REVIEW: Beyond The Valley & Origin Fields Deliver An Excellent Festival With Wildlands

A new festival has hit Brisbane, full of all our electronica and hip hop dreams. From the team behind Melbourne’s Beyond The Valley and co-produced by Origin Fields, Wildlands is a great addition to kick off Brisbane’s festival season. 

Heading through the gates is smooth sailing and upon entry we are greeted by a bunch of robotic tigers and lions roaring over the music, fitting the whole ‘wild’ aspect.

Pic by Markus Ravik

It’s time to tick the first act off the list, and who better than Gold Coast-based brother/sister duo Lastlings. Dressed head-to-toe in black attire, the duo's deep bass vibrates throughout the crowd and Déjà Vu carries the set to an end. The synth makes the performance feel near otherworldly. They’re definitely a must-see act.

American R&B duo Lion Babe hit the stage for a breathtaking performance and singer Jillian Hervey flows effortlessly through each track, showing off her impressive vocal range accompanied by her dancing.

Lion Babe. Pic by Bianca Holderness

US rapper YBN Cordae makes standing in the heat worth it. YBN just wants the audience to have a good time, offering up a cover of Eminem’s My Name Is alongside consistent crowd interaction.

Willaris K brings his dark, melodic sound, which echoes across the Halo stage. Alchemy is clearly a crowd pleaser and is giving off heavy rave vibes. There is not a still body in sight.

Staying put for Dom Dolla, the Halo stage has now turned into a sauna. It’s hot and we’re sweating from places you should not be sweating. There’s no point trying to leave, the crowd has been swallowed for a hard out dance fest. Ending the set with banger Take It, it is definitely time to hydrate and prepare to keep on dancing. 

Green Velvet continues the “we are going to having you dancing all damn day” rule that Wildlands has clearly set and plays a set cram-packed with what can only be described as hectic electronic.

UK rapper Skepta delivers a dark, grimy performance, maintaining the crowd’s energy. Playing hits Shutdown and That’s Not Me, the whole set reaches a high as his featured song with A$AP Rocky, Praise the Lord (Da Shine), pounds throughout the showground. Everyone is jumping and chanting along. Skepta knows his audience and knows the vibe he wants to deliver. And boy did he deliver.

After a painstaking six-and-a-half-year wait, Tyler, The Creator has returned to Australia. The outdoor stage is bloody packed, and by packed, we mean we are standing like sardines in a god damn can. The crowd is hyped as Igor’s Theme begins and Tyler, donning his Igor get up (suit, sunglasses and blonde bowl cut), goes from staring the audience down to dancing like a maniac.

“Are we going to dance or what?” is screamed and I THINK keeps that high energy going. Dedicated Tyler fans get the biggest treat when Yonkers and She is performed, bringing back that teenage angst nostalgia that made us fall in love with Tyler in the first place. Who Dat Boy is absolutely wild, then he eases into a beautiful piano version of See You Again. Here’s to hoping it not be another six years until Aussie fans get another dose of Tyler, The Creator!

Tyler, The Creator. Pic by Markus Ravik

Closing the day’s festivities is RÜFÜS DU SOL, taking the crowd by storm with their live approach to their dreamy, drum and synth-drenched tracks. It’s refreshing to end the night taking it down a notch and appreciating their music. 

You Were Right is a crowd pleaser and then we cop the whopping nine-minute bop Innerbloom. Giving off nothing short of a hair raising performance, lead singer Tyrone Lindqvist’s voice soars throughout the crowd. The audience all joins in for the last verse, hanging onto each lyric and it is truly a special moment.

RUFUS DU SOL. Pic by Bianca Holderness

Wildlands, you were an absolute blast. With hopes for this to be an annual event, Wildlands was your typical, fun Aussie one-day festival. Good vibes, great acts, and an all-round excellent day.

Pic by Bianca Holderness