Essential Festival was last night. It was rather disappointing to not see any international acts on the bill after having Ratatat headline last time around. The lineup was filled with decent to average local, mainly Sydney, bands. The switch of venue(s) from The Gaelic to Oxford St (The Exchange and Oxford Art Factory) was a welcome change. I didn’t even see any of the bands in Spectrum, but the set up at OAF and 34b worked pretty well.
Flying Foxes looked more interesting than they sounded. I demand to know the bassist’s ethnicity, and where he got them glasses.
The Holidays debuted some new material in their first performance of the year. I was paying more attention to the giant hats and sunglasses worn by the band members, but the new songs seemed to fit pretty well with the older songs (which seemed a bit slower than usual). Seriously though, it was a massive hat.
I had no clue that the redsunband were so bloody depressing. I’m surprised there wasn’t any blood on the floor from people wanting to slit their wrist during their set. I don’t think I would’ve stayed for half of their set had the singer not reminded me of Natalie Portman in Leon The Professional.
I love Dappled Cities. I really do. Yes, I used to bag them out (because I’m the most miserable, negative bastard in the world, apparently), but I do really like them (because I think that makes me look cool… What a miserable bastard.). However, their songs really do tend to drag on when played live. Just when you think a song is going to end, they just bring back another part or go off into another tangent. Having said that, they are massively fun live, and really look like they’re having a great time. The creepy polar bear costume (with a head where a hand should be and a lump where a head should be), massive balloons everywhere (falconing certain people in the head, several times) and homemade lighting were all massive pluses. Well played Dappled. I take my massive hat i stole from the Holidays off to you.
