FESTIVAL REVIEW: In only its fourth year, the Southbound Festival has gained a formidable reputation as one of the country’s premier music festivals.
And for the 20,000 people who entered the gates on the weekend, it was well earned.
Again, the festival boasted a laid back atmosphere and a fantastic lineup of local, Australian and international acts.
Friday night’s campers-only concert featured special acoustic performances by Abbe May and the Rocking Pneumonia, New Rules for Boats, Institut Polair, Angus and Julia Stone, Lior, The Beautiful Girls and The Waifs.
By the time Lior took to the stage at 6.30pm, the Big Top was already bursting at the seams, with the crowd spilling out by the time festival favourites The Waifs appeared.
But it was outside the Big Top where some of the highlights of the night were to be found.
Roaming performances by Organik Dance, featuring colourful costumes and pounding percussion, had people dancing with their infectious rhythms.
Campers were also kept busy with film screenings, an open mic lounge, karaoke abd didgeridoo, juggling, drumming and dance workshops, with the whole evening boasting a magical carnival atmosphere that explained why the 8000 campers tickets were snapped up so quickly.
Saturday’s main event opened with Bunbury band The Words, who wasted no time showing an already substantial crowd the talent that landed them a spot on the festival stage.
Despite an early appearance, Triple J J-award winners The Panics also drew a big crowd with a set list featuring plenty of gems from albums Sleeps Like a Curse and Cruel Guards.
Also appearing on the imaginatively-named Other Stage were Jose Gonzales and Gotye.
While they all gave faultless performances to capacity crowds, the atmosphere was a little too stifling with some punters choosing the fresh air and sunshine of the outdoor stages.
Other highlights of Saturday’s event included the always charming Angus and Julia Stone, who played songs from their EPs Chocolates and Cigarettes and The Beast as well as debut album A Book Like this to an adoring crowd.
Julia danced about the stage in a white dress and as always the siblings’ bond was on display as Angus fixed her guitar strap between songs.
Riding high off the success of their debut album, Yes Yes Vindictive, ARIA award winners Operator Please bounded on to the Southbound stage with infectious energy and delivered one of the best performances of the day.
The talented five piece wowed the crowd with their exuberance and professionalism despite being newcomers to the festival circuit.
Dressed to kill, the band breezed through their set which included their hit single
Just a Song About Ping Pong and crowd favorite Get What You Want.
UK pop - reggae outfit Mattafix took to the stage late in the afternoon and proved they were more than just a one hit wonder by performing tracks from their latest album Rhythm and Hymns and 2005 release Signs of a Struggle.
Vocalist Marlon Roudette’s soulful vocals carried right through the grounds of Sir Stewart Bovell park as he had the crowd happily singing along to their hit single Big City Life.
As the sun began to turn in for the evening Australia’s very own electro wunderkind Muscles took to the stage and had the crowd dancing and bouncing around for his entire 45 minute set.
With a constant smile on his face the one man music machine, armed with sampler and synthesizer, tore through tracks from his debut album Guns Babes Lemonade.
Relatively new to Australia’s music scene, Muscles unique brand of electro pop was the perfect soundtrack to a hot summer’s day and the appreciative audience agreed.
A sea of people was surrounding the main stage by the time Kings of Leon made their appearance, and the crowd was kept happy with a rocking performance.
Perennial Aussie favourites Regugitator had a big task before them, playing at the same time as Kings of Leon, but attracted a big crowd who enthusiastically danced to a set list that went for over an hour and featured highlights from throughout their long career, as well as songs from their latest album Love and Paranoia.
The choreographed dance routine that accompanied Romance of the Damned was a highlight, and Quan and Ben’s energy and enthusiasm was as infectious as always.
By ten o’clock most of the festival goers were crowding the main stage in anticipation for veterans of electro and dance music royalty, Groove Armada.
The dynamic duo are renowned for their live performances preferring to tour with a live band and vocalist as opposed to the usual DJ set favoured by other dance acts.
A visual feast complete with laser light show and smoke machines teamed with funky beats and soulful vocals made Groove Armada’s set the standout performance of the Southbound festival.
Taking the crowd on a journey through their 10 year career and featuring tracks such as Get Down, Song 4 Mutya and I See You Baby, Groove Armada had the crowd in the palm of their hand.
Finishing with a 10 minute rendition of the 2001 summer hit Superstylin’ the duo made certain punters left with a grin from ear to ear.
Then it was all over for another year as the crowd thinned and made their way back to camp or their cars for the long drive home to rest their weary heads.
For festival lovers Southbound is hard to beat and with each year getting bigger and be sure to mark it in your calendar for 2009.
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