Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Satan were a hipster and threw a party in an old theatre? Well the intrigue is over as the Dark MOFO night garden was all that and more with its sensual sensory overload that did make me take pause and question what exactly was in my drink. I sat sank back in my chair at the Odeon and lost myself in a whirl of psychedelic visual projections, spinning lights and a monstrous flashing red pentagram that threatened to consume us all as the entire venue seemed to pulsate and convulse along with the music.
It was brilliant seeing a different side of Johnny Mackay; the usually cocky Children Collide frontman was like your own personal Jesus decked out in a colourful frock and mask reigning in the sonic chaos that is Fascinator. Their sound is great, with bass that rips right through you in a mess of electronic noise that melds with your body, coercing you to move.
It was rumoured that Darren Seltmann of The Avalanches would be sitting in with the band but it was difficult to tell just who was on stage hiding behind their elaborate masks. I may be mistaken with this assumption but given the quality of the sound I have a sneaking suspicion that Miles Brown may have been helping them out on the theremin, adding another layer of magic to their set which was incredibly good. Be sure to check out Fascinator and immerse yourself in the electronic-psych whirlwind.
Andee Frost kept the smooth vibes coming with a high energy set that kicked off as the clock struck midnight and the dancefloor filled to capacity. The beats were a worthy soundtrack for the challenge of navigating your way through the throngs of mismatched bodies in endless corridors, fighting for a place at the overcrowded bar and lining up at the confessional to unburden yourself of your ‘sins’(which you can read here http://www.wallofshame.me/).
The final and grand night of debauchery was a fantastical spectacle to behold with plenty of punters overindulging under the cover of darkness and letting it all go on the dancefloor. Thank you Dark Faux Mo for an amazing night out that will forever be misremembered through the fog, haze and pain that eventually lull’s away in the sober light of day.
To cap off the evening we made a quick stop in the wee hours to visit the cenotaph and marvel at Ryoji Ikeda’s phenomenal Spectra that has been a beacon in the night skies since the opening of the festival. It was a surreal experience walking through the darkness toward the light, being enveloped by the music which seemed to emanate from the lamps themselves, sounds that change with your individual movements so your experience is unique to everyone else’s, to bask in the ambience that is a tower of pure white light. It was simply amazing and well worth braving Hobart’s icy winter weather to dance beneath the beauty of the lights.
