Splendour in the Grass has long been a festival associated with the laidback atmosphere of Byron Bay, the lush setting of Belongil Fields, and a musically diverse lineup to challenge festivals around the globe. But as music festivals continue to grow in popularity, the 18,000-odd tickets available this year controversially sold out in a hectic five hours. Those lucky enough to score a ticket to the two day event were poised well for an entertaining weekend.

With acts such as Gotye and Josh Pyke on the more harmonic side of musical spectrum, through to electronic sensations like Hot Chip and Sneaky Sound System, as well as UK rockers Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys, most punters’ musical taste was certainly accounted for on the lineup. The multiple acres of land housed five major stages along with a variety of other attractions including a circus performance, eco-dome, markets, food stalls, and various bars.

Day one: Saturday 4th August

With most (including myself) not willing to risk the chance of rain after stories from last year, the gumboots were out in force on what was a slightly overcast and gloomy day. As I entered the gates at around 11.30am and acquired drink tickets after a short wait, an inspection of the area was in order. I was amazed at the time and effort gone into setting up the G.W.McLennan theatre. The amphitheatre type design had considerable seating as well as standing areas, providing the perfect atmosphere for the slower genres of music. After strolling past the healing element with its range of haystacks and small stage to chill out at, the Tipi Forest was next on the agenda. Housing a number of tipi’s large enough for a decent crowd to hang out in, as well as a large dance floor, the forest seemed like the place to be for the electronica lovers. The middle of the fields held the majority of food stalls and markets, with the Saloon bar close by. The Supertop tent, otherwise known as the main stage, included 2 massive screens and by midday, teenage sensations Operator Please had already drawn a large crowd. Smashing out tracks including Crash Tragic, 2 For My Seconds, and their hit single Just a Song About Ping Pong, this youthful band were the perfect start to the festival. Their charisma on stage, especially keyboard player Sarah Gardiner, added spark to the performance and certainly lifted the crowd. With their ages ranging from 15 to 19, and worldwide tour dates in the coming months, Operator Please are poised for big things. As the sun finally showed after this ‘fun’ start to the day I was off to explore some more.

Youngsters Flynn n Glegs had a decent crowd moving to their ‘mashup’ set in the Tipi Forest. Dropping tracks such as Faithless’ classic Insomnia and Groove Armada’s crowd pleasing Superstylin’, this back2back DJ act was another fresh start for the day. I made the mission to catch the end of the Lost Valentinos who would unfortunately be the closest thing to The Klaxons for the weekend after their late withdrawal. Next on the bill in the Mix-up tent was Melbourne sensation Muscles. Armed with a keyboard, synth and microphone, Muscles had the crowd singing along to his new track Sweaty. With the lyrics “Peace, Love, Ecstasy” igniting the tent, the crowd hung out for his largest production, Ice Cream. I was a little disappointed with his set running for barely 25 minutes and not incorporating many live elements at all, but he is definitely another young artist to look out for.

With no act really catching my attention over the next few hours I took the time to further explore the site and catch little snippets of acts. The Slate Bender Bar provided a good resting point with its two stories but the music and DJs on offer were of a slightly lower quality. Although I did hear DJ Dan De Caires drop an awesome remix of Muscles’ hit Ice Cream in the lower floor of the bar. The Beautiful Girls went about pleasing the crowd with their laidback tunes in the theatre and I caught the final song from Ash which made me wish I was present for their whole set, absolutely smashing. Back over in the forest, Hazy + MC Supernova Jade had to overcome a number of technical difficulties throughout their set. As the laptop kept crashing, Jade resorted to gospel singing in an attempt to keep the frustrated crowd interested. With the sun quickly setting it was time to grab a quick dinner and head over to the Mix-up tent.

A startled crowd was slowly moving to what should have been a Riot in Belgium perormance, only to realise that they had been booked as a DJ set. With many punters labeling the mistake as false advertising, the atmosphere grew in anticipation for arguably Australia’s most popular live electronic act of the moment, Sneaky Sound System. Opening with Thin Disguise, Sneaky went on to enthrall the massive crowd with their fresh sound and Miss Connie’s beautiful voice. Playing a range of tracks including Hip Hip Hooray and the ever popular Pictures, Sneaky knew how to work the youthful, energetic crowd. Miss Connie even jumped onto the drums for a track and surprised most of us with her drumming skills. They closed with UFO as one of the largest crowds the Mix-up tent received for the weekend gave them an outstanding ovation.

