Meredith Music
Festival is about much more than the music. People bring their own couches to
perch on the hill, wave their shoes in the air to show appreciation for their
favourite acts, and carry their own eskys to the one and only stage.
These sometimes odd
and always unique traditions have given the festival an almost mythological
reputation in the eyes of many of its followers. Meredith also takes chances
that no other large festival would dare. It offers primetime slots to little
known local acts, shuffles through genres in an eclectic and sometimes bizarre
way, and lures the weirdest and wackiest acts from around the globe to country
Victoria.
This year’s line-up
announcement tested the strength of the festival’s lustre. It was shorn of a
bevy of big international stars and received a mixed response from some
patrons. Tickets are usually a rare and prized commodity, however this year
people were selling them online for a fraction of the $400-plus face value. There
were stories of people being unable to give away spare tickets.
Regardless, the festival was declared a sell-out prior to its commencement – vitally important for an event that shuns corporate partners and sponsorship. Those who did make their way to the Golden Plains Shire and on to the Supernatural Amphitheatre were treated to two nights and three days of classic Meredith magic.
For the first time,
the festival kicked off with an Indigenous Smoking Ceremony before the
traditional Welcome to Country from the local custodians of the land. Highlights
of the first evening included Brisbane-based Fijian rapper Jesswar, who
delighted with an amped up set of charged hip-hop. Julia Jacklin showed why she
has been gaining such favourable reviews around the world with a beautiful dose
of country-tinged indie rock. Briggs had the crowd eating out of the palm of
his hands with a collection of favourite tunes, while Tassie band Close
Counters provided a late-night sonic voyage.
The star name on the bill though was Liam Gallagher. It may now be 25 years since his former band Oasis dropped their ear defining record Definitely Maybe, but Gallagher has lost none of his abrasive charisma. His brother Noel may have been the creative tour de force behind the group, but Liam was the voice that brought together classic hits like Wonderwall, Rock ‘n’ Roll Star and Cigarettes and Alcohol.
Saturday kicked off
with some rousing performances from local acts Scott & Charlene’s Wedding
and U-Bahn before Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon graced the amphitheatre.
The day’s main drawcard had happened entirely by accident. When London
collective Steam Down were unable to travel, DJ Koze was given the call to
replace them. Koze packed out the entire hill of shoe-waving fans for a
thumping set of jungle house tunes, before closing with elongated versions of
his two biggest hits, the disco flavoured edit of Låpsley’s Operator and the Gladys
Knight sampling Pick
Up.
There was much more to
come though as Digital Afrika sprinkled their pulsating African beats with some
verses from guest star Remy, while Christine Anu followed later in the evening
with some old school pop choruses. Amyl and the Sniffers wowed Meredith so much
a year or two back in a festival opening set that they were brought back to
play again in a prime late evening slot. The night was capped by Irish singer Roisin
Murphy, who back in the late 90s was half of the trip-hop act Moloko. DJs Eric Powell
and Helena Hauf provided the beats and tunes that had revellers dancing long
into the night.
With an aversion to
big name international superstars, attending this year’s Meredith required
faith in the festival’s organisers to hit on the right mixture of acts. While
there were some misses across the weekend, there were far more sublime hits. With
several artists stating onstage that it was their favourite ever show, it was
clearly apparent that the crowd was showing a reciprocal level of appreciation.