Weekly updates:

Culture Music

Event recap: Golden Plains 2017

Two disposable cameras, too many lasting memories

Posted by

It was the long weekend and as always on a long weekend, excitement was rife in the air. Whether this was your first time cruising into the town of Meredith for Golden Plains Festival, or your eighth time as it certainly was for some, the magical feeling that takes over you when you first enter the amphitheatre is something special.

Some people arrive at the festival and are dedicated solely and completely to the music. They park themselves on the couch they’ve brought down to the hill. While the couch’s exterior may change from year to year, it’s always in the same spot and their friends know how to find them. They are there from when Ausmuteants begin their first song on day one and they walk away, a bit beaten up, covered in glitter and exhausted two days later when Harold played the final track on day two. They are dedicated.

We have our other kind of dedicated folk who appear down at this festival. These people are dedicated to the social aspect of Golden Plains. They run from one group to another, making new friends in the crowd, occasionally stopping in their tracks as a song draws them to the stage, downing Pink Flamingos. Both groups are equally dedicated to the frivolity of Golden Plains, neither more important than the other. The beautiful part about a festival like Golden Plains is the sea of creatures you witness in the crowd.

Excitement was heavy throughout the first day, as the predicted rains held off. The crowd got to see the likes of Camp Cope and Kurt Vile bring in the early evening and what a treat they both were. Jazz Party got the crowd moving before the much-anticipated (and very handsome) Nicolas Jaar featured. I’d like to be able to detail what occurred during Total Giovanni but I found a boy in the crowd I knew all too well and my night ended there. Well not right there, we did make it back to the campsite.

As you can imagine, day two starts early. As I form part of the latter group of people at the festival, more dedicated to socialising than the bands, the first one I managed to catch was Confidence Man and the feeling in the crowd was one not to be missed. The songs, the excitement, the choreography from the band was something special. As predicted early into the act, thongs, Vans, and boots went flying in the air towards the end of the set – a glorious Meredith and Golden Plains tradition.

The rain again held off and the crowd was able to thoroughly enjoy an afternoon sitting on the hill as Chain & The Gang, Orb, and Teenage Fanclub serenaded the crowd. The Peep Tempel brought in the ever-magical Neil Finn who truly is a crowd favourite. The Specials put a nostalgic smile on everyone’s faces, while local favourite Wax’o Paradiso got the whole crowd grooving for a few hours. The Pilotwings and Harold were around for the remaining crowd who felt like staying awake until all hours as the festival drew to a close. What a bloody weekend.

Thank you, as always, to the beautiful Aunty M. We love you.

  • Review: Katey Lusetic
  • Photography: Rachel Ganino
  • Photography: Damian Kane

Weekly updates