REVIEW: What We Loved From Splendour XR (Apart From No Bathroom Queue)

DAY ONE

Jumping into the Amphitheatre, Client Liaison are clad head-to-toe in white with a minor army of helpers dressed as angels and other fanciful costumes onstage vibing around the “crowd”. It feels like a fever dream out of Greek mythology with an '80s twist and they’ve really embraced a true festival vibe here; the manifested applause in the app does really try its best to add to proceedings. 

As the set starts to draw to a close, vocalist Monte Morgan jumps on the piano in a momentarily subdued moment, before building into a rousing rendition of House Of Holy, complete with some Ron Burgundy-esque jazz flute. The group chat is alive and well with people continuing to make quips like “meet me front left” and “do we have time to head to the bathroom” - but overall, Client Liaison met the festival brief here, and it’s a very Splendour-worthy showing from the pair and their crew.

Client Liaison "onstage" at Splendour XR

After accidentally being at the wrong virtual stage (whoops, but at least we don't have to run across the festial site), it’s over to the GW Mclennan Tent to catch WA art-rockers Methyl Ethel kicking off their set. Against an industrial backdrop, once again a band is clad in head-to-toe white. We clearly missed the memo, but nevertheless - Methyl Ethel kickstart with some otherworldly and lush soundscapes before launching into No Fighting. 

The trademark swooning, piercing vocals of Methyl Ethel frontman Jake Webb are firm here amid quite a subdued atmosphere overall in the performance; but it is actually quite fitting for the track overall, and these vibes continue into some dreamy, pulsing Radiohead energy with Schlager.

From creamy textures and oscillating arrangements, the entire set feels like a mojito early in a Sunday session: refreshing, smooth and generally pretty breezy. There’s some occasional chunk (Majestic AF) alongside some illustrations and cuts to some DIY camcorder vision - and it may be that second ‘Splendour-tini’ kicking in, but Neon Cheap and Ruiner brings some more energy from the band as they perform in their crisp and sparse industrial bubble. 

Scream Whole busts in with its staccato chorus, with the visuals cutting in time around the room offering a much-needed energy boost. As Ubu woozily closes out the set, the band “walk off” amind interchanging camcorder video; and while it’s definitely not the same without a crowd rabidly cheering them off, the noticeable interaction in the chat unironically enjoying the performance does help up the festival tone, with a final comment ‘I think I just fell for Methyl Ethel’ summing up proceedings.

Methyl Ethyl at Splendour XR

Skegss invite patrons into their smoke-drench Valhalla, aka what looks to be their local pub. The carpet on the stage is so worn and dated you can smell the stale beer and feel your feet sticking to the floor. We love it.

While it isn’t the SITG Amphitheatre setting we’ve become accustomed to, Skegss are in their element, offering up Down To Ride, Save It For The Weekend and Got On My Skateboard, the latter of which features brilliant chorus harmonies courtesy of bassist Toby Cregan. Cregan then grabs a six-string and takes lead for L.S.D, New York California and more, ushering in an all-out bedroom headbanging sesh. No advisable while wearing a VR headset.

Skeggs in the Splendour XR Amphitheatre

With the Mix Up stage decked out in a mellow lilac lighting, potted ferns and giant teddy bears, it’s immediately apparent that Pink Sweat$ is here for a big ol’ musical love-in. The stage persona of soul-pop crooner David Bowden, the Pink Sweat$ brand is clearly all about getting the feels just right and setting the mood for a velvety-toned musical experience.

Bowden’s effortlessly cool swagger (which is made all the more impressive by the presence of his long socks and pink crocs) makes easy work of inviting his audience through the screen and into his world. A soft, textured R&B daydream, the Philly singer manages to connect to his audience despite the pre-recorded nature of his show. It’s a wondrous spectacle as he serenades the camera with soulful jams like Heaven and At My Worst - it’s almost as if anyone viewing from the comfort of their home is suddenly face-to-face, one-on-one with Bowden.

