Splendour in the Grass: Part 2
Day two kicked off with Sydney band Sticky Fingers (otherwise known as STIFI…ha…) at the amphitheatre – and weren’t they a sight for tired eyes. Lead singer ‘Dyz’ adorned with skinny jeans, bare chest and a fur jacket that would make Anna Wintour weak at the knees, keyboardist Freddy Crabs rocking nothing but his under trunks and wild expression. They performed tracks from their debut album ‘Caress Your Soul’, including ‘Freddy Crabs’, ‘Australia Street’ and the title track – a little rock, and peppered with enjoyable reggae beats. A pleasing start to the day’s musical offerings. Their performance was soon dwarfed by the spectacle that is Brit band The 1975 – or rather lead singer Matthew Healy. Their set was earsplittingly loud, their fast-paced, light rock sound was enjoyable, however variation between the songs seemed scarce – all tracks seemed to be very, very similar. And it became more about the spectacle of Healy, swigging from his bottle of wine and half-enthusiastically knocking over drums and his mic stand, than the music itself. Seemed a little bit desperate, but hey – he’s a ‘rock star’. Listening to their album and being able to discern between different tracks seems like a more worthwhile experience than a watching an indistinguishable live set.
Violent Soho hurtled onstage to show the crowd a dirty good time – manic lights, a cavalcade of expletives from Luke Boerdam’s mouth in between tracks and grungy guitars. Plus, quite startlingly, a small child on stage (thankfully in earmuffs). ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’ and ‘Muscle Junkie’ went down a treat, with Luke screaming the titular ‘fuck you, fuck you’ from the latter to finish. A great, hard, crowd pleasing set. This year Splendour have delightfully added some of Australia’s most prolific rappers to the line-up – starting with 360’s set on the second evening. Sixty has cemented himself in Aussie music with his honest, blunt lyrics that juxtapose heartfelt stories with the usual ‘bitches, money and dope’ tracks that come stock-standard in the genre. Playing tracks from albums ‘Falling and Flying’ and the recently released ‘Utopia’, (“some old shit, some new shit”) he kicked off with the crowd-pleasing ‘Running Away’. His set was littered with guests – a duet with rapper Miracle on ‘Eddie Jones’, a surprise appearance from old friend Pez on hit ‘Live It Up, and the wonderful surprise of Gosling featuring on final tracks ‘Boys Like You’ and ‘Fame’. The only lowlight being the tacky brandishing of fake, oversized machine guns that leave one a little unsettled. Was it entirely necessary? No – and a little cringeworthy.
Last minute London Grammer replacement Foals “didn’t think we’d be here one week ago” – but the crowd was obviously pleased at their inclusion as the amphitheatre was packed. Their black silhouettes bathed in harsh red lighting, they had the people jumping around to ‘My Number’ and ‘Providence’ – lead singer Yannis Philippakis bravely leaping into close proximity of the prying hands of the front rowers. An entertaining set. The night ended with the sublime City and Colour – with lead Dallas Green’s serene voice never failing to hypnotise. They slowed the pace down, giving Splendour-goers a well-needed rest – before Dallas ended Saturday’s line-up with a tear-jerking rendition of ‘As Much As I Ever Could’. A true privilege to witness.
– Danielle Muir
