Live Review: Groovin The Moo

A few hours among a number of sweaty and dusty music lovers in the middle of nowhere will teach you a) people apparently love to wear legionnaire hats now, b) dry dusty dirt is much, much better than a ridiculous abundance of mud, and c) sunshine will lift the spirits of anybody. The Oakbank leg of the Groovin The Moo tour today was a number of all of the above, as well as a baby doll strapped to a stick and the mysterious smell of garlic bread wafting through every ten minutes.

Grenadiers are the first to take the stage after a solemn ANZAC service. The Adelaide punk band have incorporated one of Adelaide's finest beers (Coopers Pale Ale clearly) and branded it "Original Pale Males". It establishes the high energy that GTM is known for, and the boys weren't discouraged by the early set time. Camaraderie is clear with the band encouraging the early punters to see fellow Adelaideans West Thebarton Brothel Party.

West Thebarton Brothel Party was full of people familiar with the vibe and the crowd and band fed each other. Despite the noise the seven-piece band can make, the sound quality seemed a little off. Vocals were quiet and at times made it difficult to understand what the songs were. Regardless, the bands had good early session vibes.

Recently having come off of a tour with the Hilltop Hoods, AB Original worked the crowd like magic. For the time of the day, the crowd was exceptionally chill. The tone continued when Harts brought in his set. The big sounds that Harts creates work for the time of the day. It's easy to listen to; punters can walk in during the middle of the set and still have a great time. It seems fitting that Harts gives Prince a heartfelt tribute in his set — the influence of Prince is evident in Harts' music.

An easy highlight was Ngaiire's spot. She has a really powerful stage presence that easily reminds you of Bjork/Beyonce/Nicki Minaj but at the same time is entirely her. She can holler down the house when she wants to. The stage was atmospheric, using the shade of the Moolin Rouge tent  to waft dry ice in and out. Ngaiire's back-up singers (all fantastic in their own right) were fun to watch. The day seems set up as a giant celebration of cool-arse music.

Emma Louise is a fantastic, intimate performer. Using her softer vocals, she draws the crowd in, and keeps them hooked with her neat sound production and band. A smooth and nice set, like a chill afternoon whisky. The crowd was smaller but, keeping in line with today's concepts, definitely there to see her.

The DZ Deathrays crowd was insane, and running pits were encouraged. The aftermath of the whole set was sweaty punters and dust pits. The grass had been worn off the ground. The set itself started off a little bit rocky — the sound wasn't quite matched up to the band — but finished off with a bang.

David Ansari and Parissa Tosif of Vallis Alps were totally dreamy, their mesmerising vibes capturing the Moolin Rouge tent. The eager crowd sported an abundance of glitter and gumboots (despite the lack of mud, last year's horror show seemed to scar groovers for life). Their easy electro beats were a good mid-afternoon treat, letting the vibes and bevvies flow. The driving percussion was great as Tosif's voice sailed through tracks like Thru and Young.

Drapht's unique, funky sound swept the crowd to the Channel V stage, as the stiff wind picked up and the crowd bounced and flailed. "Oakbank are feeling really fucking good today." Perhaps some of us a little too good. Newer track Dancin' John Doe grooved, while Jimmy Recard and All Love were definite crowd favourites.

British India were good in the way the sound and the crowd interacted, but by being in the Moolin Rouge tent, it meant that the crowd had the advantage of the set still feeling intimate. They also had some fun with the setlist, playing an interesting medley of Tusk by Fleetwood Mac and a Rage Against The Machine track (which totally works).

The blaring heat of the afternoon sun was starting to become a little more merciful as we braved the rays for MS MR, some cool vibes and a decent-sized crowd. The duo were good, not necessarily worthy of managing a few thousand-strong crowd, but decent enough to get some interested listeners for Criminals and Hurricane.

Token metal act of the day In Hearts Wake pulled a keen audience, as Kyle Erich's clean vocals soared through the tent and pulled the curious ear of otherwise un-metal festival goers.

