In the week leading up to The Hills Are Alive, there were a few questions I wanted answered. How big is this hill? How many times do I actually have to walk up it? And how the hell am I going to cart all my crap over? Luckily, in their eighth year, it seemed the festival gods had thought of everything. After heading to baggage drop, it didn’t take too long for my whining to be replaced by typical ‘woo-girl’ behaviour.
Opening the sold-out festival were Melbourne folk-pop princes, Venus Court. Giving us a taste of Gravity from their debut album, the O’Brien brothers were generously gifted, yet extremely grounded. Heartfelt harmonies all round; they were the perfect way to begin the three-day party. Swiftly following the young guns were Fossil Fuel, who packed just as much punch and presented both originals and cult classics.
Making an ever so cool entrance, Man Made Mountain got the people groovin’ in no time. Merging the sounds of Brazil and hip hop, the local duo offered up their Master Plan and a little Cachaça while the last glinpse of sunshine soaked into our skin.
Lyall Moloney kicked off the night in his PJ shorts, shirtless as usual. The Sydney stud rocked his two mic set-up, roaring out tracks like Running For You, Party Don’t Stop and Black Dog. Joined by Junor and Matthew Craig onstage, it was a killer collaborative effort. Running solo, Tash Sultana soon encapsulated the crowd with her electric guitar, keyboard and beat pad. Distortion galore, the gal simply showed us all how it’s done. A tough act to follow, KLP’s set, while entertaining, lacked depth and any real dynamic.
Shaking off the first night’s aftermath, Tiny Little Houses greeted Saturday afternoon with open arms and acoustic guitars. When the afternoon truly set in it was time to make way for Melbourne’s Mesa Cosa. Complete and utter nonsense, they created havoc as expected. While smashing out Santanas, Shoplifter and Sydney, there’s no wonder two guitar strings were snapped. Obviously not aiming for perfection, the gang has a stage presence that speaks for itself.
Bootleg Rascal‘s psychedelic, reggae rock had people dancing as the entire crowd sunk into submission. Fan favourites Kings & Queens, Overflow and Asleep In The Machine only touched the surface of what was a sensational set. Later on, The Belligerents stunned the festival as their frontman embodied the saying ‘dance like nobody’s watching.’ Taking us past midnight were Bad//Dreems, who made big strides in front of their male-dominated fan base as the band members participated in a public game of Kiss And Tickle. While Bad News Toilet guided the party through the wee hours of the morning with bangers like Play That Funky Music, King Kunta, Jump Around and Paper Planes.The ultimate dance party, it would’ve been difficult to find a body standing still. Closing the set out with Titanic’s My Heart Will Go On, the Melbourne-based artist then got aboard a blow up boat with his blow up doll, sailing into a crowd in absolute awe. Lucky last for the night, Running Touch’s ethereal energy exceeded expectations and ensured easy entry into the lives of many new listeners.
Sunday morning soon appeared and the sound of Nic & Mads filled the air, and later on the legendary Barry Morgan with his world of organs. So yes, you guessed it, the hills were alive – with music, perfect punters and some seriously sweet talent.
BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
Loved: Felix the magician and his magic balls.
Hated: The seediest of Sundays.
Drank: A slab of Jack.
