Splendour in the Grass through the looking glass
Each year come July, Byron Bay becomes the meeting point for music and art lovers alike. Winter is growing long, Summer seems distant but, up north, respite is within reach for those seeking a euphoric escape. Arguably one the most coveted festival tickets of the year, Splendour in the Grass is the beaming light for punters as they storm New South Wales’ northern towns from all over Australia.
You can go to Splendour every year, and each year it’s a different experience. This time I intended to go out and write my usual review, just another face in a crowd of stories told for many years after. But this year, I saw another side. Accidentally gifted with a AAA pass, my usual Splendour was turned on its head. I saw the sausage get made, and for someone who has been a part of the industry in one way or another for ten years it’s like looking behind a one way mirror. What goes on back here?
Most punters may be familiar with the illustrious Gold Bar, located behind the main stage. You can spot a local musical act here and there enjoying a Mary’s Burger amongst many reviewers like myself. Mostly a hive for industry, you’ll see the occasional “Don’t you know who I am?” at the secure entry. This year’s scene was displayed by an infamous Australian artist who had a rough 12 months in the press and has had his public image precede his music. It is unconfirmed whether this tactic worked or not.
One of the benefits of the Gold Bar is the luxury of watching artists side of stage, VIP to the right, AAA to the left and it’s here I had the chance to watch DMA’s (pictured, above) debut their first festival performance of Cher’s ‘Believe’. Gone are the days of Newtown drug dealer chic, now the lads are suddenly sportie luxe. Money changes you sometimes for the better. Speaking of, later than night when a headliner shut down the whole stage area, A-listers and all were forced out into the crowd to see the main act. DMA’s Matt Mason could barely endure the set in his trademark white cap, as wasted punters flashed their iPhone’s in the poor guy’s face. Celebrity is hell.
Behind the Gold Bar most burn for, another entirely separate bar 30,000 punters will likely never know of. Tucked into a corner hard to see, a narrow hallway leads into what feels like the inside of Sydney’s Frankie’s Pizza, Strummer Bar appears. Black leather booths, pool tables, NO DRINK LINES and music memorabilia deck out the bar for the elite. Musicians rome freely, unbothered, Tour Managers keep firm eyes on their bands and swap stories. I encountered one gentleman that was reluctantly sharing stories about how he preferred the clean living bands because it meant he wouldn’t have to post bail. If these walls could talk.
Outside, the festival rages on and although the lure of backstage luxury can be hard to break, first and foremost we are gathered here for our love of music. KHALID managed to make a new fan out of me, despite one of his dancers being so out of time it become the entire focus of my attention. Once you see it, you know?
I also made a point of seeing Perth’s Methyl Ethel on the Saturday from the highest peak, up on the hill as the blue skies washed into pastel pinks. I was surprised, the depth of their music supersedes their Hottest 100 Hit ‘Ubu’. This band is one to watch, their psych variance with pop sensibility made them one of the standouts of the festival for me.
Another act that ripped me from the warmth of a private bar was Franz Ferdinand (pictured, above). When you live long enough to see the trendiest fucking band in the world with the best haircuts become Dads with haircuts they can at best mange, is a hell of thing. I was like, wasn’t 2008 one minute ago? How long have I been asleep and where did their cool go? A friend texted me from their Melbourne sideshow and said the whole gig was a broadway production of a midlife crisis. Age, it gets us all.
Splendour is known for presenting some of the best food offerings in the festival game. Honestly, the same Hungarian pizza kept getting me and I’m like not even sure what was on it. I digress, the only way this food adventure could get better was being in the right place at the right time when someone asked me, moments after digesting an entire pizza, if I wanted to go to a free two-hour sit down lunch at the pop-up Chiswick restaurant. My friend nudged me hard in the ribs, so we said yes. Located behind the crowd looking down onto the Amphitheatre, a gorgeous pop up restaurant perched upon a lake. Am I at Splendour? How much cheese did I eat? With dishes made famous by Matt Moran, we mingled with just as lucky festival folk and a few VIPs. Splendour is just one of those magical places where weird stuff like this happens every day. Each minute, a new adventure unfolds no matter what your ticket reads.
SITG 2018 had a lot to offer in its eighteenth year. Another sold out festival but each year Splendour does what other festivals have failed to in the past, learn from their mistakes and outdo themselves. As a music aficionado with a few festies under her belt, I’ve seen it all.. I saw it from the inside, I’ve seen it from the outside and the majesty of this festival doesn’t allude me. Splendour is a lot of things to everyone, and the three days of escapism and bliss is something for everybody. Now I’ve seen it from the inside, could I go back? Absolutely. I’m just another face in the crowd with my own story from a joyous weekend.
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Review by Samantha Dickson. Click photos for credits.
