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OCTOBER 2007 AU $5.99 / NZ $6.99 MSTRKRFT PARKLIFE ‘07

 NOISE NOISE  DIGITALISM EDITOR’S PARKLIFE SYDNEY ‘07 NOTE

can remember my very first festival experience, and let me tell you it wasn’t the best. It was in 2000 when I was only 14, and I had no idea what to do, what to take, or what to wear. Turns out everything that I chose was extremely uncomfortable, annoying and just idiotic. NOISE this month Ihopes that my unfortunate festival experience will not happen to you! We bring you festival do’s and don’ts that will hopefully tell you all you need to know about festival behaviour, and our Summer festival preview will let you decide where you can put your knowledge to the test. My favourite festival in Australia is definitely and this year was no different as NOISE continues it’s coverage of the gloriousness that is Splendour with an in depth review of many of the bands that appeared. On a serious note, I have not seen more people on drugs as what I have at festivals in the past year. I don’t know if it’s just me or if people are becoming increasingly more reckless with their health and wellbeing. NOISE this month looks at this phenomenon and tries to make sense or a solution to this problem. The Festival Special is here to help with any of your queries about Australian festivals, and hopefully you will learn from my various festival mistakes and not make any of your own! Let NOISE be your guide and show you the festival light!

The Editor xxx P.S. Hover over titles for links & more info  NOISE NOISE  “That’s the good thing about travelling. You can go somewhere and not even know how you’re going to be received but still manage to have a good time.” Thanks to their relatively LIVING IN hectic touring schedule however, the band won’t have much time to see the sights. “It’s quite annoying because all our shows are close together, almost back to back so we won’t have much time to do anything THE 90S else but play and travel to the next place,” he said. “But hopefully we’ll get a couple of free hours just to have a look They enjoy drinking, partying and write around.” music that makes people do both. Rebecca Their music has been Ware talks to 1990s about festivals, described as tunes perfect for parties, drinking and causing inspiration and Alex Kapranos. ruckus, but Jackie insists that the live shows aren’t as chaotic as “I’ve always hated watching man Alex Kapranos. you might think. heir music is undeniably festivals. I just don’t like seeing “There isn’t much similarity “They’re really happy more catchy, with brilliant bands in that atmosphere, along between Yummy Fur and 1990s. I than anything. Everyone’s just Tlyrics and guitar riffs that with all the problems having to mean they’re two totally different smiling and having a good time, get stuck in your head for days. camp and everything,” Jackie ventures into music,” Jackie said. enjoying the music. But where does the inspiration confessed. He has only nice words for his “Everyone thinks that it’s going come from to write such awesome “But I don’t know, my opinion Yummy Fur band mate, Kapranos to be this crazy time with people songs? According to front man has kind of changed after playing and the amount of success that his jumping all over the joint and all Jackie, at parties. Where else? a festival. I think I’d be more open band has seen. this crazy stuff happening but it’s “Most of the songs were written at to going, maybe.” “It was really good to see Franz not! We just like having a good parties when we came home from So other than attending more get so big and just blow up. And time when we play,” he asserted. clubs,” Jackie said. festivals, Jackie said that their then it was like all these bands One particular that After jotting down things they main concentration at the moment out of Glasgow were becoming they recently played made them saw at parties and collecting their is touring and getting the new CD popular, and 1990s just came see just how happy they were thoughts, the 1990s release their out there. Oh, and writing the next about at the right time in the right making people and also, how first LP in 2007 titled “Cookies”. CD as well of course. place,” Jackie said. popular they’d become. The album won them critical “I find that when we’re on So other than making people “We’ve just done the Carling acclaim across the UK and now tour, it’s the best time to write happy and travelling around the Festival in Leeds and Reading, in Australia, they are starting to music. You see a hell of a lot world, what is the best thing about and they were brilliant. The crowd make waves. when you’re on the road and it’s being in the 1990s? was really into our music which Their first single,See You At really good inspiration,” he said. “Umm, I like the fact that we was really exciting,” he said. The Lights gathered momentum “I mean I’ve even found only have to play for 40 minutes “Everyone just