With the difficulties that the artists face in terms of remotely recreating the live experience, it’s easy to see how many performers may not be able to rise to the occasion. However, Bowden plays the hand he’s dealt with a cheeky grin and a sunny disposition, even catching a flicker of the crowd experience at the end of the set by inviting the film crew up for a masks-on dance party.

Pink Sweat$ in the Splendour XR Mixup tent

Tash Sultana welcomes patrons into a studio decked out with gear, and instantly has a commanding yet relaxing presence with samples cascading into delicate bass, a tight beat, smooth trumpet and just the right amount of guitar shredding. It all sets the tone perfectly for the crisp guitar layers of Salvation. Although you lose some of the magic of a Tash Sultana performance via a stream (nothing beats seeing/hearing those soundscapes come to life in person), their Splendour XR set, complete with Mystik, Cigarettes and more, is a captivating and uplifting offering and the perfect soundtrack to a night in.

Tash Sultana at Splendour Xr

Back over on the Mix Up stage, Vera Blue’s light show is exactly what a virtual event like Splendour XR needs. Those watching via a big screen and decent sound system get about as close to an actual festival experience as you can from home. With trippy visually populating the background and moody shades wiping across the foreground, Lie To Me gives us a second wind eight hours into the event, and from there Vera Blue keeps the energy up with the likes of Private, Settle, Hold and All The Pretty Girls. Fans are also treated to the first-ever performance of unreleased song Temper.

Vera Blue's Splendour XR set

We’re kicking into the later moments of day one, and back at the McLennan stage we open up on a small, intimate room adorned with fairy lights, and Phoebe Bridgers and her band seated and ready to kick things off. Bridgers says 'hi' to the unseen crowd before announcing the first song is about someone who thinks it’s funny to talk in Cookie Monster voice for eight hours; and, as anyone who has experienced Phoebe Bridgers before can attest to, it’s ambient magic, and some much-needed nice vibes to distract from the clawing loss of not being at a festival in person. 

The whole visual vibe feels like we’ve stumbled into an intimate house party, and the cute DIY feel works as Garden Feel leaps out, with its stomping, driving chords and ethereal ways making you want to fall in love and/or break your heart in your own living room. There’s plenty of acoustic bliss and intimate moments as Bridgers and her band explore hits like Punisher and some Dashboard Confessional whisper vibes. Refreshingly, you can actually hear all the lyrics without a crowd around you, but being able to hear a pin drop in between songs on the main artist feed without the artificial applause does really remind you you’re definitely at home in trackie pants - but, it’s definitely a nice escape from reality. 

After some deliciously awkward banter amongst the band, Bridgers declares that the next song is about God not being real, and that she hates jogging and Elon Musk... but not actually, because she doesn’t want to cut Tesla ties. With that, Chinese Satellites oozes out of the screen and speakers into the soul, with babbling warmth and a softness that beautifully gets under the skin. 

Kyoto, Moon Song and Savior Complex follow on, with some otherworldly alien stings on Scott Street lurking beneath the rich harmonies and acoustic delights. As closing track I Know The End begins, you can feel and hear every moment of silence when Bridgers takes a pause, and we cop some nice visuals of the rest of the band as the dissonance ramps up and we are gifted a sudden burst of vehement, frenzied anguish, lined with acoustic and flourishing electric madness. As a parting gift, Bridgers throws in some menaced vocal “ahhhs”, before giggling at the end and declaring them to be her “Australian scream”.

Phoebe Bridgers on the GW McClennan stage

Last time Little Simz played in Australia (a 2019 tour off the back of a Splendour slot), the show was all tightly wound raw emotion. This time around we are presented with the next phase of Simz: dramatic, poised and polished but still a tightly wound performance. The British hip hop star appears front of stage with her band behind her on a platform. 