Back over in the Tipi Forest, local DJ Magoo had a very decent sized dance floor moving in harmony, and with good reason. With some of the chunkiest house being laid down it was easy to see why so much dust was in the air as the energetic crowd danced their way to oblivion. A few mates and I were keen to check out Grinspoon, but with the tunes of offer from Magoo we found it impossible to leave, easily my favourite act in the forest over the weekend. It was disappointing to see Jet More take over the decks and instantaneously delve into the ‘cheesier’ side of house despite the crowd lapping up the underground sounds. I did manage to catch the end of iconic Australian rockers Grinspoon’s set with them closing on a brutal note with their classic tune; Do you want to be a champion? This band certainly knows how to rock an Aussie crowd and I was disappointed to not catch their entire set. The Kaiser Chiefs were next in line and after opening with their hit single Everyday I Love You Less and Less it was time for my most anticipated act of the night – Hot Chip in the Mix-up tent.

Hot Chip had an understandably slow start to their set, playing their more progressive and mellow tunes. I am a huge fan of these guys but along with many others was very disappointed with the set. It didn’t progress at all and they failed to play any of their faster, more breaks oriented tracks. Their live display was also very boring to watch. Closing with a butchered version of Over and Over was the sour icing on a very poorly baked cake. I left very unsatisfied to sit on the grass and unwind to the ever consistent Powderfinger.

Before calling it a day, one last trip to the Tipi Forest was in order. Fatty vs Mo were laying down some killer breaks to a very responsive crowd. Armed with a few teenage boys on stage doing their best to be gangsters, the crowd enjoyed the entertainment as even more teenagers jumped onto the stage to dance with them. With security ripping the kids off stage, the MC urged the crowd to “Give it up for the Byron Bay Homie Masif”. A little giggle was had by all and it was time to hang up the gumboots after day one.

In summary it was a great start to a festival. With Operator Please and Muscles showcasing some new talent to watch out for, right through to the Kaiser Chiefs, Grinspoon and Powderfinger rocking out to massive crowds, day one was a success and I could only imagine what day two had in store.

Day Two: Sunday 5th August

As I made my way through the gates shortly after midday the grounds were distinctly emptier than the previous day, as most punters took the option of a few hours extra sleep. With a dagwood dog under the belt I was ready to see what Teenager had to offer. This three-man band included a guitarist, drummer and singer, but incorporated a number of different sounds off a laptop. The mediocre crowd enjoyed what was on offer but from all reports, Airborne were on fire in the Supertop. With their AC-DC like sound, Airborne had the weary crowd wanting more. Progressive rockers Expatriate were billed to play next as the crowd slowly started to grow, many still feeling the affects of a large Saturday. 20 minutes into their set and I, along with many others, were forced to leave. A boring blend of rock with slight electronic influences left the crowd yawning as the musicians barely moved whilst playing and their major single Crazy barely drew a reaction from the crowd.

The Bumblebeez had the Mix-Up stage moving nicely. With drummers in dog suits and a lead singer who looked like he had also had a massive Saturday night, this band was a lot of fun. As they swapped instruments, had guys dressed in Panda suits appear on stage, and randoms from the crowd join them as well, the Bumblebeez made up for the poor sound levels by entertaining the crowd visually. With a range of instruments used in their set, this band created an electronic sound I hadn’t heard previously and are another rising act to look out for. Their live performances will most certainly be talked about in the future. I took the break after their set to recharge and plan out the rest of my day as I tried to calm the excitement for what was shaping up as a smashing close to the festival.

DJ Mark Murphy had the crowd dancing away with his blend of house and electro. As the Midnight Juggernauts took to the stage the capacity crowd went wild. The Juggernauts didn’t disappoint the eager crowd as they smashed out a harder than expected set. As far as electronic-rock bands go, these guys are up there with the best. Dropping their signature track Into the Galaxy had the mammoth crowd going ballistic. With the tent being a full blown mosh in the front, right through to a rocking dance floor up back, the Juggernauts certainly delivered a well structured set. All danced out, I took the opportunity to catch the end of Gotye. With the gates shut for this star due to the theatre being maxed out, cries of “Bullshit” could be heard. Despite this I had no worries walking straight in, much to the anger of others. Accompanied by an orchestra, and playing a range of instruments himself, Gotye is a remarkable artist. The crowd lapped up every second of his beautiful voice, and the sounds being produced were jaw dropping. The venue, despite its size, was perfect for the artist and I will without doubt be checking out Gotye the next time he rolls into town.