seemed really down under thanks to , and inspiration for the next CD in the a night. It’s a pretty easy job!” he happy and it was weird to their next hit You Made Me Like It pub! It’s everywhere.” said laughing. see this sea of people not only looks to do the same. nspiration is something that “But other than it being a bobbing along to our tunes, but Thanks to this popularity, hasn’t been hard to come by brilliant job, just the fact that also singing along. It was a really Australia will be able to witness for the 1990s trio, as they’ve we’re making this chaotic, yet the band live for the first time. positive experience.” I all been involved in music for melodic music is awesome. We’re But his opinion on playing “We’ve never been to Australia over 10 years, including being in a doing what we love and there’s festivals is different to his opinion so we don’t really know what to band with Franz Ferdinand front nothing better than that.” expect,” Jackie said. on attending festivals, as a punter.  NOISE NOISE  oing to an Airbourne “It’s always a lot of fun, “We painted the town with concert can only especially meeting the bands posters for every gig we were Gbe described as an from all around the world,” Ryan doing. If they were getting ‘experience’. When you arrive, said about touring with some of ripped down we’d go back and you can tell from the crowd the world’s biggest rock groups. put them up. We had to walk that you are in for just that. You Not bad from four guys though, ‘cos we couldn’t afford a are surrounded by bogans, and from rural Victorian town car.” I mean that in the nicest way Warrnambool, where the main 2007 has seen the hotly possible. However, as soon as town activities were playing anticipated release of their Airbourne emerge onstage, it is footy and getting blind drunk, first LP, Runnin’ Wild, which obvious this band has tapped the latter of which is still an includes everything a great into a void in Australian music important part of their live Aussie CD should since the 80’s. show. have. “20 years ago the Aussie The group was formed Airbourne’s sound has been pub rock scene was well and when brothers Ryan and Joel likened to Australian rock gods truly alive giving bands such as turned their love for Aussie pub AC/DC, with Runnin’ Wild only AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, rock into a dream, and started emphasising this similarity Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs and jamming at their house, much further. So what’s it like to be compared to such an influential rock band? “Considering every band is compared to another artist before them, it’s an honour to be compared to the world’s best rock act,” Ryan said. Like AC/DC, Airbourne’s live shows are incredibly energetic and a raucous to say the least, and according to Ryan, there are only two things needed to keep that energy alive. “Drink a lot of piss on the road, and when show day comes Cold Chisel a chance to play in to the annoyance of the local let passion for rock’n’roll take the same street as another, and police. over,” he explained. also tour together,” Airbourne’s “It got to the point where the And passion seems like frenetic drummer, Ryan O’Keeffe cops would just end up saying, something that Airbourne has a explained. ‘Look, come on, guys, we’ve lot of. “We differ because we’re alone gotta stop coming around here Judging by a description of when it comes to Aussie pub cos we’ve got other people to their music on their MySpace rock bands in today’s world.” arrest,” laughs Joel. page, passion is something that Their music has seen them Joel was then introduced will be with them for quite some play Big Day Out and Splendour to guitarist David Roads when time. In The Grass, of which Ryan the two worked at Hotel “A great Rock & Roll band exclaims were awesome and saw Warrnambool. Bassist Justin leaves you feeling like you’ve AIRBOURNE them have a “rockin’ time”. Street completed the picture just been hit over the head What do you get when you put together four Aussie After making a name for in 2003, when Ryan literally ran with a big hard dose of rock, themselves around , into him while stumbling home they give you such a good time blokes from the country who love the old days of pub and eventually Australia-wide, drunk from a party one night. that you just can’t help but rock? Airbourne is the answer, and Rebecca Ware finds the band played supporting slots The band then started gigging grin from ear to ear, and like with bands like , relentlessly around Melbourne. nothing you ever experience out what makes them tick. , Motorhead, and even “We absolutely attacked again will feel the same. That is The Rolling Stones. Melbourne,” says 20-year-old Ryan. Airbourne.”  NOISE NOISE  BLOC PARTY SPLENDOUR ‘07 10 NOISE NOISE 11 Once again this year, The Falls Music & Arts Festival delivers another bowl-full of diversely delectable beauts both from our very own shores, and across the globe.

