Grapevine 2022

Grapevine - Hunter Valley, NSW

15/10/22

It was a beautiful, crystal clear day for the Hunter Valley edition of GRAPEVINE held at the pristine Hope Estate on the 15th of October. While the gates opened a little late the crowd showed no lack of enthusiasm as they swarmed in, making their way to the huge stage. This was our first time attending an event at the Hope Estate but we could instantly see why it has become the home for so many events with its layout providing maximum viewing for everyone.

GRAPEVINE (put on by the Untitled Group) was an extremely well-run and thought-out event, that catered to all. With large bars located in several locations, Accessible Toilets and a Viewing platform for those that needed them, free drinking water stations, free sunscreen distributed by Dancewize, and more variety of food than we have ever seen at a festival, everything from Yum Cha, Pork Knuckles, Hot Dogs, Pizza, Burgers, Mexican, Greek, Kebabs, Bratwurst, Slushies, Mr Whippy, Waffle pops, Fresh Juice and even KFC.

The GRAPEVINE events are one of the more successful touring, national festivals and it’s easy to see why, it’s the little things that demonstrate their experience. Speakers were set up to broadcast the live stage action in the area with the majority of the food vendors so punters didn’t miss a thing while waiting for food or while they were consuming it for example. There were lots of tables & chairs in several areas of the site. Security and the Police were in big enough numbers that if you needed help it was close enough to get it quickly but not in such ridiculous numbers it made you feel like you were in prison. And the Hosts…The Inspired Unemployed was on hosting duties for all the GRAPEVINE shows and kept the crowd dancing, laughing and happy in between acts as well as helping facilitate Mike’s proposal to Amy (She said Yes) which just helped the flow of the day. The VIP section was definitely worth the extra money with a large tent with its own bar, tables and chairs inside and out and its own private area between the stage and the rest of the crowd.

Big THANKYOU goes to Laura & the UNTITLED team, the GRAPEVINE series & the Hope Estate for having us along and looking after us. We can’t wait for 2023.

The Lineup

TY - Newcomers TY kicked off the day’s music with the 4-piece welcoming the arriving squads with their fresh crisp tunes Vibes, Success & Start Again.

Becca Hatch - The gorgeous songbird took to the Grapevine stage with her DJ, Messinup and special guest Kian to wow the crowd with her song latest track

Blessed. Becca also played her ode to her hometown of Campbelltown, 2560, the song that launched her into the public heart and made her a household name.

The Rions - Took to the stage to huge cheers. The Sydney band gave the crowd what they wanted playing their hits like Head Still Hurts, Disassociation as well as the new release Anakin.

Jack River - The shiny silver jumpsuit worn by the heavily pregnant Jack River when she hit the stage tried to grab the crowd’s focus but it was her big beautiful smile that really drew the punters in and got their attention. Jack delivered her hits from her album Sugar Mountain including Confess, Fool’s Gold, Limo Song Fault Line & Ballroom.

Confidence Man - Without a doubt the most visually dynamic act of the day, Confidence Man demonstrated why they have amassed such a huge following over the last four years. Multiple costume changes (that even included Madonna cones), synchronized dance routines with killer moves and high energy kept punters’ attention from the start to the finish of the quartet’s set which contained the tracks Push It Up, Toy Boy & Holiday from their latest album Tilt

The Veronicas - Australia’s most loved twins took to the stage in a sea of pastel purple and baby pink sparkles, accessorised by some of the biggest platform boots in existence. The two Queensland natives played all the classic hits they are so well known for including Everything I’m Not, Hook Me Up, Untouched, Take Me On The Floor & You Ruin Me but it was the extra heavy and bassier version of In My Blood that really got the crowd bouncing.

Ball Park Music - Almost didn’t make the festival after missing their flight earlier on the day so front man, Sam Cromack entertained the crowd with an acoustic rendition of their songs like fan favourite It’s Nice To Be Alive to entertain the crowd while the rest of the band got all set up. with the band all plugged in Ball Park Music gave the crowd what they wanted with songs like Exactly How You Are, Sunscreen & Stars In My Eyes.

The Kooks - Took to the stage with the biggest crowd reaction of the day, it was clear this was who people were desperate to see. The British band played a mixture of new and old material including It Can Be So Hard, Closer, Do You Wanna & Junk Of The Heart which kept every fan in attendance very happy. The Kooks closed out their set with their most streamed song, Naive.

Peking Duk - The festival favourites certainly made an entrance arriving by helicopter just before launching onto the stage in a barrage of pyrotechnics and lights. While the duo suffered a few technical issues early on in their set, the lads pushed through and delivered a cracking show with the help of new female vocalist Lucy Lucy. Keli led an acapella sing along which the crowd enthusiastically joined until everything was back on track. PD played the hits that fans wanted to hear including Say My Name, Let You Down, Take Me Over, Chemicals, Wasted and even previewed a yet-to-be-released track for the crowd.

Grapevine Festival

Our Ratings

Public Transport: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Amenities: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

VIP Package: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Over All: 🎫🎫🎫🎫