From Angie McMahon to Zapp - MMF 24’
Last week, we were lucky to grab a media pass and head down to Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre to witness this year’s brilliant mix of diverse musical magic. From tripped out techno to hitmakers of yesteryear, every Meredith Music Festival lineup is a smorgasbord of sound and taste - no act sounds like the next. Perhaps this is why many end up returning year after, no matter how much life changes between each lineup.
Friday
After Uncle Barry Gilson’s Welcome to Country, our first catch of the day were Naarm/Melbourne punks Frenzee. Classic Melbourne hardcore punk rock with varied rhythms, heavy riffs and great lyrics - favourite tracks included Pink Tax and Fire in my Gut.
Next up were Naarm duo Good Morning. Bringing the breeze with their signiture mix of Mac Demarco esque indie and Crosby Stills Nash & Young style folk rock, the band helped ease the crowds into the ampithetre as more and more campers got settled and found their favourite spots for the weekend.
NYC rapper and songwriter MIKE took to the stage next - an artist I’ve kept close to my heart for several years. In the flesh, MIKE was a much higher and more posutive energy than on the record. As much as his music is genius, a certain sleepy energy takes over, but this was not the case live. The crowd and the performer were connected, singing and dancing with many a smile on display.
MIKE Photography by Leah Hulst
Fat White Family took the dinnertime spot - delivering their typical brand of sleezy indie rock, before fan favourite Mk.gee brought the noise with a fantastic set of tracks mainly from his recent debut Two Star & The Dream Police, released earlier this year.
After seeing Jai Paul last year, I was really curious about how an artist like Mk.gee would recreate his glitchy beat demo style songwriting in a live sense - but he did not disappoint. While retaining the core sound, Mk.gee injected jolts of noise and hot guitar through each of his beautiful tracks, a dynamic contrast - and a colourful texture to the overall soundscape of his music.
It was amazing to finally see Alesis and Candy live. A lot of Mk.gee’s songs are pure songwriting genius.
Later that night, Alabamian indie-folk-country band Waxahatchee blew crowds away with a heart-stopping performance. A dynamic band, complete with slide guitars and jangling instrumentation, the waves of emotion were palpable even to the furthest punter.
Even dipping her toes into a few Plains covers, singer Katheryn Crutchfield wasn’t afraid to explore her repertoire to the widest extent - and the audience loved it.
Later Australian-Indian fusion group Glass Beams played a mysterious set of their signature Indian-classical hiphop grooves. Tracks like Mahal and Mirage contained consistent drums and bass, while vocals, guitars and exotic instrumentation came and went over extended jam sessions.
Australian-Ghanan favouriet Genesis Owusu came in strong with a brilliant set of tracks mainly from his 2021 record Smiling With No Teeth but also endulged in fun new singles and extended versions of classics.
Known for her hit Perfect, American rapper, singer and DJ Princess Superstar played the midnight set on Friday night. A bizarre yet entertaining mix of hits and stunts, the show made for a genuinely hilarious fun break between acts.
One of the best things about the Meredith/Golden Plains experience is the oddities, and unexpected acts you catch when you weren’t expecting - and Princess Superstar was definitely one of them.
Speaking of oddities - take Blue Man Group, add Dr Evil and a sprinkle of Danny Devito’s Penguin along with a dose of hard house and you get the final act we caught that evening - Mainline Magic Orchestra.
A man entered the stage, smoke a cigarette and introduced the act in a posh british accent before playing a brief trill on his saxophone and departing the stage. Then, three strange silver men took up their instruments and jumped into a set of the most out there, goofy electronic music I’ve ever seen - and I loved it.
Like Crazy Frog on crack, or Teletubbies on meth. Yet somehow, deeply endearing.
Mainline Magic Orchestra Photography by Chip Mooney
Saturday
After a moderate amount of sleep, the first act of Saturday we caught was Warrumpi man and singer-songwriter Keanu Nelson. Fusing spoken word poetry with aspects of rock, shoegaze and ambient music, Nelson transcends genre and sound in a revolutionary style which drew in an impressive crowd.
Naarm/Melbourne underground egg-punk favourites Billiam and the Split Bills reached the peak of their busy year with their fantastic Meredith set - a true highlight for friends and family following the journey of the fantastic rock and roll band.
