Having just returned from Splendour in the Grass 2006, I sit down and wonder where to begin describing the two full days of amazing live performances across a number of stages at Belongil Fields near Bryon Bay. The festival is held yearly at this location and the mammoth eighteen thousand tickets that went on sale earlier in the year sold out within 24 hours, as they have in previous years.

The festival site featured three main stages as well as a slew of other smaller tents, themed areas, food stalls, chill-out areas and much more. Camping facilities were available on the outskirts of the grounds for those who planned to stay onsite during the event whilst many stayed in accommodation in nearby Byron Bay, which was a short walk or quick shuttle bus away from the grounds.

Day 1: Saturday 22nd July

We were lucky enough to have obtained gumboots for all of our crew which made getting around the event a breeze by simply treading through the massive mud puddles. I must say I really did not envy those who missed out after hearing stories of gumboots selling in the area for up to $100 after all stores in the region were bought out of the product. When we arrived we checked out the site in general wandering around the three main areas and then heading to the VIP bar while in the background you could hear some of Death Cab for Cutie banging out some quality indie at the Supertop stage. Next The Grates stepped up to a warm reception to deliver some energetic tracks, however we soon left this area and decided to go grab some lunch and go check out some of the other stages. Heading away from the main stage we discovered the Tipi Forest which is an electronica area comprised of many local artists from the Bryon area. As we chilled in one of the many Tipi Indian tents we took in some of the phat electro house being pumped through the system by Dave C.

After grabbing a tasty festival snack we meandered towards the Mix Up Tent which was hosting a variety of artists and styles, with Sydney’s Funktrust DJs currently belting out some tunes. The sound system in this tent must be commended with its loud and defined, crystal clear bass which perfectly suited the huge hip hop and funk tunes that the boys were slamming down much to the appreciation of all the punters in the massive tent. Next up The Avalanches kicked off their DJ set. The show started with the huge curtains at the back of the tent (used to display the visuals) opening up to reveal an amazing stage setup as the Avalanches kicked off their first track, a remix of Gnarls Barkley – Crazy that sent the crowd into a total frenzy. The rest of the set was unbelievably good and absolutely packed with short cuts and huge beats from a huge variety of tracks including: Daft Punk – One More Time, Salt N Pepper – Push It and two Bon Jovi classics Raise Your Hands and Living On A Prayer, which got an amazing reaction from the crowd.

Next up at this stage we also checked out Atmosphere and were quite surprised to find that this group were one of my highlights of the Saturday line up. Casually laying down some great intelligent hip hop and interesting lyrics that don’t just fit into the usual stereotypical rubbish that is out there. They can only be summed up as full of energy, great beats and an excellent performance to watch on stage. Eventually we trekked back through the mud towards the Supertop to check out Aussie favourites Grinspoon. Having seen these guys perform over the years it is always a pleasure seeing one of the bands you know well and these guys sure delivered the goods in the big top tent. Grinspoon slammed down a mixture of newer and classic tunes in the hard driving style that has made them so popular over the years creating an unbelievable evening atmosphere.

The next act we took in was Augie March way over at the GW McLennon Theatre. The band started a little late due to some sound issues on the stage however once these guys got going it was unbelievable. A heap of quality tunes with beautiful vocal work and sublime layers of guitar and bass melodies that simply created a magic vibe for all present. Finally we checked out DJ Shadow which was fairly average to be honest, and seemed to lack the polished continuity of many of the other performances we saw during the festival. The set was a mixture of some huge really great sounding bassline tracks and some other newer tracks that he was presenting with a live vocalist. As the main performances finished we all used the chance to head back to the camping grounds and rendezvous with our crew and catch up on the days adventures.

Day 2: Sunday 23rd July

After a fairly minimal amount of sleep we finally got the troops motivated and began the second day of this muddy adventure. We got into the grounds just after 3pm and headed straight for the Supertop stage to check out rocking band Snow Patrol. These guys laid down an energetic show full of quality tunes that can only be described as a swooping attack of distorted guitar, fizzing drum beats and melodic vocals. Next up is possibly my favourite ever Australian band, You Am I! We were lucky enough to get seats in the VIP seating to the side of the stage which meant we could watch Tim Rogers antics in comfort as they ripped through so many of their classic tunes including: How Much is Enough, Heavy Heart, Purple Sneakers and many more.

Following on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were performing on the main stage with their hectic brand of punk rock and crazy lead singer who was pumping up the crowd with her stage theatrics. We needed a break so went wandering to meet up with people, stock up on drinks and made sure to head back for the start of Wolfmother. Before long the unmistakable fluffy afro style hairdo of the lead singer was visible on stage as they got straight into belting out one of their huge releases Woman. This band immediately got the crowd into their show which is always a perfect combination of exciting visuals on stage, great movement and interaction between the band members and improvisation in their tracks so that they don’t simply sound like they are being played off the cd versions. Overall definitely one of the highlights of the weekend and I look forward to seeing these guys again soon.

Finally the last act we took in before heading back to the camping grounds were the infamous Scissor Sisters at the Mix Up tent. These guys rocked the remaining hours of the event with their funky pop riddled tunes, with the whole area packed right back to the food stalls. The band also introduced many new tracks from their upcoming album which looks like it will be another gem. We were going to check out the banging house on offer from Grant Smillie at the La La Land Bacardi Live Bar, however the line was simply too long and it had started to rain again so we called it a night. Back at the campsite late into the night we could hear some banging beats coming out of the Tipi Forest area as we chilled in the tent and discussed what an amazing weekend this had been! Some other general things which must be mentioned and commended is the organisation and facilities provided at the event considering the weather leading up the event that resulted in a mud bath throughout many parts of the grounds. The sound and lighting on all of the stages was also excellent especially in the mix up tent.

Overall, this was simply an amazing weekend, and once the haze in your head clears and the dent in your wallet is forgotten you simply want to do it all again. Despite the questionable weather the organisation of the event was almost flawless and everything throughout the event went off so smoothly considering the size of the event and number of attendees. My personal highlights were Avalanches, Grinspoon and Augie March on the Saturday. Whilst on Sunday the highlights were Wolfmother, Scissor Sisters and You Am I. Big ups to all involved in organising the event and special thanks to Flame! If this sounds like your cup of tea then make sure to start planning early and head up to Splendour in the Grass 2007.

CHECK OUT INTHEMIX’S PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE EVENT HERE!