It’s with an ounce of hesitation that I venture outside a capital city to experience a music festival. The crowd attracted can be quite different to what I’m used to, and, as they say “kill the atmosphere, man!”. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – Groovin’ The Moo (at least in Maitland) is a case and point – crowds flocking from around NSW to create a unique and exciting atmosphere, providing bands with an excellent reception.
But this Saturday, at Coaster Festival, I couldn’t say the same.
Situated on and around the Greyhound racetracks at the Gosford Showgrounds, Coaster Festival has become a staple of the Central Coast’s music season, giving Coastie kids a well deserved festival to call their own, with some pretty spectacular lineups to boot.
But with the exception of the three headline acts on the mainstage, and the dance (Red) stage in general, the crowds (a majority of which were of the 16-18 range) didn’t seem to be there to experience the music, rather socialise with their friends, and show off their skin in both slutty and douchebag-inspired circumstances. I’m pretty sure I even sure some genitalia.
For those there for the music, this made for an awkward experience, with the vibe not really kick in until the sun went down, and attitudes were hidden in darkness. I have to say it was an amazing atmosphere at this point, and I left the festival on a positive note.
Crowd gripes aside, the day was an entertaining one. Having hit some traffic on the way up, I arrived just in time to catch the end of Jinja Safari on the Blue Stage. If it weren’t for the average sound on the stage, I would have said they were sounding as wonderful as always, but as would be the fate of many of the bands to play that stage today, the sound let them down. But to be honest took little away from the stellar performance. Bands on the Blue Stage were also given the difficult task of playing in a spot which was predominantly thouroughfare – sitauted right near the festival entrance, it was positioned en route to bars and the Red Stage. For bands early in the day – Jinja Safari being no exception – this proved awkward, both for band and crowd.
The first big drawcard for the day, at least for me, were Silversun Pickups. The Californian four piece were here to play their first every Australia music festival, and opening with “The Fear of Silence?”, they played a set which, for lack of a better word – killed it. These guys (and gal) are TIGHT – their songs sounding even better live than they do on the album. And with their recorded work quite intricately polished and produced, this is no easy feat.
Basement B
irds were next, playing to a reduced crowd. Given the calibre of talent on the stage – Josh Pyke, Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans), Kavyen Temperley (Eskimo Joe) and Stephen Parkin, I was surprised to see such a reception. I guess most people just didn’t know who they were. However, as the front was full of dedicated fans, I think the absence of the majority of the crowd was probably a positive thing. While maintaining the festival atmosphere, the group, playing one of their last ever shows, were beautiful to listen to, and wonderful to watch. It’s a pity they only had the one album and tour in them – but who knows what the future will bring.
The most entertaining portion of the set was a gimmick they’ve been using throughout their national tour, and that was to bring two girls up from the crowd to sing Julia Stone’s role in “Bus Stop”. I mentioned they had fans in the crowd before, and this is certainly where they came in handy. The girls they picked, dubbed the “Julia Stone Singers”, knew every word, and actually sounded quite lovely alongside the pros. Well done girls!
City Riots, meanwhile, had a similar problem to Jinja Safari back on the Blue Stage. A small crowd enjoyed their effortlessly cool set, while the rest just walked on by, more focused on getting their next beer. For up and comers Slow Down Honey, it was a similar story. But I have to say, this band was a standout of the day for me – a call made partly because I’d never heard the Terrigal locals before. It wasn’t until the sun went down, and Hungry Kids of Hungary took to the stage, that I saw the Blue Stage garner some proper attention. And they killed it – people dancing and pashing to almost every song.
Before Hungry Kids took to the stage, however, I headed back to the mainstage to experience the largest crowd of the day. As one would expect, the Coasties were out in force to experience Art Vs Scienc
e. All the known tracks were there, with new hit “Magic Fountain” setting the dancefloor on fire, and old favourite “Flippers” (which closed out the set) proving just as fun as the first time I heard it.
But it was the band’s choice of covers that would prove to not only be the most memorable part of the set, but the highlight of the day. First up, following a brief acoustic jam about playing a show in the Central Coast, the Sydney trio provided us with a fantastic rendition of Electric Six’s “Gay Bar”. There was something quite ironic about seeing thousands of shirtless douchebags jumping around to and singing this song. Or perhaps hilarious is a better word.
Meanwhile, “Parlez Vous Francais?” was given a makeover, the song broken up with an extended ham, which included the Back to the Future theme song. Rock and fucking roll indeed. These guys are growing more and more confident with every show, and all you naysayers out there need to come and experience one of their festival shows before you judge. This is truly a phenomenally fun band to watch live.
Birds of Tokyo followed on the main stage, with “Wayside” proving a crowd favourite, and the band sounding as confident and as tight as always. I’ve always been more of a Karnivool man, however, so I ran over to the Blue Stage to catch the last few songs of Cloud Control’s set. The crowd was once again quite substantial, and the band had the crowd jumping around to every track – which included latest single “Is there something in the Water?” and a spiced up version of “Gold Canary” as the closing tracks. I think I’ve fun out of positive things to say about this band – but I’ll just repeat the obvious: SEE THEM LIVE.
Finally, it was up to Cypress Hi
ll to close out the night. The West Coast US Hip Hop legends were here to put on a show, and get the party happening. A goal they easily accomplished. Opening with newbie “Get em up”, the set included a decent balance of songs new and old, including “Shoot em up”, “When The Shit Goes Down”, “Dr. Greenthumb”, and “Wanna Get High”, during which time B-Real lit up a joint, raised his hand to the crowd, and re-inforced that this green plant is very much what this band is all about. They also praised the local stock, which people seemed to be pleased by. I guess that’s how they butter up all their countries?
Nothing was ever going to beat “Insane in the Membrane”, however, and it was just too much fun to exprerience live. While I was surprised they played the song so early in the set, I have to say I was pleased – it gave me the oppertunity to sneak away into the night before the set was over, without regretting missing a thing. And I must say I left Coaster Festival with a smile on my face – because no matter how out of place you feel in a crowd, it’s the music that brings you all together. And when the vibe is right, you can’t help but have a good time – something I certainly had this fine (rather cool) evening.
