It is said that with age comes experience, so no-one should be surprised by the successful event that Groovin The Moo puts on especially given that they are one of the longest standing events on the Australian Festival Circuit. Now there could of have been chaos behind the scenes, it could of have been complete madness, who knows, who cares, from the outside looking in, Groovin The Moo was a seamlessly perfectly ran event that flowed smoothly and fluently.

Let’s start with the basics, Security at this All-Ages event was spot on. There were enough Police and Security Guards to cover the necessary bag, drug and ID checks without making the punter feel like they were visiting supermax but also enough that there was a presence if you needed any help. A fine line to walk but they did it. Amenities were located in multiple well lit locations around the grounds as were multiple accessible toilets saving a trek for those who needed to access them. The inclusion of Urinal stations also cut down the wait times and the deterioration of the cubicle option.

First Aid, A Help Desk, Charging Station, Cloakroom, Free Water Stations, Lost & Found, ATM’s were all located near the main entry for easy accessibility. BSAFE Lockers provided safe space for your belongings while Red Frogs and WWYW Chill Out provided a safe space for a rest or help if needed. Newcastle Pride was represented for anyone that wanted to talk or ask questions and Market Stalls showcased local Artists and Businesses. Cattleyard Games were on offer for anyone up for a game of giant Jenga and Connect Four or just wanted a chance to sit on the comfy chairs and cushions enclosed in the space. Unique to GTM is MOOTIQUE, located in several areas throughout the event, MOOTIQUE allowed patrons a chance to freshen up through out the day with access to Deodorants, Hand Sanitizer, Hand creams, Mirrors and a whole bunch of personal items all for FREE. A beautiful Welcome To County was provided by Sharon of the Wonnarua People and led everyone in a social Corroboree song.

For the over 18’s , there were three large bars as well as cocktails provided by Mr Consistent’s bar set up near the local stage, The Plot. For the under 18’s and the people not wanting alcohol, Boost Juice, Slurpee’s, coffee and smoothies were all on offer. A variety of food trucks were set up all over the showground with everything from Nacho’s, Kebab’s, Gozleme, Plutopops, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Wrap’s, Salad’s, Ice Cream, Waffles and Fairy Floss. Vegetarians and Vegan appetites were also catered for making sure all tummies were nice and full.

GTM’s VIP option Udder Mayhem provided a large undercover area filled with tables and seating on a high rise platform with a balcony overlooking the main stage. The Merch tent was well stocked with event and artist merchandise, that included T-Shirts, Jumpers, Hats, Stubby Coolers, Headbands, Socks and a super cool bumbag. Another feature at GTM we haven’t seen in awhile was a signing tent, with a selection of Artists allotted hourly slots for Autograph Signings and Meet & Greets. That brings us to the crowd. While this was an all-ages festival and the crowd did have some kids in attendance, the audience was made up of a healthy ratio of 35/65 mix of teens to adults.

The four stages Cattleyard, Triple J, Moolin Rouge and The Plot all provided their own diverse atmosphere and feel, again catering for the variety of attendees. The Plot showcased local acts and the ‘Fresh Produce’ including the Triple J Unearthed Winner which varied from state to state. The Moolin Rouge stage took place fittingly under a massive circus style Big Top tent, and had a more intimate vibe for punters. A built in DJ booth kept the crowds happy and the energy high in the lulls in performances. Cattleyard and the Triple J as at previous Groovin The Moo’s were side by side allowing for a consistent flow of music without the usual setup downtime between acts and came with its own accessible viewing platform to ensure everyone had a great time and were not disadvantaged in their viewing of the spectacular lineup.

Highlights:

While all the acts were fantastic and put on a great show some standouts for us were Hilltop Hoods, Lime Cordiale, Masked Wolf, Redhook, and Peking Duk. There was an energy not only coming from the stage but also from the crowd, which just emphasized how perfect these moments were, how lucky we are to have live music back. Notable mention goes to Polaris and their audience that created one of the biggest and best circular pits we’ve seen, especially at a more commercial event. We also loved the giant set times feature which made it easy for punters to plan their day but also made a great meeting spot for squads that got separated.