As far as rockstar DJs go, there aren’t many that have an overly good reputation. The Hot Chip DJs on the other hand were a different story to begin with. With two of them playing back to back it was amazing to see that they could actually beat match and mix. As they entertained the crowd with twisted electro, I was semi impressed with their set. That is, up until they wound the crowd up with a massive build up and then dropped the old school anthem ‘It’s a Lovely Day’, further reinstating the fact that rock stars should stick to the instruments and leave the decks for the professionals. After a less that inspiring set, a little stroll was in order to have a breather before the grand finale to this festival. By 7.30pm Cut Copy had a maxed out tent going nuts. The unique sound of the vocalist is a key aspect to this band as their electronic rhythms had the Mix-Up tent wanting more and more. After a few songs I was truly impressed by these guys but had to make my way to the Supertop tent.

Being a self confessed fanboy of Bloc Party, one could only imagine how excited I was to see the indie rockers after an eagerly awaited two years. Over the past two years this band’s popularity has skyrocketed, and this was evident with the amount of people present throughout the end of the Hoodoo Gurus set. With a sea of people extending for metres and metres outside of the tent, the moshpit was certain to be a danger zone. As I shook with excitement Bloc Party took to the stage with a massive lit sign of the bands name behind them. The crowd’s roar was immense as lead singer Kele Okereke greeted the faithful in his purple cardigan. Opening with Song for Clay (Disappear Here) was the perfect start, with the progressive track setting the pace for a flowing set. The crowd erupted once again when the bass line of Positive Tension sounded then again when the electronic opening of Hunting for Witches could be heard. The moshpit was brutal, the dance area was rocking and Kele’s voice was crystal clear. Waiting for the 7.18 was another nice addition to the set before the crowd followed Kele in a slow clap that led to the kick drum of arguably their most popular track, Banquet.

Splendour in the Grass was going off! With an absolutely electric atmosphere it was time to settle the crowd as Kele urged them to take a step back. This Modern Love was next on the play list as the crowd sang as one, “Do you wanna come over and kill some time”. This was the highlight of my Splendour experience but Bloc Party was only half way through. The claps and kick drums of The Prayer sent the crowd even wilder than before followed by Uniform. As Kele got rid of his cardigan and dedicated a song to the Midnight Juggernauts, it was time for Like Eating Glass, another classic off their first album. The crowd was once again sent into turmoil with She’s Hearing Voices, as thousands screamed with Kele “Red pill, green pill”. With 5 minutes left in the set it was time for the track everyone had waited for, Helicopter. Russell’s guitar intro once again resulted in screams of joy as the crowd had one final sing along with Kele, “Are you hoping for a miracle”. Despite cries for an encore this epic set had come to a close. With a perfect track listing, crisp sound and one of the most remarkable vocalists in rock music, Bloc Party had stunned Splendour in the Grass.

As some retreated for a drink and to rest their legs, or to simply reflect on what they just experienced, I made the choice of staying in the tent for the much loved Arctic Monkeys. A positive aspect to the festival was that I didn’t notice any stages running late, as the Monkeys thrashed out their opening track before their allotted starting time. The crowd was just as energetic and vicious as the Monkeys went on to drop Still Take You Home. Following with Dancing Shoes, which had the crowd grooving. The unique sound of this band is what drew me to loving them as the music contains elements of both dance music and traditional rock. With rolling drums and driving bass lines, it’s the diversity that keeps the crowd entertained as I noticed people moving between mosh and dance mode. From the Ritz to the Rubble had the punters in a dancing frenzy and the short pauses between tracks and extended outro’s left the crowd wanting more. Fake Tales of San Francisco warmed the crowd before their biggest track decimated the mosh pit. The Supertop stage was shaking with energy as every single person screamed “I bet that you look good on the dance floor”. They went on to play The View From The Afternoon, Mardy Bum, Old Yellow Bricks and This House is a Circus, but the delayed start to When the Sun Goes Down was certainly the highlight for me. The crowd applauded a flawless set from the Arctic Monkeys. They had a hard act to follow and they pulled it off in style.

As everyone cleared the tent, many chose to kick on at the Tipi Forest for the final hour. Luke Psywalker pumped out driving psytrance including a remix of The Prodigy’s Voodoo People to the ridiculously large crowd. It was also quite disheartening to see a fight occur with under five minutes left of the festival. The music finally stopped smack bang on midnight and after an exhausting weekend, Splendour was over.

This festival exceeded all my expectations. From the youthful potential of Operator Please through to the legacy that is Bloc Party, Splendour in the Grass 2007 accounted for every musical need. The festival was organised flawlessly, the various attractions catered for many, the venue was large and lush enough (despite the dust) to house the crowd comfortably and the music wasn’t too shabby either. Now that it’s gone we can do nothing but reflect on what a weekend we experienced and look forward to Splendour in the Grass 2008.