Groovin’ The Moo (GTM) – Wayville – 27th April 2018 review
By Michael Melino
Music/Artists
From 45 artists over 4 stages, were quite spoilt for choice over who to see. I’ve got to say I’ve been more impressed with the lineups in the past, but GTM has music for all tastes and ages, whether it be hardcore, folk, indie or electronic, there’s something for everyone! And this year’s stand out was definitely Royal Blood, just two guys rocking it out on stage, if you ever get the chance, GO AND SEE THEM because they are absolutely incredible! Other personal favourites were Ocean Alley, Mallrat, Vera Blue, Winston Surfshirt and Flight Facilities.
(Mike Kerr, from Royal Blood)
(Mallrat)
Food/Drinks
With multiple food and bar locations, wherever you went there was something to satisfy our hunger cravings. And with a selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, there was something for everyone.
Drinks ranged in price from $9-$12, which isn’t on the cheap side but what you’d expect from a festival. A nice selection of craft beers were available too. But if that’s too expensive then there was always free water from water stations situated around GTM, which you could fill your own water bottle or get a free travel bottle from the Headspace tent.
For lunch I decided to try a cheese and mushroom gözleme from Enfes Delights Authentic Turkish Gözleme and it was absolutely delicious!
A gözleme is a wrap usually filled with cheese and meat or a vegetable and then folded over and lightly fried topped with a squeeze of lemon. It was a bit oily but tasted amazing and definitely sobering!
Toilets/Amenities
Toilets at music festivals are never desirable, but the times I used one there was always toilet paper and soap in the dispensers, which is truly a bonus. And I’d recommend spending the few extra dollars to get the Udder Mayhem ticket, which grants access to a special VIP area where you can use toilets away from the main crowds and has a nice viewing area too.
The Headspace tent was a stand out, providing a place to rest up or go to someone for help. Headspace is a big promoter for youth mental health and provided water, sunscreen and other helpful things should you need.
The First Aid location was fairly centralised and had boxes of Band-Aids right at the front for any minor injuries or for covering any painful blisters caused by jumping up and down in the mosh during the big day.
The Merchandise tent had a big selection of t-shirts, jumpers and other knick-knacks from the bands playing that day. But with prices of $40 and up for a t-shirt, we opted out this time…
ATM’s were situated around the Adelaide Showgrounds, but with EFTPOS provided everywhere, there was never a need to use any.
A Cloakroom was provided for any merch or clothing or items purchased in market stalls, but for the cost of $5, per hangar or A4 sized bag.
The Signing Tent was one of the bighighlights too, with selected artists coming in to meet fans, take photos and sign autographs!
Location
Groovin The Moo is quoted as being Australia’s only regional music touring festival…but for the past few years it has been located in the Adelaide Showgrounds. Although this location is very convenient and close to the city, it is by far the opposite of a regional location, which goes against the intended vibe of the festival, as in every other state it is located in a country town. The first few years it was located in Oakbank in the Adelaide Hills. It would be nice to see GTM located in another country town again in the future.
The Adelaide Showgrounds at Wayville had lots of room to walk around, grass areas, as well as grandstands and benches to sit down on, so I’ve got to say it really had everything to make the day as enjoyable as possible, apart from the country atmosphere.
Overall
A truly great and fun day! If you enjoy dancing, watching people wear crazy outfits and getting amongst your favourite bands and discovering new local talent too, then GTM is the place to be and I’m sure I’ll be attending next year again!
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