Live Review: Groovin' The Moo

14 May 2012

by Poppy Reid

Saturday May 12
Maitland Showgrounds, NSW

A small town festival once reserved for touring Australian rock bands has since proven it can compete with the nation’s music event heavyweights; and not just because this years sees acts like Public Enemy and Kaiser Chiefs do the regional rounds, but because of the masses it draws, the sizzling atmosphere it creates and the fact that if you hand the bar littered drunk cans, they’ll repay you with free beverages.

“In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not a musician,” shouted one-man-party-band Andrew W.K. “I am not a singer, this is not a concert, this is a party. I am just an audience member of life. I don’t think twice.”

The Californian danced like a clown, crowd-surfed like a champion and sang tracks like Party Hard and We Want Fun with the flair of an underdog chart-climber.

The Getaway Plan performed a rousing set on the Triple J stage with frontman Matthew Wright projecting the dulcet tones with precision through new tracks Move Along and The Reckoning and delivering one of his most active performances in a sampling from 2006 EP, Hold Conversation.

Parkway Drive incited the most honest circle pit for the day, even expressing their gratitude as the only hardcore band on an indie and hip hop-pregnant lineup.

 

“We are the one giant sore thumb on the festival bill,” said Nike-sporting frontman Winston McCall. The crowd responded with a ‘Fuck 360’ chant.

The Byron band were all smiles, jest and choreographed stage circles; a contrasting sight to the bloodied faces that emerged from the pit at even intervals.

As blatant advocates for Canadian Dallas Green, it pains us to say City and Colour’s set was anything short of perfect; but it was sadly one of the festival’s biggest disappointments. The hardcore guitarist-turned-acoustic folk luminary played only a handful of tracks, and while his voice was as blissful as ever and you could not fault his band - especially in The Grand Optimist, dedicated to “the woman at the gas station,” - the obvious hole where breakout tracks like Coming Home and Save Your Scissors should be plastered confused expressions on his wide-eyed zealots.

Public Enemy were an obvious highlight, the hip hop group - who are celebrating their 25^th year together - were raw, assaulting, zestful and remarkably genial. From traditional themes like the raised Black Panther fist, the introductory military march and Flava Flav’s trademark neck-clock, this was an act that have been hell-bent on portraying their message of acceptance and equality since 1982.

Highlights of their hour-long set include: the MCA tribute, complete with gunshots and exploding bomb sonics; their self-promoting clothing; Flava Flav’s prolonged call and response display where he put us all to shame; his announcement he’d recorded two albums with Chuck D, set for a September release, the prayers and silence the group requested when a crowd member had to be carried out by paramedics and Flav’s farewell speech where he put the world’s issues down to racism and separatism.

While New Zealand songbird Kimbra was swirling and twirling across the Udder Stage in her technicolour dream coat, most punters sought for the warmth and fluoro energy harnessed by Bluejuice.

Beginning with early tracks like Vitriol and Ain’t Telling The Truth, the Sydney boys joined in with the rave of wild adolescents worshipping every impressive jump, climb and simpatico gesture from Jake and Stav. The band played their recent video accompaniment for new track On My Own before Jake expressed his frustration with Australia’s sluggish uptake on the single, “That song is called On My Own and if you like it you should tell Triple J about it, we will go there.”

And so they should, just as Groovin’ The Moo deserve to be ranked among Australia’s greatest live events, the future of Bluejuice should and will too be brighter and more prolific than ever before.