Live Review: Groovin The Moo

A trail of empty traveller receptacles line Holmes Road, Bendigo. What time is it? Groovin The Moo time! As we enter the festival site, there's even less cow onesies than last year. Could this 'trend' finally be over? 

We sadly missed her set this morning (hello, 12.15pm slot), but Tkay Maidza radiates around the Udder Mayhem industry bar, happily posing for selfies with fans and deserving all the attention. Meg Mac does an impressive job on Channel [V] stage, resplendent in what appears to be a black velvet cape with lush black and white striped lining. There's an enthusiastic crowd clap-along even though her music's not all that upbeat and the recipient of last year's J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year is ready to soar in 2015. 

Over on Moolin Rouge stage, DMA's are givin' it all that. They do what they do so well, but it really is impossible to imagine viewing an entire set by the Newtown trio without hearing someone nearby murmur "Oasis". But until Oasis reform (unlikely), we're lovin' it!










It's too nice a day to spend undercover so One Day get lucky. But then the hip hop supergroup take a while to get going on the triple j stage so we head back under the big top for Saskwatch. Nkechi Anele gives so much - she really feels the music, which translates to rhythmic, raunchy dance moves - but there's still a lot of chatter among audience members. All the lights are on and they sound fantastic, but these soulsters don't demand our full focus like they should. 

Spoke too soon alert: three cow onesies are sighted.

According to Sticky Fingers, over on Channel [V] stage, "STIFI" is an abbreviation of their band name (as per their backdrop). One Day join them onstage for Gold Snafu ("I wish I was next to you"). Amended cow onesie sightings: five. "Hey, fuck y'all very much!" And with that Sticky 

Fingers fare us well. 

Truly getting the party started on Moolin Rouge stage, A$AP Ferg then uses the power of his mic to highlight an important issue: "Fuck racism, man!" Gunshot sound effects punctuate the action and there's an "I got 'hos" sing-along. It's all bouncing mayhem in the tent and Ferg plus henchman get busy with super-soakers. happening from members on the stage. There's a fervent mosh and crazy martial arts-style moves in the crowd. Feel those bass drops rumble! A$AP Ferg, we salute you. 

After two 'flying cows' are witnessed up in the Slingshot, our bovine onesie  count reaches seven. 

The Preatures perform Boys In Town (Divinyls) on triple j stage and a punter waves a DIY "Tune" flag on a long pole in the air. Agreed. What a bona fide classic! 

San Cisco pull the crowd of the day into Moolin Rouge thanks to their catchy-as-hell earworm, Awkward (yeah, you know that "da-da-da-da" song?) Scarlett Stevens' vocals still disappoint live, though. The Preatures frontvixen Izzy Manfredi appears onstage to help out on Fred Astaire, but the punters' best response is reserved for RUN. As for frontman Jordi Davieson's grungey new straggly long 'do? Not sure about it. He may just be too cute to pull it off. 

You Me At Six are on before six, which throws everyone. Over on triple j stage, Ball Park Music deliver their usual consistent set of punchy tracks, but they've slickened up their endearing geekiness, which is unsettling. Still, it's hard to resist Sad Rude Future Dude and Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You.  

The master DJing before Peaches drops OutKast's Hey Ya! and causes delightful Splendour 2014 flashbacks. And of course a stagehand setting up for the Canadian boundary pusher wears a t-shirt bearing the slogan: "Whose Jizz Is This." Peaches (aka Merrill Nisker) comes out all "What the fuck? Don't you know who I am?" Standing then crouching on the consoles and shit. Her backup dancer duo enter dressed as vaginas for a song repeatedly mentioning Vaginoplasty. Nisker rides a security guard's shoulders through the photography pit in order to get in her audience's faces. Her costume changes happen onstage and it's all very DIY (Peaches Does Herself, indeed) at present. She goes out into crowd, walking high and assisted by crowd members, for as long as possible and then drops into a crowd-surf, warning, "If I fall, show's over!" before riding the tide back to the stage. Whether or not Groovin The Moo is ready for Peaches, the world could use more like her.

Hermitude attract the majority of the Moo herd over to Channel [V] stage and we make it there just in time to hear their swell remix of Odesza's Say My Name. There's some cracking visuals on the giant screens and a wearable drumpad unit, which straps on like a guitar, smokes our collective noodles. We certainly don't need "that little devil on [our] shoulder" to tell us to dance during Speak Of The Devil and Hermitude's upcoming Dark Night Sweet Lightalbum should take them global. 

A new area, The Plot, debuts at The Moo this year (or have we only just noticed it?) for the ravers among us; the moves being cut within are always worth a passing glance.

Charli XCX and her all-female band continue today's "Pussy Power" (as spoken by Charlotte Emma Aitchison herself) theme on the triple j stage.  All onstage wear zebra-print outfits, but specially tweaked, individual styles designed to flatter; kind of like when Beyonce's mum designed all of Destiny's Child's outfits, Aitchison's get-up is still the sassiest. She humorously plays a massive oversized inflatable guitar (as if it's real). Rolling out Icona Pop's I Love It is genius (whether or not you realise Charli XCX wrote the song and features in the chorus). This young English singer-songwriter is super-slick and works that mic stand like a boss. "Who's drunk in here?" She enquires. Zero response.Break The Rules and Fancy (the Iggy Azalea song Aitchison features on) seal the deal.

On the neighbouring Channel [V] stage, a backdrop that resembles an animated Ladyhawke wearing a wolf head- style hat reminds us who's up next. Wolfmother enter, charging full steam ahead and New Moon Rising is sparkling rock'n'roll. Frontman Andrew Stockdale's still got it, but when he sits on the stage, instructing, "Listen to my poetry," it's all a bit much. Announcing the band will play a fair few new songs this evening makes us lose interest further. The spell's broken beyond repair. And then we negotiate the commoooote back to Melbourne.