Simz prowls and skips across her stage area, with the set-up mostly leaving out the band interaction we witnessed in 2019. That is, until she brings forward her bass player for the night’s funkiest work out on One Life Might Live. The set leans heavily on 2019’s Grey Area material (Boss, 101 FM, Offence and more) as well as last year’s lockdown EP Drop 6. We also get the recent run of singles (Rollin Stone, Woman) plus we get to see her perform I Love You I Hate You for the first time (from her forthcoming Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert album). 

The only disappointment was minor and that was not being able to bring on singer Cleo Sol for Woman and Selfish, otherwise, we are thankful to witness Simz’ minimalist arrangements and rapid-fire wordsmithery at a point of her career we might have otherwise missed.

Splendour XR virtual crowd catching Little Simz

DAY TWO

It’s the beginning of day two, and at the McLennan stage there’s already a lot of love for Gretta Ray in the chat; and as the virtual balloons drop in the crowd and some bubbles leap out, we plunge into a beautifully backlit lounge room as Gretta Ray takes to the “stage”. 

Opening up with Passion, the sound is slick and Ray’s vocals are on firm display as she flits around the golden hour-soaked living room around her. At first, it borders on feeling like a music video, but Ray does genuinely work to engage with her virtual crowd, and the constant unexpected melodic shifts and flourishes are truly something to behold. 

Unwind is up next before she greets the “crowd” and acknowledges ‘how strange it is to be meeting in this environment'. Following on, we get a healthy mix of old and new, with Cherish off her impending debut album dropping next, gifting a pretty mesmerising journey through heartbreak, and Radio Silence, which has Ray hitting the big notes and wandering around the space like a metaphorical golden feather. 

Human offers a coquettish yet charming adventure, and there’s also some nice, authentic interactions between the band that drives more of a festival feel into proceedings - as does Ray’s charming anecdote about one of her favourite live show memories playing Splendour in 2017, and the unexpected giant crowd singing along to the next song she’s about to play. It has to be, of course, Drive, her breakout song and the goosebumps are real from the second Ray opens her mouth.

Ray twirls and lives her best Splendour life here, with her genuine smile reflecting the crowd’s actual reaction in the chat; there’s noticeable chatter about the crowd loving her actually talking to the crowd to remind them they’re at a festival, and you can almost hear the crowd chiming in as the song draws to a close. And to close out this short but very sweet set, Bigger Than Me throws in some electronic tinges that adds a whole new hue to the set; it’s airy, lush and fluid, and amid the hair flip and adorable dancing, Gretta Ray effortlessly proves herself as an absolute Queen of virtual Splendour before the screen fades to black.

Gretta Ray kicking off Splendour XR day two

Anyone who’s seen - or even just heard - the work of Ziggy Ramo will know that the Australian hip hop artist is not one for half measures. From the get-go of his performance, the rapper bursts onto the stage with a sense of ferocious intent that is rarely seen elsewhere.

Blasting into incredible protest tracks like April 25th and White Lies, Ramo intersperses his tunes with confronting clips of news reports on blackface costuming and audio of powerful Australian figures suggesting fatal detainment of First Nations people as a “solution”. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but as Ramo screams out in pain and the show transcends into a powerful piece of performance art, it’s a necessary one.

While the artist is unapologetically authentic and uncensored when it comes to his subject matter, Ramo cuts through his strong exterior at the end of his performance, with an impassioned and heartwarming plea for universal love. He dedicates his time on stage to the likes of Elijah Doughty and George Floyd (whose fate he calls “same story, different soil"), and reiterates that his advocation is for the simplest and most universal of desires - respect.

Ramo is always a must-watch on the festival circuit, and even in the virtual realm, he still rises to that title.

Ziggy Ramo kicking off the Sunday proceedings for Splendour XR

With the likes of Willow and Olivia Rodrigo at the helm of this newfound '00s pop-punk renaissance, the world seems to be ready for an emo throwback like no other. Enter Aviva - the Aussie artist who has made a name for herself via Youtube and has already gone on to support US megastar Poppy on her tour in 2018. If that doesn’t scream in the face of the MySpace generation, nothing else will.

