From the Dance Dome to the Schmall Klub, this year's Beyond The Valley was an absolute banger.
As the first days of 2024 are now upon us, the new year signals my reluctant parting with a truly unique experience at Beyond The Valley, Untitled Groups’ annual NYE music festival which spanned four glorious days at Barunah Plains in Victoria.
From the vibrant and colourful individuals I had the pleasure of meeting to the electric music and atmosphere, the highlights were countless.
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
View this post on Instagram
Day 1
Starting the packing process at 11pm the night before a festival is something that I am well aware is not a wise choice whatsoever, but it didn’t stop me from doing so.
Following a broken sleep full of anticipation, I woke up at 6am to double-check my bags and get in another couple of hours of scrambling. By 9am I was on the road and ready for my life to become intertwined with classic festival debauchery for the next four days.
Upon arrival, it was time for the customary car check, bag check, ticket check, camping pass check, and ID check. I was riding a high of adrenaline and more than ready to head inside.
My festival crew and I chose to park in the green camp and this decision was both a blessing and a curse, due to the fact that it was a whopping 20-minute walk from the festival grounds. However the omnipresent thumping kick drum was also out of earshot, meaning that when it was time to call it a night, my overall sleep quality was not hindered by the music whatsoever.
The first night kicked off with a bang, and by “bang,” I mean the bass emanating from the speakers of the Dance Dome stage reminded me that I was attending one of Australia’s biggest music festivals, with the subwoofers to prove it.
- Pro-tip #1: Do NOT forget to bring earplugs, you can’t enjoy festivals if your hearing is damaged! They were incredibly clutch throughout all for days, especially at the Dance Dome stage.
The festival ground on the first night was tamer than expected, yet still resembling a colourful dreamscape, as partygoers gathered like moths to a flame at Dr Dans for the Gallery Recs label takeover that could only be described as a two-hour cyclone of frenetic and exciting energy.
As the first night concluded at 10pm, it was an appropriately early-ending soft launch into the hectic whirlwind still to come.
View this post on Instagram
Day 2
After my profoundly poor lack of sleep the night before the festival, I slept in… and I slept in hard.
My first full daytime foray began at 3pm, beginning at the Main Stage with Becca Hatch, who gave me a healthy dose of playful dance-pop energy that I carried with me throughout the rest of the day, where I eventually parked myself at the Dr Dans stage until around 6:30pm.
My friends and I decided it was time for a short recharge. We took the treacherous journey back to the green camp and nibbled on our makeshift charcuterie board consisting of tuna, crackers, an Up&Go and a handful of barbecue shapes.
- Pro-tip #2: Bring more Up&Go’s than you think you need, I had absolutely hoofed my supply by the second day.
Upon arriving back on the festival grounds, I caught Ewan McVicar’s set which was a traditionally paced yet forward-thinking hour and a half featuring an eclectic mix of genres including breakbeat and techno.
Following Ewan McVicar and Jayda G’s back-to-back Dance Dome performances, it was time for a much-needed energy replenishment in the form of a burger.
On the way to the food trucks, I walked past a mysteriously shrouded white canopy-like structure, blasting music with a queue of people.
My initial thought was “Why is the medical tent playing techno music?”, until a friend of mine ever-so-bitingly let me know that this was a secret stage, aptly named Schmall Klub. Still feeling tired from the hectic Ewan McVicar and Jayda G sets, I decided to give this a pass (for now).
After eating and spending some time re-grouping myself in the disco-influenced Poof Doof lounge, Logic1000 was the last act of the night, proving to be a pleasantly secluded Dance Dome experience. Logic1000’s style of DJing was uniquely warm and tinged with a notable deep-house touch, making her the perfect nightcap for day two.
View this post on Instagram
Day 3
Entering the latter half of the festival, things began to get tough for me. The right sole of my trusted Salomon hiking shoes gave out on me from the amount of dancing and walking I was subjecting myself to. Though my physical energy levels were quickly depleting, my spirit was still high and hopeful for the day ahead.
- Pro-tip #3: Bring more than one pair of active shoes. I was stuck with my beat-down Salomons, with the sole haphazardly tethered together by my shoelaces for the last two days, which definitely proved challenging on my feet.