INEUP - Kings of Leon, Groove Armada, The Pipettes, Paul LKelly, Bonde Do Rolê, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Midnight FESTIVAL Juggernauts, , Built To Spill, Gotye, José González, Angus and Julia Stone, Blackalicious, The Go! Team, , Girl Talk, Kev Carmody, Whiskey Go Go’s, Neville Staple’s Specials, Clare Bowditch and The Feeding Set, , Cut Off Your Hands, The Beautiful Girls, , Old Man River, , Lior, Jeff Lang, Little Red, , The Herd.

PREVIEW ATES & The Summer festival season is approaching so let NOISE help you to decide D RICES - 29th December - Lorne, Victoria. where you’re going to spend the hottest days of the year with the hottest P 0th December - Marion Bay, Tasmania. bands in the world. SOLD OUT

HY - is the last great festival of the year, Wand it is one of the best ways to end one year and bring in another. The line-ups of the past have been inpressive but this one covers virtually all genres of music so it would be hard for anyone not to have a good time.

Homebake has grown from strength to strength with this year being no different. it showcases not only well established Austral- ian acts but up and coming stars.

INEUP - The Divinyls, Missy Higgins, Cut Copy, Gotye, Sara The festival of all Summer festivals is finally coming around for another LBlasko, Josh Pyke, , Paul Kelly, The Beau- year, and the bands on the bill are nearly as hot as the weather is bound tiful Girls, Angus & Julia Stone, Paul Dempsey, The Bumblebeez, to be. get excited because you have every reason to be. , Operator Please, Behind Crimson Eyes, , Ed Keupper & The Kowalski Collective, Mammal, The Soft Tigers, Red Eye Society INEUP - , Bjork, , , LCD Soundsys- (Nz), , , Blue King Brown, Wicked Beat tem, Billy Bragg, , , Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko, Midnight Jug- Sound System, , The Mess Hall, Old Man River, British India, L The Brunettes, The Checks, The Scare, Art Of Fighting, Expatriate, gernauts, Faker, Battles, ,Cut Off Your Hands. Pivot, Kid Confucius, Belles Will Ring, Foreign Heights, Bridezilla.