Aviva - full name Aviva Anastasia Payne - is blending elements of dark-pop, metal, screamo and stacks more into a musical powerhouse dripping with nostalgia for anyone born after 1990. From the industrially spooky GRRRLS to the distortedly disconnected RABBIT HOLE, Payne is carrying the torch for her wayside comrades like Sleeping With Sirens and Evanescence.

Payne manages to tick all the boxes of a typical emo gig without it ever feeling stale or unnatural. Staring dead-eyed down the barrel of the camera while her band thrashes behind her, the prototypical stage dressing of doll parts and TVs playing static, the quick cuts between hi-def filming and old-school shaky cam, everything is done not only well, but with a genuine passion for the craft.

Aviva on the Splendour XR Mixup stage

If you were looking for a high energy performance for your Sunday evening, Amyl & The Sniffers certainly provided it. The Melbourne four-piece have lost none of their ferocity over the course of a quiet touring year, flying out the gate with their latest single, the blistering Guided By Angels. The intensity doesn’t stop throughout the whole set and it’s a welcome reminder of the effort the group, and particularly fast-moving frontwoman Amy Taylor, put into every performance. Set highlights include Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled), Got You and of course, their very excellent cover of Patrick Hernandez’s ‘70s hit Born To Be Alive. Amyl & The Sniffers are among the country’s best live acts and their Splendour XR proves that once again.

Amyl & The Sniffers explosive Splendour XR set

In the midst of ongoing lockdowns and very real struggles for the music industry, it’s refreshing to see the joy on the crowd’s face during The Avalanches set. Filmed at Sydney’s iconic Enmore Theatre during their recent tour, it’s clear that the Melbourne duo - Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi - have been missed. The set celebrates the pair’s Australian Music Prize Award-winning album We Will Always Love You, pulling the crowd in at both the in-person show and at home during the Splendour XR experience, making for a dreamy addition to your Sunday evening. We Go On mixed with Queen’s I Want To Break Free is always sure to be a good time and we’re hoping it's not too long until we get to experience The Avalanches again.

The Avalanches on the Splendour XR Amphitheatre stage

Jungle come at us from London, all matching-autumnal-colours (isn’t it summer there?) and cruisy attitude. The seven-piece deliver a greatest hits set, leading with the two most recent singles Talk About It and the disco-fevered Keep Moving (one of the year’s best tracks - won’t hear otherwise). Then it’s a slew of floor fillers from their 2014 debut self-titled set and 2018’s For Ever. Building from the ‘90s club vibes of The Heat rolling through a series of their ambigroove classics: Beat 54, Happy Man, Cherry and another disco treat in Casio. Building to a climactic end of big dance strings, big harmonies and big uplifting anthems in Pray, the big hit Busy Earning and Time. Shouting out, in the final bars of Time, that promise we want them to keep “back in Australia soon”.

Jungle playing for the Splendour XR crowd

Amphitheatre stage Sunday night headliners The Killers definitely delivered a set worth talking about. Kicking off with Human from their 2008 album Day & Age, their set was already shaping up to be a big one but it wasn’t long until viewers realised that the band had reunited their original line-up - frontman Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bass player Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr - for the first time in years following Keuning and Stoermer’s breaks from the group. A memorable Splendour moment indeed. The show continued with hits like When You Were Young, The Man, Spaceman, and Caution, as well as more tender moments like A Dustland Fairytale (sadly there was no surprise appearance from recent collaborator Bruce Springsteen) and Read My Mind. Of course, the group’s best-known hit Mr Brightside made an appearance in their encore set, proving once again why they continue to sell out shows around the world.

Arriving at a time when many parts of the county are in lockdown, Splendour XR was a much-needed break from reality and a bittersweet event that provided countless highlights while reminding many we've still got so far to go until the conversations in the virtual chat are played out in person on festival sites.

Hope to see you at the Amphitheatre soon.

Splendour XR RELIVE is available from today until this Sunday, August 1, on mobile or browser.