Raving Reviews

Next Exit , Next Level

The newest addition to the festival circuit, Next Exit, descended on Port Macquarie on the 22nd of May for the second of five events to be held across regional NSW and with Covid restrictions still a guessing game it was one of the first stand and dance festivals to actually go ahead in the state.

The first band to take to the stage was the newest in Dynamic Duo’s, CLEWS, the girls were the perfect opener for the day with their mix of songs from Museum to Crushed they drew a crowd craving the chance to dance again, others just enjoyed the sun, a few drinks and the start of what was to be a fantastic Saturday filled with Aussie talent.

Merci, Mercy was up next with her golden voice and a splash of colour. Her devoted followers rushed to the stage which as she herself admitted made her so happy to receive that reaction. Her breakthrough songs, F**ked Myself Up and Tequila & Lemonade had the crowd buzzing before she played her new single Whinny Crush, some never to be released songs and a tribute to her boyfriend that was in the crowd called Mouldy.

Dear Seattle kicked off the after dark entertainment and it was obvious, they had their loyal fans in attendance with the front of the stage filling up quickly. They brought a heavier element to the night making sure everyone was catered for. They played hits ‘Maybe’ and ‘The Meadows’ and the touching song written for Bass player Brae’s late dad, I Keep Dreaming which bought a real and beautiful moment to the night. When they played their Like A Version cover of Missy Higgins ‘Special Two’ the masses erupted into a crowd participating sing along.

Spacey Jane launched onto the stage with this wave of energy that was infectious with their newest release ‘Booster Seat’ and this remained the theme for their set, energetic, and visually entertaining. The momentum continued with the four-piece belting out fan favourites ‘Good For You’ and ‘Wasted On Me’ and ‘Thrills’ which produced the most dancing and crowd engagement for the night.

Ocean Alley closed out Next Exit, displaying easily why they are one of Australia’s most popular bands. Their smooth and melodic tunes made for the perfect end to a perfect event. Delivering what the crowd wanted, the massive hits such as ‘Mellow Yellow’ and ‘Knees’, the crowd sang and swayed together in appreciation. The Band also played their own Like A version cover with a tribute to Pink Floyd, a medley of Breath/Comfortably Numb/Money before closing out the night with ‘Infinity’ and ‘The Comedown’ and arguably their most well-known song ‘Confidence’.

The vibe of happiness this festival radiated washed over the mixed bunch of attendees, with no generic label able to describe the close to 2500 people that made up the audience to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere and full props must go to Scott and the rest of the team from MJR presents who delivered a faultless event. Beautiful locations, affordable tickets and a good mix of artists is what Next Exit will be remembered for and we’re so excited to see what they deliver in 2022.

On a personal note – My favourite thing about Next Exit was the support and comradery shown by the bands and artists for each other. In a business that can be cutthroat it really made an impact seeing the musicians leave the sacred ground of backstage and disperse into the crowd to watch each other. With no fan fare they snuck into the throng of people and just enjoyed the music like everyone else. I have never seen that before and it really put them into a special category for me.

Our Rating

 Public Transport: 🎫🎫

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

 Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Amenities: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

VIP Package: N/A

Over All: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

LUNAR ELECTRIC 2021

13/03/2021

On a gloriously sunny day in the middle of March 2021, the beautiful Gold Coast came alive as the spectacle we know as the ‘ Festival ’ returned, And what a return it was!  Lunar Electric’s third year instalment had the prestigious honor of being the first major outdoor festival since Covid stole live music almost exactly a year before. This was the first festival to happen not only in Australia but also  the World.  Over 21 acts hit the two stages set near beautiful Main Beach, artists bursting with excitement to finally perform in front of real people again and fans drooling to hear them. It was clear some people had been planning their ‘first festival back’ outfit for a while during lockdown, with an unusual amount of work obviously gone into some, other were just excited to be able to wear glitter, fishnet or sequins without judgement again. 

Lunar Electric always deliver a solid line up and the March 13th event followed suit, with the likes of usual suspects and major draw cards Timmy Trumpet, Will Sparks and Havana Brown on the EDM stage but also the newest in ‘hot names’  with Masked Wolf and HP Boyz dominating the Hip Hop stage.  Hooligan Hefs was another new but extremely popular addition to the line up which seems to have driven a more masculine exodus to the festival than in other years. Special appearances on stage are a feature of Lunar events and this year didn’t disappoint with Will Sparks joining Timmy Trumpet, Timmy and Hooligan Hefs was a surprise team up which fans went nuts over and lastly Will Sparks and Joel Fletcher, ruling the large crowd that had pitched camp at the main stage towards the end of the night.

