The Australia Day Weekend is always a big one, and this years was no exception with the Good Vibrations Festival rolling into town to take place at the Botanic Gardens River Stage. The festival was to present one of the most diverse and eclectic lineups seen in Brisbane with everything from House, breaks, hip-hop, reggae, dub, jazz, and more.

I arrived at the River Stage on a typically warm and sunny Brisbane afternoon looking forward to what the day may bring. The anticipation for this event had been building for some time and after all the hype and excitement we were finally down to business.

Crazy Penis had just stepped up on the main stage as we walked through the gate and were just getting things under way with just enough funk and groove to go around. I always enjoy seeing a full band playing live electronic music and Crazy Penis effortlessly made the transition from dance into live music. The funky basslines and luscious female vocals were perfect for the sundrenched afternoon, although it seemed the heat was getting to people with every available bit of shade being taken advantage of. It was rather funny to see a rather large crowd cramming into the shade of the Riverstage during Crazy Penis set.

From there I headed to the Roots stage to kickstart my education in reggae and dub. I must admit that I have not paid as much attention to this style previously as maybe I should have done. However, I can safely say that Lee Scratch Perry and the Mad Professor have hooked me into a world that previously I knew little about. The covered everything from reggae and dub, to jungle and drum and bass with Lee Scratch Perry having a great time on stage preaching his message of peace and pussy. The beats were just perfect for Good Vibrations and certainly helped to get my day (and that of the rest of the crowd from what I could see) off to a great start.

One of the acts that I was most looking forward to seeing at this year’s festival was Soul II Soul. Having heard their music over a number of years, I couldn’t wait to see what Jazzy B and co were going to pull out of their box of records. However, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed as all we got was a selection of funk and soul classics that while good, were not anything particularly special and could have been played by anyone. From the reactions of others I have spoken to though, the fact that it was Soul II Soul playing them was enough.

Thankfully while listening to Soul II Soul I heard a rumour that Tom Middleton’s set time had changed and was able to make it to the Good Vibrations Stage to catch his set. This almost became the disaster of the day for me (and I know that it did for some people) as Tom Middleton was one of the acts to see for me and I almost missed him due to poor planning and no attempts by organisers to notify of the change to time slots. It was a disappointing spin on what had to that point been an enjoyable afternoon.

However, Tom Middleton’s music was nothing disappointing. When I walked into his tent I heard the unmistakable funk of house music as only Tom Middleton could play it. Soon enough I had my shoes off having a stomp in the grass and found I was not the only one to be doing so. Unfortunately though, the good vibrations were not happening for all as someone chose to steal a friend’s shoes while she too had a stomp in the grass. It was poor form but certainly did nothing to dampen the party mood that we had already generated. Tom Middleton kept it happy and funky and had the tent rocking before dropping into some drum and bass. This was certainly not expected but a nice change from a man that keeps on innovating. In hindsight, the unexpected drop into a totally different style of music should not have been unexpected considering who was behind the decks.

At this point the day was starting to get a little messy. Too much beer (what was with the little cans?) and too many spirits had already gone down but it certainly looked like everyone was having a great time. The one thing that really stood out from this festival as opposed to a Big Day Out or Summafieldayze was the number of smiling people running around. It certainly seemed to live up to the name Good Vibrations.

Gilles Peterson stepped up to the decks after Tom Middleton finished and just rocked! He was my surprise packet of the day and I can’t say enough about how good he was. I have always heard his name as being the tastemaker when it comes to all things downbeat and was looking forward to hearing what he had to offer. He came out playing some of the funkiest, grooviest, jazzy house and 2 step that I have heard in a long time. Lots of drums combined with jazz hooks that kept your feet moving were the order of the afternoon and it was perfect as the sun was setting.

We took a quick diversion to see some of Freeland at this time. The live set sounded just like the CD but the abrasive nature of Freeland did not seem to work in the environment it was in. I would love to listen to it at 2:00am in a dark club, but not at sunset at an outdoor festival. Instead we just went back to see Gilles Peterson some more and he continued to impress.

After Gills Peterson finished we made our way over to check out the end of Shredlock and Rasp’s set and they certainly had it rocking. Cam Brown was doing what he does best on the mic getting the crowd right into it. It was a bit disappointing to hear such banging tunes being played before the subtle rhythms of Nitin Sawnhey. Whether that goes down to the organisers not understanding about the flow of a night, or the opening DJs playing entirely inappropriate music I’m not sure. It was more disappointing to see Nitin Sawnhey walk on stage and then walk back off again when Shredlock, Rasp, and Cam Brown kept going past their time slot. Unfortunately, by the time that Nitin Sawnhey started, it was too big a change from what had been playing at the crowd reacted by leaving in droves as the beats slowed again. I was one such person who headed back over to see Miguel Migs on the decks.

Migs played a great mixture of deep groovy house and more jacking tunes. His mixing, as with last time he played at the Botanic Gardens, was immaculate. I can truly say that he is just a pleasure to listen to. Lisa Shaw’s voice complimented perfectly on the night and added a great live touch to his set.

The rest of the night was spent wandering aimlessly from one stage to the next just watching the crowd move. I saw parts of Blackalicious, Matt Nugent and Kieron C and others and was impressed from what I saw all round. Blackalicious I was disappointed I didn’t see more of as I heard they were many people’s highlight with their interaction with the crowd being talked about after the event. However, I found myself hanging for Gangstarr to start at this point and was happy when the time finally arrived.

I could barely stand up by the time Gangstarr were playing as my legs were so sore, but I was not going to miss out on one of the hottest hip-hop acts of the past 10-15 years. Premier had such a presence behind the decks dropping beats and scratching up a storm. Meanwhile Guru’s smooth lyrical style worked a treat and had the hands of just about everyone at the Roots stage in the air. It was a great way to end the Roots Stage and the day and Brisbane truly found out why Gangstarr lay claim to being the Ownerz.

Overall I had a fantastic day out but I put this down more to the music and the people involved. There were some real disappointments as far as set times went with artists being shuffled around and no notification being given to the crowd. Once again I will state that I know of at least a few people who were bitterly disappointed with having missed Tom Middleton. There were also issues with the Roots and Good Vibrations Stage being too close together causing sound clashes. Let’s not forget the bathrooms being right in the middle of the thoroughfare too and the smell that generated later in the night! However, despite these few things that could be rectified for next year, I can safely say I had a blast and will be back again at the Riverstage if Brisbane is blessed to get a festival featuring this quality of music again.