A set stacked with skits and fan favourites, Bill and the gang blasted through Somebody Stole My Electricity, Jenny Destroys Records, Leather Pepper and countless others - but the true joy of it was seeing a band you’ve witness grow and develop reach a real milestone.
Only time will tell just what Billiam has in store for us in the new year - but I think several thousand new fans will be following along the journey after this blockbuster performance.
American band Mannequin Pussy took the next slot - welcoming us into the embrace of their sensual, diverse brand of punk and hard rock. Hailing from Philadelphia, the group connected with their fans through music, activism and raw power.
Tracks Romantic and Emotional High made for bangers live, but the best of it was just hearing singer Marisa “Missy” Dabice discuss the name of the band and the hilarious stigma around it - along with just how often it’s only straight cis men that end up having an issue with it.
English-Australian classic rocker Leo Sayer took a central spot in the days sets - and delivered the ultimate family-friendly rock n’ roll boogie. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing lived up to the name in person, making the young and old get on their feet and move.
A true performer, Leo connected with the crowd in a way unseen by many legacy acts, making for a brilliant time in the sun.
Later, Indonisian band Precious Bloom showed off their signature brand of city-pop. disco and dance in a brilliantly groovy set, while Barkindji woman and South West Sydney rapper Barkaa wowed the amphitheatre with her heart to heart take on Aussie hip-hop. Talking to the crowd like an old friend she was catching up with, Barkaa brought the heat and the love with tracks like King Brown and Preach.
Singer-songwriter Angie McMahon took the dinnertime spot on Saturday with an intimate and passionate set. Originals Letting Go and Slow Learner sent powerful energy into listners, will familiar covers like Australian Crawl’s Reckless made for anthems to all ears.
With a powerful voice reminiscent of Florence Welch and a sound similar to Bruce Springsteen, Angie McMahon is a true modern Australian songwriter, with an impactful pen and enchanting presence.
““It’s ok, It’s ok, make mistakes, make mistakes””
In a classic Meredith move, now for something completely different.
Party Dozen brought their entirely original and out there two-piece-sax-noise madness to the ampithetre and caught just about everyone off guard with how menacing such a simple setup could be.
Through effects pedals, layering, injections of noise and massive breakdowns, Party Dozen kept the crowd rocking for a solid hour with tracks like Wake in Might and Auto Loser, but The Big Man Upstairs was the real showstopper.
Next up 70s Ohio born funk band Zapp showed off just how much energy a bunch of passionate musicians can contain, no matter the age. Rocking for decades, Zapp have been sampled and remixed countless times - but their original sound is still groovy as hell.
Shouting out old friends, artists that sampled them, and just acknowledging the love for eachother, Zapp made for one of the best acts of the entire festival.
Vocoder solos, funky bass lines and tight drums built into cracking tracks and never missed a beat. The favourite tracks were definitely Do Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing) and California Love.
After Zapp, headliner and recent hitmaker The Dare blasted audiences with his abrasive all encompassing sound and attitude. Tracks Girls and Sex went off live, while similar unreleased tracks captured the ears and bodies of listeners. Sometimes described as “STD Sound system” The Dare doesn’t deny his influences - he embraces them and takes all on a wild date night whether you like it or not,
Hot off a massive year, The Dare is without a doubt a new superstar in the making.
Finally, coheadliner Jamie XX gave the crowd exactly what they needed - a cathartic mix of his own original tracks mashed up and teased throughout a mellow and consistent house set. In Colour tracks like Loud Places and Gosh sounded brilliant live, while somewhat underwhelming newer songs Baddy On The Floor and Waited All Night had new life breathed into them in the supernatural amphitheatre.
After all was said and done and the set ended, Jamie played his fantastic Young Thug featured hit I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) in full, and the people loved it.
The lanterns, lights and doof sticks pulsed with the beats of Jamie XX’s signature future garage sound, and all was well in the world for a moment.
Overall, Meredith Music Festival 2024 was a blast. A fantastic mix of rock, punk, electronic, pop and more made for a truly diverse and rewarding experience all on one stage. Every year is different, but every year we discover someone knew we never would’ve heard of - and they become a new favourite.
All photos by Olivia Harrold @patr0ns4nit other than those credited indiviudally.
Special thanks to Michaela Kristo, Mitch Gibson-Kingdom, Billiam and the Split Bills and Naomi Lee Beveridge for information, advice and equipment,
See you in the new year.