Groovin The Moo is a well run, well structured and inclusive festival and if you only go to one festival a year this definitely has to be one of the top 3 up for consideration.

Groovin The Moo Our Rating

Public Transport: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Amenities: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

VIP Package: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Over All: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Artist Run-Down

Chaii was a vision of colour with a healthy amount of attitude when she hit the stage with her soulful, funky groove to deliver crowd favourites Pineapple Pizza and Wow (Look At Me)

Grentperez debut performance had some nerves in the beginning but these were quickly replaced by smiles especially as it got to Cherry Wine time.

Thomas Headon was definitely a huge hit given the squeals from the younger female demographic. The Melbourne raised but now UK based crooner delivered hits Strawberry Kisses and Butterflies which kept the ladies swooning.

Jesswar took to the stage with a DJ and 2 masked dancers to smash out a set that can only be described as strong and determined.

JK-47 rolled out in a denim on denim combo to unleash his smooth rapping flow especially for Wings, a song he wrote for his brothers and sisters.

Montagine was a vision of white when she came out to deliver her “fun little set” that included popular faves Greater Than Me and Technicolour.

Shouse delivered the bass and dance hits including Love Tonight with two DJ’s and 2 vocalists

Alice Ivy looked the epitome of cool and relaxed in her Hawaiian shirt and white linen pants which transcended to her interaction with the crowd. the crowd giving back the love especially during her hit Chasing Stars.

Masked Wolf demonstrated why he is one of our hottest exports right now with a flawless set that included Gravity Glidin, Bop, Pandemonium and his latest track Fallout.

Mashd n Kutcher had a massive crowd ready to Get on The Beers with them, between their hits Do It Now and On My Mind they mashed up old skool classics like Jump Around, Teen Spirit and Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.

Hope D got straight down to business with their Rocky Boppy sound and some great guitar work, opening their set with Emerald and Addict.

“So glad its back ”

— Punter

Hockey Dad bounced onto the stage full of enthusiasm to play the melodic alt rock they have become known for

Middle Kids matched their Surfy Alt-Pop Rock sound with colourful attire

“The women are slaying it, their so fierce on stage”

— Festival Goer

Polaris didn’t disappoint the masses of fans that had been waiting for their turn on stage with heavy guitars & pounding drums which resulted in a huge circular pit being formed for most of their head banging set.

Redhook’s Emmy slipped from sweet and angelic sounding to an angry aggressive scream in a heartbeat perfectly which suited the funk intertwined with the crunchy metal the band was producing for songs like Cure 4 Psycho and I Don’t Keep Up.

Sycco was full of big smiles as she took to the stage with her band, playing Germs and My Ways which kept the crowd that amassed even during set up, happy.

“I’m absolutely loving it”

— Punter

Spiderbait, one of the most experienced bands on the lineup demonstrated why their popularity transcends generations with the charismatic KRAM leading a ‘Hey Baby’ sing along before Whitt and Janet joined him onstage. The crowd soaked up classics like F*#king Awesome, Bad Man Sam & Black Betty.

“I don’t want it to end ”

— Festival Goer

Broods, the Brother and sister duo from New Zealand, gave the crowd exactly what they were screaming out for, delivering faves like Peach and Pieces Of My Mind in a lycra flower patterned full length body suit.

Lime Cordiale graced the stage in glittering seventies style suits complete with flares to smash out Money, No Plans To Make Plans and their cover of The Divinyls classic I Touch Myself with a big brassy band that even included Oli on Clarinet and Louie on the Kazoo.

Hilltop Hoods burst onto the stage with the high intensity they are renowned for, playing hit after hit including Cosby Sweater, Exit Sign, Chase That Feeling and their newest release Show Business. Suffa & Pressure bounced around the stage releasing the build up of not being on stage for two years.

Peking Duk hadn’t been to a GTM in 8 years but they made up for it even bringing friends Micci and Slayyyter to join them which turned main stage into one gigantic dance floor playing their big bangers Fire, Say My Name, Take Me Over, High Let You Down, Wasted and the brand new track Honest that features the American Slayyyter.

Groovin The Moo 2022

Artist Run-Down