ATES & ATES & D RICES - Friday 25th January, Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Olympic Park. D RICES - 8th December - The Domain, Royal Botanic P $125 + bf - First round tickets are sold out, however there are still P Gardens, Sydney. 10,000 tickets being released through ballot allocation. SOLD OUT HY - always delivers some of the best home HY - The quality of bands that are playing this year is unbelievably good, mainly Wgrown talent each and every year, and this line-up is espe- WRATM who only reformed earlier this year. Big Day Out is a rite of passage for all cially giving new, upcoming bands the chance to play alongside Australian music lovers, but make sure you get in early as these tickets won’t last long. their idols. So if you want to see the next big Australian band before they take over the world, head to Homebake. 12 NOISE NOISE 13 “It’s crap. I hate the amount turning away from “soft drugs” someone doing drugs, I mean it’s of police at festivals these days, such as marijuana, and turning to their choice and who am I to step and not just because some of my hard drugs to achieve the desired in and say something? mates take drugs. I just don’t like high that concertgoers are after. “Heroin, cocaine, ICE even. being told what I can and can’t do After attending many festivals There’s no limit these days and in that environment. myself, I have found that these I think because the younger “It just makes you more cautious hard drugs, like ecstasy, cocaine generations are a lot more of what you’re doing and where. and even heroin and ICE, are not tolerant, no one really wants to You can’t have nearly as much only restricted to dance festivals tell anyone else what to do,” fun,” 22-year-old Chris said. anymore. I have seen users openly Chris said. “It is incredibly intimidating doing lines of cocaine, people Jess agrees that people do and it makes you feel like you’re injecting heroin in the bathrooms have the right to do whatever doing something wrong, even if and others taking as many as five drugs they want. But she doesn’t you’re not,” he added. ecstasy tablets at one time. The think that festival are the right More worrying than the police more worrying aspect however, place to do them. presence at festivals is the type is how people are becoming blasé “I just don’t see the point. I of drugs that people are taking about drug use. mean, a lot of people pay upwards and in what quantities. People are “I don’t really care if I see of $200 for a ticket and if they do drugs there is a high chance they’re not going to remember any of it. It’s just such a waste. “If you’re going to do drugs, do it somewhere where it’s not going to affect others. I’m sick of having drugged out people ruining for me by not having any consideration for others,” she said. ou buy a festival So what about the future? ticket, and are Is there anyway we can stop the planning to see Y were introduced all around the concerts and drug use. Being prevalence of hard drugs at music some of your favourite world in the late 50’s and early someone who chooses to not take festivals? bands. You get on a train 60’s, drugs have been a part of drugs is something you don’t see “No way. Police can only with your friends all are the scene. At first it was only everyday she said. do so much and it seems that incredibley excited for the marijuana. Since the end of “I personally don’t do drugs they don’t even do that much in day ahead. You emerge the 80’s, hard drugs made their as I don’t particularly like the terms of stopping people from from the station and the way into every major music idea of not knowing what I am doing drugs at outdoor concerts, first thing you see is nine festival, not only in Australia but ingesting and also not having they’re only there for intimidation police officers lined up with worldwide. control of my actions. purposes,” Chris said. sniffer dogs, inspecting “It is a rarity these days to go “Too many times have I seen Jess agrees. everyone who walks past. to any sort of festival, whether it girls on the ground frothing at the “I don’t think there is any real This might sound like be dance or heavy metal rock, and mouth, and I don’t really think it way to stop it. I mean they’ve fiction, today it’s reality. not see someone off their head off would be something that I would had sniffer dogs at entrances and Over the past five years, drugs,” Jessica said. like to experience first-hand,” she undercover police inside, and yet festivals have become “More often than not you will see commented. it still seems like most people are increasingly popular. Tickets girls in the toilets just doing lines The drug culture at festivals able to get the drugs in and take are selling out faster than you of cocaine. There isn’t any taboo in Australia has also meant a them whenever they like,” can blink your eye. More people anymore.” stronger police presence. There she said. are starting to put festivals on After attending almost all the will be lines of police officers at “You can’t stop people from their must-do lists. However a major music festivals in Australia the entrance to the concert, and doing what they want, and even more disturbing phenomenon including Big Day Out, Splendour then others wondering around the if the police did get more strict is becoming more popular than In The Grass and Homebake, festival grounds, both in uniform in relation to drugs at festivals, the festivals - drugs. Jess knows a thing or two about and undercover. people will just think of new ways Since the first festivals to get them in,” she added. 14 NOISE NOISE 15 DO’S DONT’S

