Listen Out Sydney – Live review
Somethingyousaid.com Assistant Editor Carol Bowditch and photographer Damon Collum headed to Listen Out Sydney. Here’s what went down:
The times prior when I had visited my local jogging spot of Centennial Parklands I hadn’t been subjected to a man kneeling (??) with his penis out taking a whizz at 2.30pm in front of the masses walking to the entrance gate. Or a woman cuddling a tree as she spewed all over it and herself, overexposing everyone to her indecency from this knock-on vomit-inducing act and her ridiculously revealing hotpants and cellulite-smattered winter thighs . Maybe I’m a prude or just getting too old for this shit…?
After passing the entrance gate that was acting as the human weeding process for all the fuck-tards that would probably have irritated everyone/died before sundown, I literally skipped with excitement to see Young Fathers at the 909 stage. I caught the incredible, Get Up performed with such enthusiasm and the day was started large. The 909 stage was to host the smaller dance acts and I intended to park myself for the majority of my day.
Next up I caught songs by both Golden Features and Shlohmo, who played simultaneously. The former, gold-masked individual producer grabbed my attention with the fist-pumpable Tell Me. Keeping stamina throughout the afternoon in the sun with several beers now induced, but acting comparatively regal amongst the masses that exposed me to the thrills of daytime drug use, I caught Sydney dubstep producer, Ta-ku and his surprising mix of Eminem’s Without Me.
Moving over to the main stage where the crowds had massed I caught Chet Faker playing 1998 from his highly anticipated sophomore record, Built on Glass. The beardy fellow also played the smooth-as-fuck rendition of No Diggity. I really should have deviated to see Schoolboy Q to mix-up the melancholic electronic vibes that I had indulged in for the last few hours, but was comfortable in front of the now mobbed Atari Stage that was preparing for ZHU with a few numbers taken from Darkside of the Moon. The kids loved it, gabbering to the out-of-place atmospheric rock. I doubt however, that they shared my memories of my mother’s Sunday ritual of blasting this iconic album while vaccuming the house as she cooked (mostly overcooked) a roast dinner.
Anyway, ZHU played a really enjoyable heavier DJ set, working away behind eye-catching found-footage visuals. A standout set that had me stomping about into the early evening. Soon after though, the crowd that seemed to be powered by amphetamines had gotten the better of me, namely a nice young topless dude with dinnerplate pupils that used my shoulders and head as a camera stand to capture one of Four Tet‘s unrecognisable reworked track off his new album, Beautiful Rewind. I called it a day, not overly sore that I was missing the headline act, Flume. I’m sure it was jolly good fun though and I might have been tempted to jump onto the shoulders of a burly man and bounce about to Holdin On , but rather, I left to rest my head that was full of cold and flu tablets and exactly three beers (sorry Mum), nothing more.
The festival, despite countless punters that were making some regrettable life choices (I’m talking to you, girl that I think chewed her tongue off) and the fools that uttered the following quotes unknowingly in front of a writer:
– ”You’re not an account today, mate, relax.”
– “The air smells like MDMA!, It seriously does!”
– “How do you spell doubt? I want to say like, ‘No doubt about it!'”
– “Yeah man she is so YOLO”
Listen Out was quite a relaxing day off, in the sun, seeing Australian mostly acts that are making serious waves in the local and international scene. Not without it’s hiccups though – low volume, delayed entry, Young Fathers being wasted with an early set and the whole thing rounding up at the very mild hour of 10pm.
You did well for your second year, Listen Out, if you iron things out we’ll catch you next year.
We’ll be posting a full photo album from Listen Out Sydney, including heaps of crowd/social shots, on our Facbeook page later, so follow us here to see them.
Review by Carol Bowditch. Photos by Damon Collum.
