Across the board, music festivals survived through tough conditions last summer. Groovin The Moo (GTM) however, continues to be hugely successful, selling out once again at the Maitland Showground.
GTM’s exquisite set-up prevents sound bleeding by placing the ‘Moolin Rouge’ tent around 50 metres away from the twin setup of the Triple J/[V] stands. Both stages either had resident DJs to keep the crowd pumping within the intervals – kudos to The Doctor and Jake Stone in that regard – or they had acts begin as soon as the previous had departed. This enabled the tunes to keep flowing smoothly without too much white noise, a method that’s proven to be very successful for the festival.
Adults that ventured to GTM were saved by an ‘over 18’ area, which allowed excellent views of the various acts while avoiding youngsters. Yet if you really love the feeling of being in that pumped-up atmosphere with your music heroes within only an arm’s grasp, then the general area was the place to be.
The food and bar areas are strategically placed to enable fans to still hear the acts while enjoying a much-needed refreshment or energy boost. Bar lines were effectively quick, and while the high drink and food prices were avoidable, they were realistic considering the festival environment at present.
Around 16,000 music lovers flocked to the heart of Maitland for the regional spectacle. The main attractions featured the Australian headliners The Presets alongside The Jezabels, What So Not, Karnivool, Architecture In Helsinki, Vance Joy, and Violent Soho next to international acts The Naked And Famous, Dizzee Rascal, Robert Delong, Cults, and co-headliners, Disclosure.
Newcastle’s own The Patriots, the champions of the GTM Unearthed competition, opened the festival on the Triple J stage with a short set, pumping up the crowd with tracks ‘High’ and ‘Luxembourg’ featuring killer drumbeats, indie guitars, and smooth vocals.
Sydney producer Thief kicked off the Moolin Rouge tent fresh off the release of his EP, Closer. He mesmerised the crowd with tracks ‘Closer’ and ‘Broken Boy’, showcasing pulsing synths and grinding bass, leaving fans swooning by the pureness of his voice with his surprising cover of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’.
Andy Bull topped off the early acts by letting his awesome vocals and contagious indie pop go to work. The crowd drowned in an impressive light show all while singing along to tracks like ‘Dog’, ‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’, and ‘Keep On Running’.
Back towards the Triple J stage, Melbourne rockers Kingswood performed in front of a solid crowd. Some revelers even braved the muddy pools to ‘air guitar’ as the ground shook from the reverberation and powerful drumbeats to songs ‘Sucker Punch’ and ‘Ohio’.
US electro cyborg Robert DeLong took the stage equipped with every electronic appliance known to man. His dance conducive set left a packed crowd screaming and dancing in unison for their electro god. ‘Happy’ and ‘Global Concepts’ definitely made the sold-out crowd “fucking dance”.
Hottest 100 king Vance Joy appeared for an acoustic set that displayed his gorgeous vocals, intricate songwriting, and impressive guitar skills. The crowd united for a rousing rendition of ‘Riptide’, however it was his lesser-known songs that really impressed, especially ‘Play With Fire’ and ‘Emmy Lou’.
The Moolin Rouge knocked out the acoustic warmth of Vance Joy as Brisbane’s destructive agents of rock, Violent Soho, created anarchy. Circle pits were either celebrated or avoided at all costs as the rockers powered through ‘Saramona Said’, ‘Neighbour Neighbour’, and crowd favourite ‘Covered In Chrome’, making this set one of the most impressive of the day.
The [V] stage brought out the bright, colourful, indie pop gods, Architecture In Helsinki. The crowd bounced through crystal pop, bright synths, and beautiful vocals as old faithfuls ‘Heart It Races’ and ‘Contact High’ combined with new hits ‘I Might Survive’ and ‘In The Future’. Architecture definitely still provides one of the best live experiences.
As darkness ensued, the intensity of the performances increased and revelers headed to their places for a good stakeout to recharge before the final acts appeared. Australian producer The Kite String Tangle displayed his minimalist electro with a cover of Lorde’s ‘Tennis Court’ and his hit ‘Given The Chance’ while his faithful danced to every beat.
New Zealand indie-electronic pop crew The Naked And Famous shone with their driving, melodic pop pumping through the night air. Frontwoman Alisa Xayalith’s scintillating voice joined thousands as tracks ‘Hearts Like Ours’, ‘Punching In A Dream’, and ‘Young Blood’ pulsed throughout the grounds alongside the crystallised synths and guitars.
Three years ago they opened in the early afternoon, now indie rockers The Jezabels took the main stage in prime time and produced a brilliant set that encompassed their impressive rise as one of Australia’s premier acts. Frontwoman Hayley Mary is an enigma with her ridiculous vocal range, flawless movements across the stage, and willingness to leap into the crowd, painting a flawless picture of her performance. The rapid drumbeat, brooding keys, and electrifying guitar fuelled brilliant renditions of ‘Endless Summer’, ‘Mace Spray’, ‘The End’, ‘Look of Love’, and ‘Easy To Love’. Definitely don’t miss this act.
The last of the heavy hitters emerged with UK MC Dizzee Rascal closing off the V stage with an energetic performance. The artist built a solid rapport with his crowd, all the while dropping heavy beats and rapping with that signature English accent over the top of tracks like ‘Bonkers’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Fix Up Look Sharp’, and ‘Bassline Junkie’.
The Presets clashed with the UK’s huge DJ duo Disclosure, presenting a really tough choice to revelers. The Presets (after a 15-minute delay) exploded onto the stage with their heavy underground electro. Julian Hamilton’s perfect vocals and ability to build the crowd alongside both his and Kim Moyes’ irresistible dark electro pounded throughout the showgrounds. The Sydney duo can only show so much through their recorded material, for it’s their live show where they expand and make hits like ‘My People’, ‘Youth In Trouble’, ‘Ghosts’, and ‘Talk Like That’ stand out even more. Disclosure, on the other hand, utilise their signature facial design in their outstanding live show.
While The Presets utilise heavier electronica, the house stylings of ‘Latch’, ‘White Noise’, and ‘When A Fire Starts To Burn’ provide a different vibe for the festivalgoers as the Disclosure brothers, Howard and Guy Lawrence, closed off an awesome festival for another eventful year.
Groovin The Moo turned eight this year in Maitland, yet it continues to shine as one of the best festivals around with star-studded lineups, awesome setups, and another sold-out crowd embracing all genres in the Hunter Valley.
