfits not only once, but three, maybe four times. The highlight for me in their set has got to be “Survival In The City” and “Off White Limousine”, although it’s not the first time I’ve seen these guys play live, they honestly get better every time I see them! A set full of party anthems!

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CLIENT LIAISON // Photo – Mirrin Gray

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Angus and Julia Stone come onto the stage next to deliver an incredibly beautiful show. Its undeniable that this brother and sister are unbelievably talented and just work so well together. Its nice to be able to have a bit more of chilled time after dancing around for most of the day. The set was paired back to showcase the songs themselves. Highlights include their classic “Big Jet Plane” and “Chateau”, not to mention the fan who decided to throw himself off the roof of the sound/lighting box. An interesting choice for a laid back headliner such as Angus and Julia, but I was definitely thankful for the smooth transition to the festival close, it was somewhat poetic.

Overall I would give the day a solid 7.5/10. Other than the music there wasn’t much else going on, the bar lines were long, the food lines were longer. It’s a good thing that the line-up for this year was so we’ll put together. The music really is what made this such a successful day! Can’t wait to see what next year brings us.

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ANGUS AND JULIA STONE // Photo – Mirrin Gray

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Check out Mirrin Grays gallery of The Drop Festival in Torquay here

 

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