Leaving the city to spend New Year’s Day to be held in the comforting arms of Werribee Mansion alongside a banquet of house, cocktails and good company appeared to be a popular choice. And with good reason – upon arriving at Let Them Eat Cake I was impressed with the organisers ability to overcome the omnipresent flaws found in contemporary festivals; the lines weren’t long, the staff we’re uber-friendly and the perfect weather was the icing on the proverbial cake.
I arrived just in time to see Kerri Chandler. The sun and the crowd all came together throughout the New Jersey veterans set of decadent house which culminated in a blissful sense of unity when he rinsed the seminal Strings of Life. Chandler was followed by one of the most legendary names to spawn from Detroit, Theo Parrish, in what would turn out to be the utmost highlight in a day filled with opulence. Despite the gusty conditions interfering and skipping several of his records, Parrish’s signature joy and passion for music and performance shone through.
Expecting Pariah to play a techno-laden set, we ran over for a revitalizing twist but we were instead greeted with more house – and that is never, ever a bad thing. Flying Lotus was the inevitable final stop, which saw the Los Angeles’ beat pioneer perform an impromptu Captain Murphy set (his recently revealed rap alias), spin his rerub of $tunt$ and deliver a final drop of aural ecstasy with Kendrick Lamar’s Backseat Freestyle.
As we walked away from the Palace of Versailles stage we heard the sweet strings from one of 2012’s most ubiquitous tracks, Andres’ New For U, drifting through the air from Pearson Sound. A perfect end to the perfect day.
BY KISH LAL
Photo credit: Melissa Cowan
LOVED: Mr Oizo – $tunt$ (Flying Lotus Remix). If I could inject any song into my bloodstream, this would be it.
HATED: Dubstep (please go back to 2012 and die).
DRANK: Jasmin Gin & Tonic feat. cucumber.
