Thanking the gods for the newly overcast sky and a drop in temperature meant my day was off to a good start. After seeing 5 more incredible bands the concrete sky cracked open and drowned the festival with it tears. It was evident that punters weren’t the only ones upset that Falls Festival was coming to a close so instead I was left with a flooded tent, muddy clothes and an awesome story to tell.
ALUNAGEORGE
London electronic duo AlunaGeorge although almost 20 minutes late to the stage made up for it by kick starting off their set with single Hold Your Head High from their latest album ‘I Remember’. Relaxed and super confident Aluna took ownership of the stage and the crowds attention were locked to her from start to finish. Interacting with the fans, Aluna asked all the ladies to make some noise before kicking off a sped up remix of popular single In Control. Party starter You Know I like It ft DJ Snake was definitely the favourite as the infection beat makes want to loose control and everybody knew all the words starting a mass sing a long. Throwing in a cover of Disclosures White Noise gave the set an unexpected spice up and with legs sore from dancing I was stoked to have finally had the chance to see AlunaGeorge live.
FAT FREDDY’S DROP
Kiwi dub band Fat Freddy’s Drop was the act I was most excited to see from the whole festival lineup. As a fellow New Zealander I felt so at home and for all the reggae lovers bopping to the beat I could tell I wasn’t alone. All the way from windy Wellington, you could tell the boys were happy about the new found overcast sky and breeze that was blowing through the amphitheatre. Fat Freddy’s Drop consists of 7 incredibly talented dudes with 20 odd years of experience and 6 studio albums up their sleeves. You could say the stage was their second home and like always Fat Freddy’s Drop is known for jamming on stage and that’s just what they did. Song after song was created on stage via loops, beats and notes as each member joined in either with a solo over the top or an added musical layer. The crowd favourite was definitely their upbeat track Shiverman from 2009 album Dr Bondigga And The Big W. Within minutes the mosh pit was jumping in unisen to the beat as front man Dallas sung like a musical god. The best thing about Fat Freddy’s Drop is no matter how many times you see them they never put on the same show and they will never play the same set list. And if you love a chubby dude in tennis gear and a sweat band playing the harmonica with hippy glasses on then Fat Freddy’s Drop had an added bonus for you.
DMA’S
Since seeing DMA’s at Splendour In The Grass earlier this year, I noticed a vast improvement in their on stage presence and crowd interactions right from the first song. Leaping around the stage, raising their guitars to the sky and very minimal chit chat kept the crowds eyes hooked on the band the whole time. DMA‘s walked us through their musical repertoire from 2014 self titled album DMA“s to their most recent album ‘Hills End’. Each track received just as much of a positive response as the next and for a slow garage rock group, DMA’s managed to create a fan frenzy party that seemed like it would never end. Crowd favourite tracks such as Lay Down and Delete had every body in the place grooving while lead singer Tommy O’Dell performed his signature move by jumping up and down on stage arms spread looking like Jesus. With attention to detail such as added reverb on the guitars and vocals turned DMA’s set into more than just a set list of songs but an atmosphere of musical genius with not one note out of place, or one moment of silence. I loved it, the crowd loved it and DMA’s played the best show I’ve seen from them yet.
GOLDEN FEATURES
Golden Features in my opinion is one of Australia’s most underrated DJ’s and having only been announced as MO’s replacement on the lineup just 3 days prior it was evident with the crowd he pulled that I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Opening with a short rendition of popular single Guillotine, it wasn’t long before the crowd was warmed up and ready to party. Laying down track after track I swear it had only been 5 minutes before the bass was rattling in my chest. With the advantage of the best light show I had seen all festival, Golden Features kicked of fan favourite tracks No One and Tell Me before throwing into a Daft Punk cover, as lazors and strobes amped up the already pumping crowd. With a flare going off mid set and a punter climbing one of the poles so high they had to pause the set, Golden Features wasn’t fazed in the slightest and continued to bring his unique and un-heard beats to a crowd the fans that kept screaming for more. Finishing up his set with 2014 single Factory as the rain started to pour, it wasn’t long before the ground beneath our feet had turned into a river bed of flowing mud which only made for a muddy slip in side party as the last note was played and Golden Features left the stage.
REMI
Battling the forces of nature, I grabbed out my gumboots, slapped on a poncho and made my way to see my favourite aussie rapper Remi. Recently releasing his brand new album ‘Divas And Demons’ and unfortunately missing his Australian tour meant I was so revved up to see him I nearly died. Working the stage like always Remi had fans wrapped around his little finger and lyrics rolled of his tongue backed by the beats of his main man Sensible J. Rolling out crowd favourites such as Substance Therapy from his latest album ‘D.A.D’, to single For Good ft. Sampa The Great to Tyson from his 2014 album ‘Raw X Infinity’. His lyrical flow is contagious and with catchy as hell beats its hard not to dance along with “Hands up in the air like woo girls” (Substance Therapy Line). Just like every other time I have seen him live Remi absolutely killed his set like he could do it in his sleep and for the 4th time seeing him this year he only gets better every time.