Special mentions include Jesse Bloch, Masked Wolf, Bonka , Sunset Bros and  Joel Fletcher who’s set was pure fire as he closed the first ever post lockdown festival. Music was Back ! The only gripes heard were, Not being able to take an open drink into the smoking area, including bottles of water, this was a major whinge for fans but this is something event organizers had no power to change due to smoking and food/beverage laws in Qld, the other no visibility of either stage from VIP which meant you couldn’t enjoy your seat or shade and watch which was mentioned more than once by the upgrade ticket holders. 

Running a festival with social distancing was always going to be tricky and more so with the entire planet watching but the Lunar Electric team definitely pulled it off. While the music did have to be ‘paused’ to address the crowd a few times (the air raid type sirens weren’t enough ) the festivities all followed instructions, there were no major issues on the day and no ‘ Cluster’ issues after the event. The 8000 plus attendees acted in a responsible and respectful manor to other patrons in regards to social distancing and considering the only people wearing masks were event staff and security, I think the organizers and the fans themselves can be all be given a thumbs up or a pat on the back if they prefer.

Now given the enormity of pressure on the the event itself, the organizers and staff, I don’t think anyone could argue the people of Lunar Electric did an outstanding job bringing back the festival. A solid congratulations goes out to them as it must of been a long, hard and even scary road at times.  With the March event going off so smoothly the team responsible, quickly went into action to lock in two more festival dates in September. While they return for a second time to the Goldy, for 2021, they will also descend on Newcastle for the first time.

ULTRA AUSTRALIA 2020

In 2020, Ultra Australia delivered us one of the last major festivals before the world shut down due to Covid-19. If we knew then the totality of the restrictions the world would soon face just mere days away, would we have reveled a little more in the experience?

Somewhere in the abyss of Western Sydney, March 7th, 2020, Parramatta Park played host to the second instalment for Australia of the flagship event of the Ultra Festival Franchise. Three stages filled with a selection of the elite, both nationally and international on the EDM world stage. The venue, condensed in size from the previous year edition made for easier stage transition, however also compacted the amount people trying to get from one to the other. Through unrelenting rain, the ground struggled with the force of foot traffic and the entire venue became something depicted in a wrestling match I had seen only once or twice before.

Tiger lily and Markus Schulz opened Main stage and crowd warmup for the likes of AfroJack, Zedd, Dash Berlin and Eric Prydz, displaying why they are international headliners in their own rights.

The local stage, while smaller in stature really did deliver in atmosphere in comparison to the bigger brother stages. The passionate audience showed their support for home grown industry artists, Dimatik, Mash’d n Kutcher, Sunset Bros and Brooklyn all commanding The UMF Stage and delivering some of the favourite performances of the day.

Women dominating The RESISTANCE stage brought its own intense crowd for artists like Deborah De Luca, Wild Foxx and Dee Bee.

Together, it always promised to be one of ‘have to attend’ events of the year. The majority of the crowd pitched camp at Main stage with DJ Snake closing out our last Pre-Covid event with lasers and fireworks beneath the teaming Sydney sky.

Although good music is always a saving grace, nothing important can be said in regard to the event VIP package, except that something went VERY wrong. An offer of ‘access to the VIP platform’ for the financial investment was actually ‘reserved’ seating for ‘VVIP’ for the event including artists and investors ONLY. For the $300 ticket, VIP holders were given a hat, access to one bar and toilet queues to rival boxing day shopping events- the kind where you get to the front of the line and all that is left is literally shit. No “Charging Stations.” No “Chill-Out Zones.” And No “Complimentary Beverage.” 

If you didn’t spend all of your money on a VIP ticket, then you were definitely better off for the event. For the difference, I could have bought myself my own shade and charging bank from the very well stocked Ultra Merchandise stand. From event t-shirts, to hats, glasses and flags, everything was on offer to souvenir. The head bands in a variety of colours being the most popular item that everyone had wrapped somewhere. 

So, we all wonder not only who but what the next instalment of Ultra Australia will bring? Definitely some major EDM players. But hopefully it will also bring some sun, a little bit of shade, a whole lot of integrity, or at very least a complimentary beverage.

Written by Pieta Clarke

Images by Pieta Clarke

Courtesy of Ultra Australia

Our Rating

Public Transport: 🎫🎫

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫

Ammenities: 🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

VIP Package: 🎫

Over All: 🎫🎫🎫

01/02/2020

Red Hot Summer Tour 2020

Port Macquarie, New south wales

The sun certainly came out in Port Macquarie to reinforce this year’s edition of the greatest Aussie rock festival was going to be Red Hot. In its tenth year, this festival has become a summer tradition for all that love good pub rock.

Hunters and Collectors headed up a who’s who line up that included The Living End, Killing Heidi, James Reyne, Baby Animals, Boom Crash Opera and the Godfathers of the scene The Angels. Dave Gleeson and the boys had the crowd eating out of their hands with everyone singing along with ‘After the rain’ and ‘Am I ever gonna see your face again’. Dave’s charisma oozed with the audience lapping up every minute that the consummate front man was on stage.