• DRINK WATER – Regardless of whether it’s 13°C • TAKE A BAG – A small one is fine, but try and avoid bulky bags at any cost. They’ll get in your way and or 43°C, drink plenty of water. It’s a long day, annoy you, and they’ll annoy everyone around you as well. It’s no fun getting a bag smooshed into you’re jumping around, and hence you get your eye socket. dehydrated. • OD – Taking drugs isn’t really my thing, and if you’re going to pay ridiculous money for a festival ticket, • TAKE YOUR OWN FOOD – If you can, try and take it’s not really a good idea to overdose and miss everything. Plus it’s quite annoying for other festival- your own food. It is a known fact that food inside goers if you’re vomiting all over the place. festival grounds has this magical way of making • TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF – Look, I don’t care if you’re Jake Gyllenhaal please leave your shirt on. There is all that consume it really ill. You don’t want to nothing worse then having someone’s bare, sweaty skin rubbing against you. It’s horrible in fact. And if miss a band due to the fact your head is in a you’re fat and hairy, you should just know better. toilet bowl do you? • BE A JERK – Everyone is here to have a good time and have paid a fair amount of money to attend this • MEET NEW PEOPLE – Some of the best people I festival. Don’t be the drunk/drugged out person who ruins someone else’s festival experience. have ever met were at festivals. You will talk to • GET IN A FIGHT – Festivals are the worst place to get in fights. There is heaps of security so if you do people who you normally wouldn’t go near, and punch on, there is a high possibility that you will get kicked out. Also people will be more than willing generally you will enjoy it. to join in. • DRINK ALCOHOL – By all means, drink alcohol. • SIT ON SOMEONE’S SHOULDERS – Girls, you But drink responsibly. Noone wants to look after may be short, but do not resort to sitting on their plastered friend. someone else’s shoulders, There are other • SEE A BAND YOU DON’T KNOW – Festivals are people behind you who would also like to see the best atmosphere to find your new favourite the band instead of your back. Go to the front if band. You’re in a good place so you’re generally you’re short. going to be more accepting of new things, and • BUY MERCH – It is so overpriced. At the time, it you never know what your will discover. might seem like the best idea in the world to • MOVE – At some stage, you will feel the urge to buy your favourite band’s T-shirt, but $60 later move. Whether that is to Rage Against you’ll be wishing you had that money to get The Machine, or simply dancing to MSTRKFT get home. up and move and get into the music. It’s what • BE JUDGMENTAL – Everyone is different so you’re at the festival for after all. don’t pass judgment on others at festivals. It is • WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHES – This does not the place where everyone comes together for include furry ugg boots. An example of wearing the same reason so don’t belittle others appropriate clothing is Homebake 2006. It • GO FOR THE WRONG REASONS – If you are poured. Torrential rain and thongs don’t really work together real well. Also, take a jacket because going to a festival simply to get drunk, simply frostbite isn’t a good look. to wear an Australian flag, or simply because • HELP OTHERS – If you see someone in trouble help them! St John’s Ambulance isn’t just there for it’s cool, then you shouldn’t be going in the first show. place. Festivals are about the music and most • HAVE GROUP MENTALITY – It’s generally always best to go to a festival in a group, because if people there appreciate this and don’t buy something goes wrong then at least there’s someone with you to help out. Also, stick together tickets that these people deserve. because trying to find someone in a crowd of 40,000 is surprisingly hard. • DRINK EXCESSIVELY – Noone hates anything • GO EARLY - Generally there is fairly good local bands on ealier in the day and often they put on the more than someone drunk off their face and best show. Case in point was Airbourne at Big Day Out in 2006. having no consideration for anyone around • HAVE FUN – Get out there, have a good time and enjoy every minute. them. Plus you will ultimately get punched. 16 NOISE NOISE 17

