» Glider Fest 2021 in Sydney – review and photos Something You Said

Glider Fest 2021 in Sydney – review and photos

June 14, 2021

We sent our absolute dream-team of Melissa Barrass and Sophie Metcalfe to check out Glider Fest in Sydney. Here are Melissa’s words and Sophie’s photos:

The last 12 months have really given weight to the saying, “You don’t realise what you have until it’s gone”. As events slowly (and bravely) begin to re-emerge from the aftermath of Covid, punters are wasting no time in finding ways to support the industry again.

This was evident last Saturday at the inaugural (and sold out) Glider Fest at the Factory Theatre. The surprisingly large turnout echoed crowds typical of Melbourne, a refreshing sight for the eyes and no doubt a huge win for the festival organiser, Harry. Glider Fest partnered with Beyond Blue, raising funds for the organisation, which they aim to announce the figure raised shortly.

As Sophie and I walked onto the grounds of the Factory Theatre, we were met with a wave of memories, warmed by the backdrop of a sunset, the usual set-up of festoon lights and great tunes from the courtyard DJs spinning The Brian Jonestown Massacre and other indie favourites. The first act we managed to see for the night was Phonographics on the Factory Floor. As I nestled myself up the back I recognised frontman and guitarist Luke O’Farrell (also from local Psych act The Laurels) above the sea of people before me. They were only the second act for the evening and the room felt at capacity. The band closed out with Peradventure, which is easily my favourite discovery via the warm-up festival playlist. Hearing it live was really something else, and my notes dictate that I likened the experience to a sensual journey into space. Since eye-balling the lyrics, I stand by that feeling. What an impressive start to the festival. Shoegaze is back baby.

We caught the end of local indie band Ghost Gums playing to a freely dancing crowd. Shout out to that tiny green guitar, I don’t know why it amused me so much, I may have been tipsy by this point. Next up was Drift, a troupe of lanky dudes throwing some heavy bedroom shoegaze with plenty of opportunity for headbanging. I noticed a group of young guys we met earlier who had travelled from Wollongong up the front having a great time and enjoying all on offer. The band closed with a song that had the muscle and style of Flyying Colours, which if anyone knows me, was well received.

We stepped out for a break to allow Sophie to capture the scenery before heading in to see Peel, who had already started playing to a very large and moving crowd. Earplugs in, the sound was loud and drenched in an electric charge of escapism before Kat, whom I recognised from the now disbanded Sydney duo Mezko, came up on stage for a cover of Slowdive’s Allison. The audience was swaying by this point and all hearts were warm.

The nostalgia high resurfaced for Angeles, with frontman Pete Sotiropoulos clad in a red satin button up (looking a lot like Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You) working the crowd. The fuzzy guitars and heartbeat drums soundtracked all the feelings of the day as the crowd looked on in a dream-like state. It was at this point I realised I was literally gazing at my shoes. Then I gazed at everyone else’s shoes. 3-hole Doc Martens everywhere. Ahhh Shoegaze festivals…

Next up was Sophie’s hyped pick, Moody Beach. Radiating with divine feminine energy, Mel smiled at the crowd and lashed her guitar with confidence. The audience prepared for the synth-heavy standout track, Why Not, which begun with a catchy bassline and dreamy vocals before then charging with a snappy snare and later lacing 80’s-drenched synth, creating a huge sound reminiscent of Metric and Ladytron.

Closing The Fusebox was Sydney’s newest dream-pop band Micra, who have been my favourite discovery for 2021. I missed the beginning of the set (and perhaps some tech difficulties from what I heard) but managed to still catch a good chunk of the most polished sound of the festival. Ivana’s breathy vocals danced wistfully as the crowd swayed. For a relatively new band, their live sound has been mastered to that of a production-perfect recording.

Closing the night, Grinding Eyes hid behind a veil of smoke, their silhouettes contrasting against the purple backlights. Breaking into a noisy reverb the band had the crowd wrapped around their fingers. The sound was dark but not as much as it was huge (I may have lost my earplugs by this stage), and the audience throw their heads around as if under a spell. A standout performance.

The aftermath of Covid has brought out the devoted who have had a taste of what it’s like to lose live music, and the sense of community that festivals often give us. Glider Fest is an example of that type of loving community coming together for a good cause to bring a (still very) niche style of music for the people and by the people. After chatting briefly with the organiser, Harry, we may see more on the horizon. To be honest, we cannot wait for another taste of Glider Festival, so keep ’em coming, Harry!