Suzi DeMarchi, sparkling in her silver jacket proved why she is a queen in the rock industry with total control of patrons as the Baby Animals played their hits including ‘Rush you’ and ‘Early warning’. Dave Leslie strummed the beginning of ‘One Word’ and the cheers echoed through the now singing crowd. Brother and Sister combination Killing Heidi came on next with Singer Ella Hooper decked out in leopard skin and white high tops her infectious energy soon spread and the sitters were now up and dancing. Their songs ‘I am‘ and ‘Weir’ definitely a highlight for most people we spoke to. The stand out for the day for me personally was The Living End. Front man Chris Cheney had a great rapport with the masses which resulted in most songs turning into a full crowd sing-along. They even produced a little ‘pit’ in front of centre stage which was great to see. The audience went crazy when Chris launched on top of Scott Owen’s Double Bass not a missing a note as the three-piece continued to play.

James Reyne’s ‘Fall of Rome’ and BCO’s ‘Onion skin’ brought the late eighties roaring back for most of the fans in attendance as a warm up to Hunter’s and Collectors. Mark Seymour reminisced with the audience about previous trips to Port Macquarie before leading an 8-piece band that had everyone on their feet. An extra 3-piece Brass accompanied H&C’s for fan favourites ‘True tears of joy’ and ‘Throw your arms around me’. Mark and his group closed out nothing short of a Red-Hot day.

Red Hot Summer Tour returns in 2021 with dates already confirmed for 8 shows over 4 states starting in Tasmania next March. It is rumored more dates in more states may be added as things start to stabilize with travel across the borders within Australia.

Our Rating

Public Transport: 🎫🎫

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫

Ammenities: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫

VIP: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Overall: 🎫🎫🎫.5

The NEW Festival X-perience

The launch of Festival X last month coincided the start of summer, turning the heat up early into festival season with one of the hottest line-ups this year.

100,000 revellers descended to Sydney Showgrounds on the 30th November for some of World’s biggest artists, including: Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Lil Pump, Alison Wonderland, Anna Lunoe, Badrapper, Blueface, Camelphat, Cosmic Gate, Futurecode (Ben Gold X Omnia), Generik, Giuseppe Ottaviani Live 2.0, Godlands, Kaz James, Kölsch, MaRLo, MK (Marc Kinchen), Murda Beatz, Nic Fanciulli, Paul Kalkbrenner (Live), Ruben de Ronde, Sophiegrophy, Steve Aoki, Sunset Bros., Tchami, Thandi Phoenix, Trippie Redd, Vini Vici.

 Hats off to the very colourful X-goers for your energetic response to this years event. You guys dance ok, but it was crowd behaviour that was the most commendable.

Festival X has cemented itself by delivering a new kind of festival experience to a high level of professionalism and organisation. Promoters One Love, Hardware and Live Nation have come out swinging in 2019, setting a benchmark for the future of live music events in Australia.

Register now for access to exclusive Festival X 2020 announcements, pre sale tickets and more.

Let the ‘Official After Movie’ take you back to Festival X 

Watch Here: http://fstvlx.co/FestivalXAfterMovie

The event will be back with more cities! Stay tuned for more details & see you in 20xx!

Our Rating

Public Transport: 🎫🎫🎫

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫

Ammenities: 🎫🎫🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Merchandise: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

VIP Package: 🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫

Overall: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

The Grass is Greener in Cairns

What an event!! Although the beautiful city of Cairns put on a blistering hot day, the local and international artists were given an even warmer welcome.

Graace, The Veronicas’, Mallrat and Amy Shark were among this years’ highlights with Choomba and Teleena setting the bar high from the beginning of the day, nothing the likes of The Aston Shuffle couldn’t live up to on the second stage. It was Golden Features and Tyga that really ripped everyone into a frenzy as night fell and the temperatures dropped.

Entry for 15 years and over made for a very diverse crowd ranging from three or more generation groups with happiness and patience a consistent theme for the day. A big shout out to the heap of dads that took their kids, heaps cooler than the obligatory weekend outing to McDonalds. 

Free water refill stations and sunscreen were available at both of stages set up to accommodate all the international and local acts. 

Food stalls were set up in two locations which helped minimise wait times and maximised availability with wood fired pizza, burgers, chips, Asian and Greek specialties. Apex had the traditional sausage sanga available and big shout out to #nathanshotdogs, which had the biggest line up. Frozen cocktails were the popular drinks for many in the heat, the well set out bars were also loaded with variety.

A big thank you to the community of Cairns for the hospitality and to the organisers of TGIG for an amazing event, including all the volunteers from St Johns Ambulance in the first aid tent and the Headspace crew.

Looking forward to the return of The Grass is Greener in 2020!

Our Rating

Public Transport: 🎫🎫🎫

Venue: 🎫🎫🎫.5

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Ammenities: 🎫🎫🎫

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: 🎫🎫.5

VIP Package: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Overall: 🎫🎫🎫🎫