REVIEW: HEAPS GOOD MELBOURNE

Melbourne’s Sidney Meyer Music Bowl ushered in the new year with a stellar lineup. Featuring Foals and Flume as big standouts, we’re giving you a taster of what to expect for Heaps Good Adelaide.

Image by Ian Laidlaw

Nestled within the confines of an 11,000-seat open-air amphitheatre, Sidney Meyer Music Bowl stands as one of the foremost outdoor music venues with the ability to see the artists from almost any area. However, juxtaposed against Heaps Good Adelaide, its single-stage setup does sacrifice a bit of the festival vibe and the beloved tradition of classic stage-hopping.

After kicking things off with Logan for the early arrivals, followed by Sycco, former Triple J Unearthed High Artist of the Year nominee, held the crowd captive with her dreamy indie pop tunes including a rendition of 'Ripple', a collaboration with Flume who will be hitting the stage later that night.

MAY-A, with her commanding presence and vocals, led the audience with a rendition of 'The Swing Of Things'.  A poignant moment unfolded as she delivered an alternative rock rendition of the previous year’s Triple J Hottest 100 winner, 'Say Nothing', a collaboration with Flume which seems to be a theme for the night.

Holly Humberstone, in her emotionally charged pop performance, started with the title track from her debut album, 'Paint My Bedroom Black'. Her infectious excitement for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Australia for the second time was palpable (just check out her Instagram) as she introduced her latest tracks, including the crowd-pleasers 'Into Your Room' and the personal favorite 'Kissing In Swimming Pools'.

After an eight-year hiatus from Australia, SBTRKT made a triumphant return to the stage. This time, no longer donning the iconic mask, and joined by a band featuring impressive multi-instrumentalists and both male and female vocalists to sing through their back catalogue. Quoting "This is the shortest set in the world, so we're going to get through the next seven songs as quickly as possible" (to be fair I've seen far shorter), they continued to play through their repertoire spanning 15 years including tracks like 'Pharaohs', 'Hold On' and 'Wildfire'.

The Avalanches, the Aussie DJs renowned for their groundbreaking album 'Since I Left You' released in 2000, dished out dulcet disco tunes to the eager crowd.  Since the early days of almost anonymity, they're now regulars on festival lineups where they effortlessly blend through a rich soundscape of great grooves, random samplings and nostalgic noise creating the perfect build-up for what was to come. However, remember these are DJ's mixing live so if you're hoping to hear full tracks such as 'Frontier Psychiatrist' think again.

Then came the seasoned professionals Foals, demonstrating why they earned the Q Music Award for best live act. With nearly two decades of touring, they did not disappoint as one of the best live acts around the globe. Lead singer Yannis Philippakis had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, especially when leaping into the crowd during 'What Went Down', much to the punters delight. In an unexpected twist during 'In Degrees', fireworks lit up the sky while still hours from midnight. While I believe it was coincidental it seemed to fit the energy of the band perfectly and Yannis did even lay claim to these premature party poppers. 

Image by Ian Laidlaw

The stage transformed from a full band setup to two decks adorned with LED lights, signalling Flume's dynamic festival DJ set. Flume took over with one of the most energetic festival DJ sets we've witnessed for some time. He did get by with a little help from his friends, bringing on to stage Kučka on vocal for 'Escape' and 'Smoke & Retribution'. MAY-A for Hottest 100 topper, 'Say Nothing', and Vera Blue performed 'Never Be Like You', 'I Can’t Tell' and 'Rushing Back'. The crowd danced into the New Year with Flume’s remixes of Eiffel 65’s 'Blue' and Lorde’s 'Tennis Courts'. A highlight for Flume fanatics included a sneak peek of a brand new track which added more excitement to an already exhilarating set.

As the clock neared midnight, the sounds of one of the world’s most iconic rave tracks, 'Where’s Your Head At?', filled the air and within minutes Melbourne’s skyline erupted into a phenomenal light show, with fireworks illuminating the sky and high-rise buildings across the CBD. Basement Jaxx continued their DJ set into the night, seamlessly blending in hits like 'Light My Fire' and 'Dance With Somebody' and early examples of what would become dubstep.

Heaps Good’s first Melbourne Festival delivered a unique experience compared to its Adelaide counterpart, each with its distinctive charm. Looking ahead to the weekend in Adelaide, we're coming back again for a chance to relive the magic of Flume and Foals while indulging in the joy of stage-hopping through the main stage to sound archive.

Rating: 4/5