I probably couldn’t have hoped for a better introduction to Falls than an orgasmic set from Client Liaison. With a shtick that sticks, they proved themselves the best party-starters going around. Followed by those grand old dames of hip hop, Salt N Pepa, we witnessed a good, if a little surprising, show. Long-time sidekick DJ Spinderella mainly mashed up random tracks by other artists, with a few SNP tunes in-between. Still, it was Salt N Pepa motherfucker. Alison Wonderland closed out the first night with a party set which proved why she’s the go-to on the Oz DJ circuit right now.
I woke up on day two mid-tent collapse and missed the ambient set from 17-year-old prodigy Japanese Wallpaper while nailing things down and dodging the rain. I caught the tail-end of The Art of Sleeping’s shoe-gazey set, and I’d recommend looking up the Brisbane boys’ debut LP when it drops in 2015.
The Kite String Tangle’s electronic gems pulled the first big crowd of the day, reflecting both Danny Harley’s musical chops and the loyalty of his burgeoning fan base. I returned to camp to don a jacket and was hoping to make it back in time for Dan Sultan and DZ Deathrays, but I found a marquee upside-down on my car. Had to fix that. On questioning a few people back at the gig though, it seems I missed a couple hours of seriously good tunes. Bummer.
Bizarrely-named Germans Milky Chance put in a popular set in the freezing Falls night, though I’m not sure if the crowd was there for the music or just huddling together for warmth. By the time The Temper Trap hit the stage, it became obvious everyone was definitely there for the tunes. Jamie xx’s set whipped the crowd into a near-frenzy before chilling down and leaving most people content to go and find their tents (hopefully still standing) after an excellent day of music. Final act Big Freedia managed to keep a few punters keen, but the wind and the rain had taken their toll and the big New Orleans bounce seemed a bit off-piste in the cold conditions.
Day three began with possibly even more trying weather than day two, but I managed to catch an uplifting set from the Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir, and my scowl was replaced by a smiling ‘Hallelujah!’ Local lads The Pierce Brothers delivered a lively show to a loving crowd, and made the most of their chance to fulfil a long-held dream of playing at Falls. Nice blokes.
I’d been waiting for years to catch The Black Lips live, and I wasn’t disappointed. Their dirty rock’n’roll reminded me of some of the best guitar music of the last five decades – like The Modern Lovers and Parquet Courts were jamming for a Tarantino soundtrack. Ásgeir were next, and though it was slightly bizarre to see a collective of big bearded dudes playing such intricate music, in a way it just made the whole thing more impressive. I wouldn’t say a bad word anyway, just in case they do have Viking tendencies.
A lot of punters named Jagwar Ma as best in show for this year’s Falls – their set of top notch indie bangers would go down well anywhere. Following that, I wasn’t expecting Cloud Control to blow my mind quite like they did, but a mash-up of their 2009 hit Gold Canary with Butthole Surfers’ Pepper was inspired – seriously, they had me at ‘butthole.’ Back in the tent, Sydney’s Movement proved to be one of the surprise highlights – their ambient man pop held a big crowd enthralled. Expect good things from their debut LP this year.
I never found La Roux particularly inspiring, especially since producer Ben Langmaid split the duo. The highlight of the show was probably remaining member Elly Jackson’s extremely large pants – I’d perhaps suggest she change her moniker to Le Grand Pantalon now she’s going it alone. Empire of the Sun put on a technicolour display for the huge crowd, and it was clear to see why Luke Steele’s gone worldwide – it was easily the best spectacle of the festival and I’d guess more than a few minds were lost during this giant set.
Horns of Leroy opened day four for me. If anyone in Melbourne needs a brass section, I’d recommend these guys for sure. Thelma Plum and Megan Washington were also among the early highlights – Plum looked nervous for the tent crowd but delivered nonetheless; Washington’s energetic show got the main stage crowd up and dancing. The rockingest gig of the festival was delivered by Kingswood; it seemed a culminating moment for these local lads after years of graft. You done us proud, boys. Onyas.
Vance Joy grabbed the title for Most Hugs and Selfies in the Crowd During a Set, and Spiderbait had the only genuine old-school mosh of the festival. The high expectations on Glass Animals were matched with an impressive show, while Bluejuice probably could’ve laid off the booze a bit before one of their last-ever gigs. When Alt-J hit the stage, their emotive low-key tunes seemed a semi-downer with only minutes left till midnight, but it didn’t dampen the crowd. Spiderbait’s Kram and his kids counted in the New Year (quite cute) and got everyone all abuzz for a winning set from dance stalwarts The Presets.
Festivities kicked on till God knows when and most everyone stumbled grinning into 2015 – it was the end of another bloody good Falls. The weather wasn’t smiling, but in a weird way, it seems overcoming the adversity of tricky conditions created vibes of unity and goodwill between all concerned. When the sun finally emerged on New Year’s Eve, it portended a perfectly raucous end to 2014. And indeed it was. Happy 2015 and thanks, Falls, see you again next year.
BY JULIAN DOUGLAS
Photo by Ian Laidlaw
Loved: Neighbours. Everybody needs good neighbours.
Hated: Leaving.
Drank: All sorts
