Reviewer: Dale Anninos-Carter
If there’s any excuse to visit the iconic beachside town of Byron Bay on Australia’s east coast, Splendour in the Grass (Splendour) is the excuse no one can deny. Splendour is just one of Australia’s massive annual music and camping festivals, reeling in 42,500 punters per day across the 19th, 20th and 21st of July for this year’s festivities!
Each year, Splendour delivers a a jaw-dropping lineup consisting of national and international artists, and 2019 was no exception with headline acts including; Tame Impala, Childish Gambino, SZA, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Foals, and The Streets. Not to mention the other 100 plus artists who entertained throughout the day and night upon the four main stages across the North Byron Parklands.
It goes without saying that all the artists delivered outstanding performances, with surprise acts jumping out during multiple performances. The Rubens sang their hit song ‘Never Ever’ with surprise guest, G Flip, while Trophy Eyes briefly hosted Chris Lilley to sing his 33 second tune, ‘The F**k Song’. It all happened so quickly – it was definitely surprising, it was confusing, but most importantly, it was beautiful. Honestly don’t think anyone in the audience had enough time to process what was going on for the entire 33 seconds.
Surprise acts were all the go for Hilltop Hoods, who replaced an ill Chance the Rapper as the closing performance for 2019 Splendour. An endless list of guests were brought out during their set, presumably to make up for the lack of Chance. Firstly, Montaigne blessed the audience during ‘1955′, followed by Adrian Eagle, Ruel, Illy and Jesswar. Many of us have seen Hilltop Hoods live at pretty much every festival ever, so these surprise acts were definitely needed…but was it enough? I’m going to say no, with some patrons refusing to attend the performance in a bid to express their disappointment. However, ya can’t blame Splendour organisers for Chance’s withdrawal which was out of their control. Mega props to Splendour for reeling in a headline act within a 24-hour deadline though!
Speaking of headline acts, psychedelic Perth band, Tame Impala, were quite possibly the best 2019 Splendour performance. Not only did they deliver impeccable vocals and musicianship, but the light show was undeniable spectacular, with lasers beaming far and wide into the smokey sky above The Amphitheatre. Tame Impala gave their audience the whole shabang – it was a visual experience as well as an auditory experience, and that’s what ultimately stood them apart from the rest.
Moving on to the non-musical side of things – let’s talk weather and clothing. The weather drastically fluctuated between the sunlight and moonlight hours. Byron Bay is relatively warm year-round, with an average July temperature 19 degrees Celsius. However, under the direct sunlight in the open-air parklands, the sun was rather sizzly with sunburn sightings not a rare occurrence. It was dress weather for sure, but a lathering of sunscreen didn’t go astray. BUT, come 5pm when the sun begins to set, it was definitely time to get (and I cannot stress this enough) the thermals out. I kid you not, I averaged a seven-layer of long-sleeve shirts and jumpers per night, plus three layers of socks, and a beanie. There is no denying it was very, very chilly. So don’t be a hero who ‘doesn’t get cold’ – pack wisely and don’t regret leaving your long johns behind.
Let’s say you do decide to under pack in the future though – Splendour organisers are no stranger to the needs of their patrons. 59 markets stalls covered the festivals grounds where people were able to purchase warm clothes, cooler clothes, sun glasses incase yours got squished in the mosh pit, jewellery stalls if you were after a new do, and even makeup stations where you could leave the worries of perfecting your look in your tent behind – plus many, many more.
Furthermore, if you’re tight for space in your suitcase or car, you can leave the two-minute noodles at home and hit up any of the 72 food stalls which operate during breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack hours. It’s certain that no one went hungry at this year’s festival, with 360,000 meals eaten by hungry party-goers. As with any festival food trucks, each can be a hit or miss, but that’s all just part of the experience isn’t it – try new things, learn for your mistakes. Example A – don’t buy dumplings from a stall that specialises in coffee and cake – lesson learnt. Anyway, point is that there are heaps of options that cater for a wide variety of dietary requirements, veganism included.
Now of course, most of us were in need of an alcoholic beverage to go with our lovely cooked meals, and that’s were the 21 bars came in handy. Again, spread throughout the festival, these bars offered a wide range of drinks from beers, ciders and wine, to tins of mixed spirits with the likes of rum, vodka etc. – there was definitely something for everyone to enjoy. 21 bars does sound like a lot, however the lineup to grab a drink gets absolutely, hectically long when there’s about 42,000 people after a drink. If you don’t want to wait an average of 20 minutes for a thirst quencher, it might be worth purchasing a Gold Event Ticket in the future, where you can gain access to private bars with a maximum wait of three minutes. One of the Gold Bars is strategically placed at the top of The Amphitheatre which provides incredible scenic views while you enjoy your favourite tunes.
With all these unforgettable moments occurring left, right and centre, the old phone camera and photo sharing apps were in full swing over the Splendour weekend. Did you even go to Splendour if you didn’t upload a photo with your crew? All that precious battery life is sure to deplete quick as heck, especially with the crazy good reception from anywhere within the festival grounds. Luckily, multiple phone charging stations were planted around the site, offering $15 for one charge or $30 for unlimited charges. Hot tip – get your portable charger charged instead of your phone, it’s the same price and will last much longer!
Recharging yourself is undeniably important too, and with a good old fashioned snooze and a shower, freshness can be achieved. The shower situation was surprisingly very adequate. The water was warm four out of four times that I showered…I was even able to wash my hair one of the days…simply unheard of! I kid you not, there were even towel hooks and ledges to place your things on in the most hygienic way possible. I was overall very impressed with these showers – the best festival showers I have come across. Didn’t go stinky that’s for sure.
After feeling funky fresh and rearing to go, there are a multitude of weird and whacky things to discover including dance and burlesque classes, craft workshops, and even the opportunity to further your zen vibes with a delightful massage by the professionals. The sideshow which proved itself immensely popular with the longest line up was The Iconic Laundromat. From the outside, it looked like the place to go to get your clothes washed, which makes sense right? Wrong. After seeing people climb into the washing machines we had to check it out. On the other side of the spinning cylinder, we found ourselves in a large bedroom sized space, complete with a DJ and disco. Pretty darn cool!
All in all, Splendour in the Grass 2019 showed beyond doubt that it indeed lives up to the title of the ‘best music festival in Australia’. The musical lineup never fails to showcase some of the biggest global names, so perhaps it’s time to start planning your trip to Byron Bay for Splendour in the Grass 2020. Until next time Splendour, we’ll be back.
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