With one of the best line-ups in years, NOISE brings you the ultimate Splendour ‘07 review. REVIEW Find out who jumped onstage with Lily Allen and which artist prompted fans to push a barracade down. Even if you couldn’t get tickets, Rebecca Ware helps you feel like you were right there amongst the sweat and dust. SATURDAY plendour In The Grass Things”, they proved that they set of the festival. Watching front unlike other mainstream could hold their own on a stage man Faris Badwan slink around Smusic festivals, has surged amongst the best in the business. in the stage in drunken oblivion in popularity, drawing the same With their songs about ping-pong whilst yelling “What date is it?” audience for the umpteenth time. and not always getting what you was a sight to see. He barely I don’t know if it’s because it’s want, the band had every member sang, only screamed or mumbled, situated in , or the of the 2000 strong crowd tapping almost fell asleep lying on an LILY ALLEN various herbs floating around, but away happily to their brutally inflatable football, destroyed Splendour is the festival where catchy guitar riffs. Considering some lights and gave his there just to see if the band would five of the nerdiest band members took a swig of beer and a drag everyone seems to get along. that the members are only aged microphone stand to the audience. still be good even though their ever assembled. I mean, they talk of her cigarette. Everyone in that All you could hear when from 15-18, they were one of the Interesting… charismatic front man was now about calculators and their love tent thought she was absolutely entering the gates was “Thank god most impressive bands over the A nice change came next in drug free. They delivered, as they of toys in their lyrics. They also brilliant. For someone who was we actually got tickets”, and sighs weekend. the form of the Editors. Their usuaally do. But something was put on a damn good show. You as drunk as she was (and who of relief when entry bands were After making my way brand of moody, melodramatic missing. The hits were there - Lost can tell why they get so pissed off continued to get more smashed), placed on wrists. The ticketing through the crowd to the Mix-Up indie pop was surprisingly Control, and when they get branded as laidback she sounded incredible. Her system this year meant many Stage to catch a bit of the Muscles popular with the Main Stage tent Champion - but you couldn’t help or easy listening music. The angelic voice sailed over the were not granted admission to set, I knew it was a lost cause. packed to the brim. They played hearing every now and then that combination of drum machine, crowd and lyrics like “Don’t the festival, even though they had Who knew that ice cream could the oldies Blood and Munich, “they were so much better when keyboards, bongos and maracas try to test me ‘cause you’ll get been lining up in a virtual waiting make someone so popular? After along with newer tracks from their he was off his head”. had everyone dancing. a reaction”, and covers such as room for more than five hours. seeing that there were about 5000 recent release “An End Has A Timetable clashes are one thing After sitting through the Window Shopper and Oh My God However, as soon as you enter people crammed in, I wandered Start”. Their set was flawless, with you have to contend with at Cut Copy DJs, it was time for had everyone smiling Just to make the huge fruit encrusted gates off and to watch the spectacle that even the band being pleasantly major festivals. The first I faced the Mix-Up Stage headliner. things better, as she launched in of Splendour, you enter another was The Horrors. surprised by the applause they was deciding between Kaiser Lily Allen ran out onstage in Alfie, none other than Ricky from world. I’ve often wondered received and leaving the stage Chiefs and Hot Chip. The latter her cute cocktail dress, teamed the Kaiser Chiefs emerged from The first band to erupt on when watching bands how they with wide, grateful smiles. won purely because I’d seen the with massive sneakers and a the side of stage in a panda suit the main stage, was Aussie can perform when they were After roaming the Splendour Kaiser’s three times before, and cigarette in hand, and launched to “silly dance” with Lily. It was youngsters Operator Please. completely wasted. The Horrors fields for a couple of hours, I I knew they would be good. So into a rendition of Smile. She a brilliant end to an awesome Not only did they live up to their had the answer. You can’t. It was headed to see Grinspoon. You it was off to the Mix-Up Stage, then professed to being drunk day, but there was still another to NME assigned title of “Next Big probably the most entertaining could tell that most people were where I was about to experience - no wait, wasted in fact and come. 18 NOISE NOISE 19 BLOC PARTY

