The subject on everyone’s mind is beer.
I hear that on Friday night the long haul campers drank more beer than the whole festival sold last year. Saturday saw perfect weather arrive and the capacity crowds that came with it saw the event run completely dry of beer for a heart-wrenching half hour before normal service was resumed.
High quality problems to have.
One thing has been resolved though. With so many bands playing their last show at the festival there’s a consensus that while the first show is a “Premiere”, the last one can be called a “Derriere”. The Ellis Collective’s last show with Alison Procter was so thronged with professional photographers that we were queuing for the good shooting angles.
A special shout out has to go to the female festival goer who flew in from Adelaide on Friday night and then roller bladed through the night from the airport and up the mountain to get here. As long as I live I will never be that hardcore.
When it comes to hardcore I have to mention the Ellis Collective’s 3am effort this morning kicking each other in the balls for the amusement of the crowd (There’s a photo of Matty taking a kick like a man). I’m sad to report I was the one who said enough was enough and it was time to stop and sit down. The security guard thanked me.
The biggest crowds last night assembled for Blue King Brown, you could hear the cheering a kilometre away. The surprise packages of the evening with the crowd were the ever astonishing Mr Fibby who packed the Gibraltar Stage for a performance which, at the end of the day, is essentially story telling. They got a standing ovation.
In fact the local acts have been showing their class all weekend getting the same crowds as the national and international performers. A special shout out to Germany’s “The Beez” who have been out and about talking to the punters and enjoying the festival.
One thing that stands out is the number of day trippers who came out yesterday but are now vowing to camp next year. We hardy campers smile and nod and try not to be too smug about the errors of the day trippers ways.
The cover photo here is from possibly the most relaxed space in existence, the parachute enclosed chai tent.
Best news of all is that signs have been posted at the drumming creative campsite warning of the dangerous hungover mob which will descend if they start up before noon. The campsite this morning was beautifully still and quiet. Despite having to get up at 9am to entertain and edify you all with this report, things are good.
It’s another glorious day in the mountains, people are having a great time, and there’s a huge lineup of entertainment still to go today. I’m told Sunday night is the biggest party of all when the purple-bellied volunteers get to let their hair down.
(Slideshow below)
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