Eastern Creek Raceway… Not the first place that comes to mind when you think music festival. And there was plenty of reasons why!
Welcomed to Western Sydney by a flow of torrenting punters, getting to the venue was remarkably easy, and getting in, even easier (for those who remember last year). So besides the issues of no drinks to buy, a 20 minute trek to Stages 5&6, and the weatherman, the lineup delivered what the organisers had promised, 10x over.
Entering to a mellow crowd infront of Sunny Day Real Estate was surprising, delivering hits from their latest albums and unfortunately baring the hottest part of the day. Peaking at a very dry and windy 35C punters were starting to blame the heatstroke on the organisers choice of venue.
Bugger that we thought, we were here for the music and nothing other!
Seeing international acts You Me At Six and Taking Back Sunday was the perfect warmup for what was to be the craziest mosh of the day.. Alexisonfire. Taking Back Sunday’s frontman Adam Lazzara wooing crowds just like he always has and always will, performing one of the day’s favourite set lists.
But if we’re honest, nothing, and I mean nothing was as crazy as Alexisonfire. Bodies flying over the barrier every 5 seconds, the heat, alcohol and the little amount of space was the prerequisite and boy did they get it. Alexis easily pulling one of the largest and most entertained crowds of the day, with very few people sitting even on the back hill.
Due to around a 40 minute delay on Stage’s 1 and 2, every teen girl lined up for Stage 2 had begun to pass out from either excitement or exhaustion from chanting Hayley! Hayley! Hayley!, but boy was it worth the wait. Paramore saved the best till last with Decode, Misery Business and Brick by Boring Brick making crowds jump and scream.
The 3 headline bands did not disappoint in the slightest. Jane’s Addiction, Jimmy Eat World and Faith No More… All incredibly famous yet incredibly entertaining. Jane’s Addiction took place on the stage accompanied with quite an odd though not bad prop setup. This was quickly dismissed as everyone realised they were back as crowds jumped to their memorable hits.
Jimmy Eat World, pulled possibly one of the top crowds of the night, hitting hard from the beginning with “Sweetness” yet closing with more hits such as “Pain, Hear You Me, Bleed American and the ever famour The Middle”. Jimmy Eat World was a half-half vote, half the crowd being absolutely stunned and the other seeming quite the opposite. It was two-thumbs up from us though!
Down to the final act of the night, we saw the funk-rock act Faith No More shine over the entire raceway. They were clearly still on top of their game, proving an 11 year hiatus had done nothing to their on-stage chemistry. “Midlife Crisis” was a hit with even most of the younger generation’s recognizing the riff’s and beats.
All in all, the music was awesome, the day was awesome, the people were awesome, heck even the security were awesome! But the venue was not..
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