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Arguably Australia’s best festival Splendour In The Grass returned for another year at a new home, an increased capacity and a seriously jam-packed lineup. There had been a lot of chat amongst punters as to whether the new digs at Woodfordia would be able to live up to the hallowed fields of Belongil in Byron Bay.

Entering the hilly and lushly green ground of the festival, it was clear that promoters had gone to a lot of effort to make sure the site was up to scratch with massive sculptures and artwork decorating the main thoroughfares. Most of the action, including food, drinks and the two main tents (the Mix-Up and McLennan), was on the lower end of the site with the main-stage/amphitheatre on its own up the top.

A couple of negatives reared their heads early that made for a bit of a frustrating start. The first was that there were no free programs (including map and timetable) given out to people on entry. Some might say that this is the environmental responsible step to take as a lot are wasted, but instead you could purchase a ‘limited edition 10-year program’ for $10, printed on A4 mind you. Now for a ticket that cost anywhere between $360-$460, one doesn’t rightly expected to be slugged another $10 to find out how they get to see their favourite band. The second and more damning lack was that of full strength drinks at the bars. After some research it seems that the Queensland parliament has passed a bill that limits all drinks to mid-strength to combat antisocial behaviour. A younger group of punters sitting nearby were hatching plans to smuggle in booze other substances for the next day and one really wonders if it doesn’t push patrons towards other measures as there was certainly no shortage of empty hip flask bottles lying on the ground.

As with all festivals there was an abundance of timetable clashes, none more evident than Yeasayer and Foals on day one. After a couple of songs from Yeasayer, who were sounding amazing, a quick dash through the traffic led to the packed Mix-Up tent for Oxford math-rockers Foals. Opening with the title track from latest LP Total Life Forever, the five-piece put on a powerful performance with vocalist Yannis Philippakis in fine form. Though the real star of the show was drummer Jack Bevan who recreated the complex and quick rhythms of their studio work with precision and power. A mix of new and old populated the setlist with Cassius and Olympic Airways appearing early with the epic Spanish Sahara appearing late and the set finishing with Two Steps, Twice. The standard had been set with an incredible performance, though I did later hear that Yeasayer did much the same.

Hot Chip had the biggest crowd of the festival at the Mix-Up tent that was packed to within an inch of its life. The lovable nerds proceeded to incite a boogie riot, opening with And I Was A Boy From School, One Life Stand and Over and Over. Laptops, percussion and a giant projected head (of vocalist/mastermind Joe Goddard – at home having a baby) kicked the crowd into a steamy mass of dancing bodies. The set was a clear crowd favourite and one of the highlights of day one.

LCD Soundsystem had a smaller crowd than expected, probably due to a clash with The Temper Trap, but the disco-punkers from NYC sure did put on a show. With the very real possibility they may not be back round these parts again, it was fantastic to see one of our generation’s true musical greats, James Murphy, in his element. Opening with Us v Them from 2007’s The Sound of Silver, Murphy and his six cohorts put on a short and sharp show that took cues from all three studio albums. Drunk Girls and Pow Pow sat comfortably with Tribulations and Yeah, with the set’s centerpiece standing as the anthemic All My Friends. The epic piano driven anthem that really encapsulates the festival experience and was one of the standout tracks of the weekend and a fantastic way to end day one.

Day two began with a rush to the amphitheatre to catch indie pop upstart Jonathon Boulet who garnered fan and critical acclaim with debut single A Community Service Announcement and self-titled LP. Only catching the last track of the set, the above mentioned single, it was hard to say how the previously half hour went but the sparse crowd seemed to enjoy the low slung funk of the closer.

Moving back to Mix-Up tent, a rather large and buoyant crowd was getting down to some seriously fun beats coming from Yacht Club DJs. The boys have claimed the title of Australia’s best party DJs and were putting on a show for the big crowd. Cyndi Lauper, Regurgitator and Kiss were mixed in with the Roger Ramjet theme and a Chop Suey remix. Finishing with a crowd surf in an inflatable boat, the Yacht Club boys well and truly got the day two party started.

Two Door Cinema Club were up next in the Mix-Up and started with a blistering version of LP opener Cigarettes In The Theatre. The lads from Dublin have certainly been shining lights of the dance rock scene in the past 12 months, being signed to Kitsune and getting good reviews for their debut album Tourist History. Their set was littered with anthems including Undercover Martyn, Something Good Can Work and set closer You Can Talk. Their youthful exuberance came to the fore and they were clearly overawed at the level of crowd support which was a heartwarming sight.

The dance rock theme continued with Delphic putting on another top class performance to a very healthy crowd. Kicking off with album opener Clarion Call, the sound was crisp and really did justice to their Ewan Pearson produced debut LP Acolyte. Singles such as Doubt and This Momentary saw the Manchester boys shine but the utterly epic Halycon stole the show, with its sing-along chorus asking the crowd to ‘give me something I can believe in’, which they certainly did. Finishing the set with the semi-instrumental grandeur of LP title track Acolyte, the day was going from strength to strength and showed no signs of slowing down. All in all a thoroughly engaging set from the one of the UK’s brightest up and comers.

New Zealand dubbers Fat Freddy’s Drop took to the stage just after dark and put on a show. The eight members on stage gave out an incredibly full sound, with the horn section stealing the show on more than one occasion. Their set showed off their sizey back catalogue, though the largest portion came from most recent LP Dr Boondigga and The Big BW. Pull the Catch and Shiverman had the crowd grooving but it wasn’t til finishing song, the ten-plus minute Wandering Eye, that the crowd found their voice and joined Dallas Tamaira on vocal duties to close out the set.

