After what had already felt like a marathon, New Years Eve saw many weary faces emerging from their burrows.
If Sunday was a slow start then the moans and groans escaping the lips of most punters proved Monday morning was a true test of endurance.
Some chose to jump on the shuttle into Lorne for a refreshing swim, while braver (or perhaps foolish) individuals cracked open another tinnie.
Falls Unearthed winner Hayden Calnin kicked off proceedings on the Valley Stage with a full band. Whilst usually performing solo, the power of the full band was awesome for their early set.
Seeking refuge under the tent of the Grand Theatre was obviously a thought shared by many, as Angus Stone was present with a half-standing/half-sitting crowd. It was refreshing to see Stone with a full ensemble and engaging in some rockier moments from his solo record.
Californian surf pop duo Best Coast were the first international guests for the day. Many observers took a seat on the hill as the duo went through notable favourites such as ‘Boyfriend’, however after 25 minutes the familiarity of their sound became slightly monotonous.
In what has become an integral part of the Falls experience, and also a chance to recharge the batteries, comedy under the tent at the Grand Theatre went down a smash.
Local Nazeem Hussain was in charge of breaking in the audience but was quickly out done by fellow Melbourne comedian Ronnie Chieng who took out the biggest laughs of the day. Irish favourite Jason Byrne pursued his typical crowd participation antics – there’s nothing like watching people humiliate themselves.
Art rocker Bertie Blackman made getting back into the music a breeze. ‘Boy’ and ‘Mercy Killer’ (from 2012’s underrated Pope Innocent X) went down a treat for those lucky enough to get involved. Swedish folk sisters First Aid Kit followed Ms Blackman with gorgeous harmonies, enjoyed even by the VIP kids dancing side of stage.
Whilst local fuzz rockers Loon Lake came out kicking footballs in the Grand Theatre and had everyone jumping, radio favourite Matt Corby was busy swooning and crooning on the Valley Stage.
Corby’s set of emotional yet dreary pop wasn’t particularly uplifting or exciting until of course he reached ‘Brother’ that saw masses run towards the stage and various clambering onto shoulders.
As groups marched back towards their campsites to adorn themselves in numerous festive outfits, a rather thin crowd was left to enjoy the return of England’s Maximo Park.
The traditional dress up and celebrations of the fiesta at the main stage kicked off the march towards New Year, but most wanted to get stuck back into the music.
Alleviating that pain was put in the hands of Australian festival stalwarts, Hilltop Hoods.
If you’ve attended a music festival in the last five years it’s extremely likely that the Hilltop Hoods took part. They’re practically part of the furniture, and equally loved, as arms were raised and stereotypically bounced in unison. A nice addition to their live set-up was Plutonic Lab (of the much loved Muph and Plutonic) on the drums.
Sampology’s audio video show however, was presented to a thin crowd. Using footage going back to the very first Falls in 1992/93, it was an awesome opportunity for the older punters to reminisce about the good old days.
Whilst up and coming local acts World’s End Press, Parachute Youth, and DZ Deathrays led the charge towards New Year at the Grand Theatre, the hill was full of those preparing themselves for Irish indie sweethearts Two Door Cinema Club.
Some people may have felt slightly robbed with The Flaming Lips bringing in the New Year at Marion Bay in Tassie, but after the previous night’s disappointment, Two Door couldn’t have had a more perfectly primed and loose environment.
To put it bluntly the Valley Stage and those gazing in its direction absolutely exploded in joy as the trio ripped into hit after hit. Any thoughts of Two Door not being exciting enough to bring in the New Year were quickly put to bed as old favourites ‘What You Know’ and ‘Do You Want It All?’ were accompanied by an equally captivating light show.
A quick break gave just enough time to engage in the obligatory group countdown, bringing in 2013 with some fireworks and confetti canons showering much of the gathered in white. Group hugs, high fives, big smiles, and many kisses saw Falls reach another level of greatness.
After the ecstasy of the countdown, the Irish outfit came back with tracks from Beacon, as ‘Sun’ and ‘Sleep Alone’ had the whole hill jumping. It was smiles and high fives all round as everyone reflected on possibly the biggest surprise of the festival.
Despite a set of absolute bangers from Two Door Cinema Club, California’s old-school hip-hop representative Coolio quickly put an end to the wave of euphoria. To put it mildly, Coolio was bad. Set against the previous hour of tight explosive indie dance rock it was even worse.
Considering his notable hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ came out in 1995, perhaps Falls should have known better. The boring and predictable call and response became forgettable as soon as it started. Although the hit everyone had been waiting for got bums dancing, the most pertinent detail was perhaps the fact that stage hands were throwing away free CDs into the crowd – few if any, were taken home.
Thankfully Orlando Higginbottom, aka Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, saved the night from complete disappointment. What Coolio drained out of the audience’s energy, TEED injected it straight back with thundering bass.
In his black feathery jacket, TEED followed up where Two Door Cinema Club left off as two female dancers joined him on either side of the stage for additional energy. For some the heavy bass seemed slightly off kilter and muddied the sound too much, for others it was an invitation to dance like they’d never had before.
For those brave, or inebriated enough, the Grand Theatre was the party destination, as Soccer Mum DJs finished the morning off at an unbelievable 6am set.
New Years day begins far too early and the two-hour wait to get out of the campsite doesn’t help. Regardless of these lingering pains, Falls Festival continues to be one of Australia’s great events, with so much entertainment on offer and an always stellar lineup, it’s hard pass up an opportunity to get amongst it.
Check out the review of Dec 28th/29th of Falls Festival here and the 30th here.
View all the snaps from Falls Festival 2012 in our photo gallery:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