The first venture of the third day entailed a visit to the aforementioned Schmall Klub, an intimate secret stage for those in the know. The atmosphere inside was buzzing, and what it lacked in stature, it made up for in effervescence.
Early evening featured a surprising turn of events beginning at 8pm with LUUDE. LUUDE’s Dance Dome set consisted of a heavy and relentless mix of left-field genres including dubstep, reggaeton and industrial techno. Looking behind me it was hard to see where the crowd ended and the rest of the festival began.
Following LUUDE was Taylah Elaine, playing a sultry set that had me dancing non-stop. Later, Lady Shaka took to the stage, playing (yet another) favourite set of mine, featuring callbacks to early 2000s R&B and pop music, remixed in a way that kept the crowd completely engaged throughout her hour and a half.
I must admit, walking through a massive crowd into the centre of the madness is not my forte, nor was it ever a desire of mine before this weekend, but now I can’t picture doing a festival any other way. This 8pm to midnight long haul in the Dance Dome completely reinvigorated my love of festivals and electronic music.
But the real MVP of the night? The food truck that mysteriously appeared in my peripheral at 1am which served me a hefty helping of life-saving nachos. I’m convinced they were sent by the festival gods themselves.
View this post on Instagram
Day 4
Waking up on the fourth and final day, I had only one thought, I need to clean myself right now.
- Pro-tip #4: Pack baby wipes. Baby wipes are the most refreshing thing you can possibly imagine, especially when you don’t have the patience necessary to wait for a shower to free up.
My makeshift baby wipe shower gave me a new lease on life, feeling refreshed and reinvigorated I started my final day of festival shenanigans.
Gold Fang was the first act I caught at the Main Stage, with his sunny blend of dancehall, hip hop, R&B and soul music it was the perfect way to kick off the warmest day of the festival.
I waited around at the ferris wheel for some friends of mine and headed over to the podcast stage for the first time to unwind for a couple of hours, gearing up for the night ahead.
Kicking off the early evening portion of day four, Flight Facilities’ decade DJ set was a journey through electronic music, playing classics from the 1980s up to the 2020s.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise what a “Decade DJ Set” was. They started playing The Prodigy’s Smack my B*tch Up, then Underworld’s Born Slippy, then Haddaway’s What is Love and it finally clicked for me when I loudly proclaimed, “This is the 1990s!”
Kettama’s blend of techno, breaks and drum and bass was up next at the Dance Dome. Following last night’s four-hour stretch in the Dance Dome, I wanted to venture all the way into middle of a noticeably massive crowd, proving to be a wise choice.
Though I had already seen Overmono at Pitch earlier in the year, I did not want to miss their unique take on UK garage. We arrived just in time to hear their song So U Kno, hedonistically dancing and jumping around on the outskirts of the main stage until their set concluded at 11:59pm.
Following Overmono was Peggy Gou who excitedly counted down to the New Year. My friends and I were holding out hope that the first song we would hear in 2024 would be her summer smash, It Goes Like (Na Na Na), but I was pleasantly surprised by the ensuing set being a vibrant acid-house and acid-techno blend, featuring squelching basslines and enthralling visuals projected behind her. She did eventually play It Goes Like (Na Na Na) to much fanfare from my group.
Following Peggy Gou’s set, we decided it was time to call it a night, and subsequently ended our Beyond The Valley experience on a high note.
View this post on Instagram
The Final Morning
The camping grounds were almost completely barren by the time I woke up from my heavy slumber. Festival flu symptoms were starting to set in, but it was a small price to pay for the memories I’d created.
Reflecting on Beyond The Valley, it was more than a music festival; it was a journey. A journey through genres, a journey through unexpected collaborations and a journey through the limitations of self-imposed poor snack preparation.
In the end, my friends and I left with ringing ears, sore feet and the unshakable feeling that we’d just witnessed something extraordinary. Beyond The Valley isn’t just a music festival; it’s a portal to a world where music reigns supreme and the absurdity of it all is celebrated with open arms.
For more on Beyond The Valley, head here.