SAFIA get bigger and better every single time, their eclectic mixture of grooves soaring across the crowd. Newer track Make Them Wheels Roll has such a good bouncing beat the gig may have been the basis for a low-key earthquake.

Adelaide's trap lovers gathered for their meeting of moshpits and throwdowns during What So Not's epic set in the tent. The crowd was a sight to behold, as the light show drove punters insane and everyone totally lost their minds to Tell Me and Gemini.

Jarryd James opens his timeslot by straight-up singing. No introduction needed. James seems to invoke the lighter side of R&B music, keeping his performance subdued and personal. It seems as if he's a shy performer, quietly saying thank you after each song. The crowd appreciates it though and the whole time is a relaxing break.

When you hear a band name like Client Liaison you start to think of different genres that might work with it. The band walks out in glam glitter '80s outfits, with coordinated dance moves and a stage that's set up like a business room (complete with giant watercoolers). No previous knowledge of the band is required to appreciate the fun twist they put on their sound. It's a little bit yuppy, a bit glam and a bit trashy. But it's so much fun to watch.

One of the great things about Groovin is the ability of the festival to put all types of groovers in the same groove. It's not often the pop-punk act of the day draws as large a crowd as Twenty One Pilots did. Entertainment and ostentatiousness runs through their veins the way their whacky hybrid of rap/synth pop/rock/punk music runs across genres and generations. Closing off with Car Radio and Guns For Hands while scaling a 20-metre scaffolding proves that you can make quality music and be really fucking entertaining.

The Rubens were a highlight, playing their triple j Hottest 100 winner Hoops to a very enthusiastic crowd. Sam Margin owns the stage, slinking around and interacting with the crowd. Crowdsurfing is always a risk, but Margin took control with his own portable dingy. There was a champagne shower, and climbing of the stage to bring a kinetic, loose vibe to the whole experience. Also using their set to bring out REMI and The Meeting Tree to play during a song, it's clear the artists are all friends. It's been such a joy to see the friendship between other musicians, especially on a festival scale.

The masterminds behind Odesza are so in sync with each other that their enthusiastic headbopping is disconcertingly synchronised. They perfectly execute their "chill but upbeat" fairyland tunes for a large group of dusty, dehydrated human beings, aided by the presence of a live trombonist. It's a perfect point in the night to wind down for a wee minute.

Danny Brown's set was insane, with clear production quality (well it was audible from the other side of the Oakbank Racecourse). The lights to accompany the audiovisuals were going off and the crowd was having a wild time. Definitely a set worth watching.

The bass throbbed deeply through the battered grasslands — Golden Features was taking his place as one of Australia's best-known producers for driving people batshit nuts. The moshpits turned into humans bouncing off each other with the energy of a rampant child after two cups of coffee and a Galactic Grape Zooper Dooper.

Boy & Bear are suitably darling, their sweet-as-honey sound a nice way for some punters to wind down and for others to get up and swing-dance. Golden Jubilee, Southern Sun and Feeding Line are amongst the most popular.

Illy is always a favourite. The crowd obviously adores him, and it's clear he adores the crowd. The two work each other to keep the vibe going and it's a wild time for everyone. The sound has some teething issues at the start but eventually settles, with Illy quickly moving through verses with little to no trouble at all. A fun choice to have in the later spots.

Australia's freshest export in the land of EDM comes in the form of powerhouse performer Alison Wonderland. Her confidence in her performances has totally skyrocketed in the past year. Her remixes are creative and innovative, but it's when she drops her originals that she is truly phenomenal and her pure musical talent shines through.

Instrumentalist group Ratatat are not much more than that, instrumentalists. Their tunes are groovy and a good wind-down for a relatively hectic day, with Abrasive and Cream On Chrome performed to a good reception.

Groovin' is a treasure — a place for beautiful souls to gather to listen to music, groove, moo, and meet other like-minded gems. Here's to a long, happy life, GTM.