AAA Backstage Archive

Festival Review: The Falls Music & Arts Festival Day 1 @ North Byron Parklands, 31.12.2015

HAPPY BLOODY NEW YEAR FRIENDS! We are tired, we are hungover, we slept on the floor, we are unshowered but we wouldn’t have it any other way. A plethora of froth worthy material smashed their way onto the amphitheatre stage filling our ears with nostalgia, stellar DJ sets and rave-tastic tunes. A New Year’s Eve that would be up their with one of the best, The Falls Music & Arts Festival Byron Bay delivered the goods, hurling us into 2016 in such glorious style.

Byron kept it simple for the first day, with only one stage being open for the main acts. But we can safely say that it was one of those ‘less is more’ moments as it allowed punters to be smashed again and again with some dope acts of a world class standard. Local Brissie group Bullhorn popped our Falls 2015 cherry, setting up the rad vibes with their jazz infused hip-hop. High tide soon rolled in with Yankee rockers Wavves, sporting their powerful rock anthems that proved impossible not to punk out to. 

It was a day that just kept swinging surprises from all angles. One of the biggest were Fleetmac Wood. "Who are Fleetmac Wood?" was a question thrown around a lot in the campsite, and if you're wondering the same, then listen here kiddo. Their schtick is simple; take Fleetwood Mac classics, turn them on their head, inject heccas addictive beats and what you’re left with is a beautiful fusion of bangers and nostalgia. Taking ‘cover bands’ into the 21st century and beyond, these duo of DJs really kicked things into gear. With a crowd filled with young festival punters, and baby boomers scattered through the mix, watching young and old jam out to and chant along with classic Fleetwood Mac tracks certainly epitomised the family vibes Falls Fest always brings.

As we plucked ourselves away from the main stage and took a wander through the festival grounds, boy were we in for a surprise. Big props to the Falls team. We complained; they listened. The heat and sun certainly aren’t as bad as what we copped last year, but it’s Australia, so there’s no avoiding these scorching summers. With a water park area (WITH FRIGGEN MASSIVE BLOW UP FLAMINGOS), a mist tunnel, and plenty of tents for shade, the Falls crew have really treated us to a music festival that even sun mum would approve. Now we can wallow in our own hangover at only a moderately awful heat.  

“DJ sets are just people pushing buttons on stage” could be the most inaccurate statement you could come across when you’re talking about one of the hottest acts this country has to offer—Peking bloody Duk. Lose yourself in the rave, let yourself go and soak in every party vibe imaginable. Come for the High and the Take Me Over, but stay for the Lion King remixes and the flares set off in the audience. With a cracker stage presence to join their ‘turnt-up' tunes, with a flick of a switch, they turned the North Byron amphitheatre into a ten thousand person rave. If this what all clubs were like then I might consider paying the twenty dollar cover charge to Birdees* on a Friday night. 

Legends, entertainers, lads, hip hop royalty, whatever you want to call them, Hilltop Hoods slayed once more. From Cosby Sweater, to Nosebleed Section it’s hard to fault these fellas. Energy just radiates from the crew, not hestiating at any point to deliver some of the dopest tracks Australia has to offer.They have toured to almost all parts of the globe, with a career spanning over two decades, it begs the question; how can they bounce around that much? With every tongue flicker of a rhyme, every drum beat, every everything, even after all this time, they've still got it! #squadgoals

It was an hour from the countdown, the New Year was looming, the sun had set for the final time in 2015, but luckily we were blessed with The Wombats to drown out the sound of all those 2015 resolutions that we never accomplished (look we know you're not going to join the gym in 2016 either). The lads have graced our shores three times in 2015 but the hype just isn’t dying down anytime soon. The verbatim singing from the crowd shows just how much we continue to lap up everything these Liverpudlians have to offer. With a stellar set list, covering most of Glitterbug and trekking into their back catalogue, it was the perfect Wombats party. But as midnight drew near, so did the champagne. A cork into the crowd and 2016 it was, where crowd favourite Let’s Dance to Joy Division blasted. A track that is certainly the most deliciously perfect blend of mid-twenties existentialism and party tune that makes it the best way to greet 2016.

2015 was rad; what an incredible end to the year. It’s been said once, but we’ll say it again, Falls is certainly one of the best ways to take the year out in style. Now let’s go for a swim, those blow up flamingos are calling. 

*For those not in Brisbane, just think of your respective city’s club that a white girl named Britney would go out to on her 18th.