No doubt one of the hottest acts on the planet right now is Florence and her Machine. Tonight dressed in what appeared to be a hooded vintage wedding dress, Welch certainly cut a striking figure on stage with her fiery red hair making her look all the more dramatic. Starting the set with Drumming Song, she had the crowd following her every move as she pranced to and fro across the stage. Between some delicate stage banter, the majority of Lungs made an appearance, with singles Dog Days Are Over and You’ve Got The Love sending tingles down spines all across the jam-packed amphitheatre. New song Strangeness and Charm was well received before closing the set with Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), ending a truly captivating performance from one of pop music’s genuine talents.

From one of the stars of today, to the legends of the noughties, The Strokes entered the amphitheatre to Queen’s We Will Rock You, and the 15000 fans packed inside were ready to be rocked. Opening with New York City Cops, Julian Casablancas sounded note perfect and gave an impassioned and inspiring performance in his signature studded leather jacket. Seeming much more comfortable singing to the mic rather than talking to it and the crowd, he was clearly a little surprised and humbled by the reception from the massive crowd, labeling the amphitheatre a ‘cauldron of humanity’. Intended or not, he never really found the mark, instead bumbling out nervous anecdotes like ‘I see you know the old kick drum – handclap routine’, which just made you love him all the more. The crowd loved every second and sung along to hits from all three studio albums. Hard To Explain was followed by What Ever Happened? and Soma. A white suited Albert Hammond let rip on
Vision Of Division while the tall lean Nikolai Fraiture strummed his bass in the shadows. All hell broke loose when Reptilia was followed by Last Night. After a lengthy encore, they finished with Take It Or Leave It and left everyone in attendance undoubtedly knowing that The Strokes are still the coolest band in the world.

After a truly whopping day two, a battered yet enthusiastic crowd returned for their last day at the gorgeous Woodfordia. One of the things that Splendour does so well, and something other festivals should take notice was how good the food was. Everything from Yememi flatbreads to Thai noodles and Mexican burritos was on offer, you couldn’t walk anywhere without something delicious wafting past your nostrils. And the crowd certainly appreciated it, with solid lines at most of the 30+ outlets for the majority of the weekend.

Wandering into the Mix-Up, the Purple Sneakers DJs were getting things warmed up with the sublime mashup of Flight Facilities Crave You and the Aeroplane remix of Paris by Friendly Fires.

After a few more pumping party tunes, they made way for multinational threesome Miike Snow, who were playing live with three extra members. With one of the surprise hits of 2009, their debut album is still getting radio play and a healthy crowd had come out to party. Starting things with Cult Logic, it was clear this would be no simple recreation of their album versions, a massive piano breakdown setting the theme for the rest of the set. Burial was next and brought a feeling of joy throughout the tent and shook off any third day blues lingering through the crowd. Live versions of Black and Blue, with a huge extended outro, and Plastic Jungle took on a tribal feel when 3 members banged out on the one drum kit. The cherry on top was Animal, with its bouncy synth and insistent drumming, the crowd danced until they couldn’t dance anymore.

With a break in programming, it was time for a quick cocktail round at the Smirnoff Bar and a boogie at Ibeefa (where the DJ played from a boat in the middle of a pond – very cool). Party tunes aplenty were being booted by the floating DJs and included Killing In The Name Of, Jump by Kris Kross, a techy Fleetwood Mac remix and the classy Alan Braxe and Fred Falke version of Bossy by Kelis.

Canadian rapper/singer k-os took to the stage with a DJ and live band and opened with some beat boxing to get things moving. He then got the crowd involved with a rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ and had the crowd singing to Umbrella by Rhianna. His DJ was well versed in the art of the scratch and showed his impressive skills at every opportunity. He finished things off with Natalie Portman, which with it’s OC theme song sample makes one hell of a catchy tune.

As Sigur Ros front man Jonsi was shared slots with Broken Social Scene and Passion Pit, his crowd wasn’t as large as his should have been. This certainly didn’t affect his performance with Jonsi putting on a captivating and impassioned performance that was as visually striking as it was sonically. First single Go Do appeared early as the set built and built before he donned a feathered headdress that only added to the drama. Voice distortion and feedback featured heavily in a set in which all five members play their part in the merry dance.

There is no doubt the Pixies are one of the seminal bands of their generation and upon this reputation, the decision was made to head to the amphitheatre to have a look and a listen. Unfortunately without the nostalgic connection to the Boston four-piece, their abrasive and choppy chords were abandoned for a more contemporary sound in the Yagermeister Cube.

Inside the giant inflatable barn, Midnight Juggernauts in their DJ guise had an enthusiastic dancefloor rocking out to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime, and a remix of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall, Rounding things out with Twist And Shout and Baker St by Gerry Rafferty, all tracks were skillfully blended to keep the Cube bouncing.

Miike Snow DJs took control of the wheels of steel shortly after and stepped it up a notch. Dropping some heavy tech beats, they kept the floor’s attention throwing in a remix of DJ Shadow’s Organ Donor and the Style Of Eye remix of their own tune Animal.

With that it was decided to call it a night and close the curtain on a truly incredible 3 days. Splendour In The Grass not only delivers musically (this year’s lineup was equal to any other I’ve seen in this country), but goes to every length to give it’s attendees the most amazing sensory experience possible. Woodford didn’t quite have the magic of Byron Bay but Woodfordia would easily hold its own against the finest festival sites in the world. It is no surprise that tickets to the event are so hard to come by and one can’t see them getting any easier, so if you haven’t been, do whatever it takes to get yourself to Splendour as soon as possible.

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