SUNDAY GOYTE unday came, and you the synth and then to the drum the crowd was raised their hands could definitely tell from machine, all while singing. clapping, and it was hard not to Sthe crowd that it was Next up was Josh Pyke. This think that this was one of the best day two. People seemed a little one man has become the darling performances of the weekend. blearier and under the weather. of the indie music scene, getting Last was the Arctic Expatriate was first up generous airplay on Triple J and Monkeys. Even though everyone on the list, and they put on a touring extensively. The Pykster was a bit tired after the previous good show. Captivating front put on a beautiful show, singing frenetic performance, once the man Ben King moves around flawlessly and openly admitting band launched into Brianstorm, the stage almost like a snake how happy he was just to be there. the crowd was theirs. Their and his voice is powerful yet Songs like Middle Of The Hill and Sheffield charm makes them haunting at the same time. Private Education had the crowd immediately likeable as they Then to the G.W. singing and swaying along. detail their lives through songs McLennan Theatre to wait for Probably one of the most like , Old Goyte. Half an hour before he anticipated performances at Yellow Bricks, Fake Tales Of San was due to start, the whole tent the festival was Bloc Party. Francisco and Dancing Shoes. was filled with people jumping After selling out their other After was slightly the fence to get in. Goyte Australian shows, many were confused about where the drips along with his mini orchestra here just simply to see them. As that were falling on his head were launched into their first song. the foursome strolled onstage, coming from, their set came to a The barrier that was stopping the crowd erupted to the sounds close. people from entering the tent of Song For Clay (Disappear Splendour In The Grass has was pushed down by the fans Here). Everyone sang, everyone proved it is still one of Australia’s waiting outside as the song danced and everyone loved every best festivals. From The Horrors drew to a close. As De Backer minute. They moved effortlessly being just that, to Lily Allen drunk tears through songs featured from their old songs like Banquet, and shoeless, the amount of fluoro on his CD “Like Drawing Helicopter and Like Eating Glass, that people managed to attach to Blood”, it was apparent how but it was their new songs that their bodies, Splendour exeeded unbelievably talented he is. took front and centre. As the band my expectations yet again. Jumping from the drums to finished and took their final bow, See you again next year. 20 NOISE NOISE 21 own songs such as Work On You and Street Justice, a whole heap of energy and a dash of whisky Parklife is a relatively (of which they had a bottle each new Australian festival on stage with them). Serving of and yet it has become only one show. One of two disappointments one event that of the day came in the form of everyone has Digitalism (bottom right). I’ve managed to pencil into loved their CD for a while now and they had high expectations their schedule. to live up to, and frankly, they This year was the didn’t. Their sound went down hottest ever, heat about five minutes into the set, and their morale never recov- and line-up wise. Let ered. They seemed as through NOISE help you re-live they didn’t want to be there and everything that was seem disinterested all together. The hits were there, like PARKLIFE. and Ztarlight, but hits weren’t enough. ou could not possibly ask Busy P (top right) however, for a better day for a fes- came along and saved the day, Ytival, Hot but not too hot, but you’d expect as much from and sunny as hell. It is going to be the man who manages Daft a good day, Punk and is the owner of one Parklife has become Australia’s of the world’s hottest label, Ed premier dance festival, attracting Banger Records. He seemed so music fans with a variety of musi- excited that people turned up cal tastes including hip-hop, elec- to watch him play, egging them tro, indie and solid rock ‘n roll. on to be louder and crazier, The organisers this year pulled and so the crowd was. Yes, he no stops in securing some of not might be a little weird, holding a only Australia’s best, but also the boom box to the crowd and then brightest from around the world. promptly jumping on the decks First up was Kato, a local Syd- holding a lighter in the air, but ney hero who has made a mark on his talent is undeniable. And yes the DJ circuit. His curious mix of he did play Daft Punk, which I indie, electro and hip-hop music sets of the day, he had everyone indie dance music completely live thought was quite funny. was perfectly suited to Parklife singing every word of songs from and amazingly enough, it works. The second disappointment and really got people excited for his recently released LP “Guns, Songs from their first CD, “Bring was Justice. They were adver- the day to come. Babes, & Lemonade”. His tunes It On” including British Mode and tised as playing “live” however Another group of Sydney DJ are catchy but not in a pretentious Black Gloves had everyone rav- two guys standing behind a deck heroes emerged on stage in the way, and he’s doing pretty good ing, literally. is not live. form of the Bang Gang DJ’s. for someone who only started play MSTRKRFT kept the ball roll- M.I.A. however, was good These lads have made a name music 12 months ago, Another ing and cemented the status as one in every way. She tore through for themselves not only in Aus- blistering set came from slightly of the best DJ’s in the world. Not her songs with an energy rarely tralia, but worldwide and their unknown DJ, Cajuan. only have they remixed some of seen and danced like no one was compilation CD’s are constantly He mixed bands like Daft Punk, the hottest songs, but also the ones watching. Songs like Bird Flu flying off the shelves. However, with Klaxons and had everyone they produced from scratch are and Jimmy had everyone in a most people were there eagerly moving. In my opinion however, undeniably brilliant. Their show frenzy. awaiting the arrival of Melbourne the best set of the day came from consisted of four elements, remix- Hope next year will be as wonder boy, Muscles (above Belguim band Goose. es of , Justice and good as this, it’ll be tough! right). Putting on one of the best They play their brand of brash Gossip, mixed gently with their 22 NOISE NOISE 23 For more information about NOISE visit our website

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