Live Review: Day Three - Splendour In The Grass 2019

Hey Splendour legends. How are you feeling? Guess what? We made it through! One short battle to get out of the campground (remember to clean up your rubbish) and you’ll be smooth sailing in no time. In the interim, reminisce with us as we take you through day three. Yes, the struggle is real.

A big “thank ya, to all of ya, for comin’ out early” and Pist Idiots were on the stage in true pissed idiot fashion. It was a devoted and passionate crowd for the opening Sunday slot, as those still standing dusted off the cobwebs and got around the band’s tasty merch. Coldplay style, it was all yellow. Sorry for stealing your joke. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt to the biggest crowd they had ever played for, frontman Jack Sniff led the band through a ripper set of tasty punk treats. The only thing that could top their excellent track Fuck Off? A Buzzcocks cover.

Pist Idiots. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Australia is a true hub for scuzzy garage rock and Spacey Jane are a prime example that there is something in the water here. Extremely nonchalant at the start of their set, their laid back, chorus-soaked guitars melodies were like a B12 shot for our morning - but we neared going back to the sleeping bag before their punk side came out. Infectious roars opened up the Mix Up tent for a quick mosh before their set closer Keep A Clean Nose blew our haircut off.

Spacey Jane. Photo by Clare Hawley.

When Erthlings took the stage at GW McLennan at midday, a small crowd of bleary-eyed punters had gathered to watch. Frontwoman Isabelle Lowe’s clear vocals were like a glass of cold water, refreshing the crowd for the final day of festivities. Although they haven’t quite worked out their stage presence yet, overall they successfully delivered a sweet, if slightly tentative set.

Erthlings. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Over at Splendour Forum we had a quick break from the tunes at a Q&A session with Anthony Albanese, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Dr David Caldicott and Will Connolly. 

Emma Alberici hosted the panel and the first question, relating to pill testing, was directed at harm minimisation and drug testing advocate, Dr David Caldicott. "Anything that reduces the risk is worth trying," he declared. Hard to argue with that. Religious freedom was another lengthy topic with everyone chipping in before Will "Eggboy" Connolly was asked if his egging of Anning was a suitable protest. The conversation progressed to the current state of politics in Australia and the disengagement from young people, before covering Indigenous treaty and the paltry Newstart allowance. 

Slowly Slowly kept things heavy in the Ampitheatre after Pist Idiots, a legion of pop-punk fans returning to their misspent youth by breaking out the eyeliner and stretchers. Bon Iver’s Skinny Love got some big fat love and it was obvious this was a real community. 

Slowly Slowly. Photo by Clare Hawley.

Despite being one of the youngest acts on the line-up, the talented KIAN has confidence and stage presence beyond his years. He took the stage at the Mix Up tent as if he was born to do it, leading the crowd in a huge singalong to his recent tune Childism. After a few more chills songs, he took things up a notch by bringing Kwame out on stage for a killer rendition of Baker Boy’s Cloud 9.

KIAN. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

At the start of the day, it's safe to say we were dusty literally and figuratively - but being transported to Brooklyn and away from our hangovers by the energetic Phony Ppl squad and their overwhelmingly self-love-driven tunes definitely helped us get back on the dancefloor. Their first trip to our shores was a huge success, the tent packed for the Phony Ppl groove. Decked out head to toe in New York kit and spruiking the joys of their city, you had to wonder whether the tourism board were in on it. With a shirtless, Bootsy Collins-type groove coming from Bari Bass and Elijah Rawk shredding like Jack White, our hearts were pretty dang warm. Our feet were even warmer though, and the dancefloor became a sweatbox. What an entrance.

Phony Ppl. Photo by Clare Hawley.

The Beths pulled a small crowd, which is slightly upsetting because this New Zealand band were excellent. One middle-aged man sprinted down the hill, rocking the Crocs, to fist pump on the barrier: he knew what was up.

The Beth. Photos by Pete Dovgan.

British electronic duo HONNE (fleshed out with a backing singer, keyboardist and drummer) were a good choice for a mid-afternoon romp at Mix Up. It was easy to move to, easy to get into the tent, and generally great vibes were had. You could even dance without worrying about whacking someone in the crotch with your flossing. The slow groove of Good Together saw a big singalong with a surprising number of people yelling the words back. 

"We didn't come here to fuck spiders!" chuckled Andy Clutterbuck, sharing that he is, in fact, half Australian. It was enough for this crowd, they were treating this group as their own with their enthusiastic interaction.

HONNE. Photo by Clare Hawley.

American outfit Charly Bliss were stoked to be playing and had no trouble showing it. Tearing through a set filled with epic drum fills and insane guitar solos, the group made sure everyone in the small crowd was up and dancing. Frontwoman Eva Hendricks' unique voice was straight out of a '90s teen movie and made you want to grow your angst fringe out and headbang at your mum.

Charly Bliss. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Brisbane’s Last Dinosaurs made the trip down the Pacific Highway and embraced the afternoon sun to deliver a magical set. Fun indie-rock just before the golden hour was the ideal way to enjoy one last sunshine beer on the hill.

Last Dinosaurs. Photo by Clare Hawley.

Is there a better party than Set Mo when you're priming for a huge final night? The Sydney dance duo set the mood for the evening with guests that impressed and beats that didn't disappoint. KLP, Thandi Phoenix, Woodes and more all jumped up on stage for different tracks, elevating the party to the next level. All the hits came out and duo surely secured a later slot next time around.

Set Mo. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Our chests hurt a damn lot after Psychedelic Porn Crumpets set, not least from laughing at singer Jack McEwan's running commentary of the blown-up franger bouncing around the crowd during soundcheck. They brought a much-needed dose of heavy psych to the day, giving moshers a reason to let go of that pent-up energy. Easy highlight Keen For Kick Ons? not only bruised our ribs but drained our lungs with that monster chorus. It was a true moment of Perth pride when the crowd sang along note-for-note to Cornflake. These boys will be on the main stage next Splendour - watch this space.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Photo by Clare Hawley.

Just as the light was beginning to fade, Australia’s own golden boys The Rubens took the stage at the Amphitheatre and faced the steadily growing crowd. Their set was full of old and new favourites, as well as an unreleased tune featuring American rapper Vic Mensa. Although he wasn’t there in person, Mensa appeared on the big screens behind the band, sending the crowd wild. But the outfit weren’t done with surprise collabs yet. Towards the end of older tune Hallelujah, G-Flip appeared and delivered an epic drum duet with The Rubens’ own Scott Baldwin. After greeting the crowd with, "What's up, Splendy?" she and frontman Sam Margin launched into recent hit Never Ever, backed by just about every person in the crowd. 

The Rubens. Photo by Peter Dovgan.

Following the previous day's trend, this was the time slot people came to dance at Mix Up - this time for Mansionair. It might have been a little more downbeat, but you can still slow groove to Hold Me Down and Falling. Five years after the group met in Byron, Jack Froggatt gave a shout out to the place that started everything, sharing that playing a sunset slot meant the world to them. His sweet voice surrounded us and we swayed into the evening with a set that confirmed their standing in the country's electronic scene.

Mansionair. Photo by Clare Hawley.

 In his classic fashion, Matt Corby took the stage on Sunday evening barefoot and serene. Nestled among an array of instruments including bongos, drums, a flute and keyboard, as well as his fellow bandmates, Corby looked right at home and ready to bring the packed crowd to their knees. Safe to say he did just that, driving many to tears with flawless renditions of crowd favourites like Souls A'Fire, Brother and Resolution. Taking things up a notch, halfway through delivering his soulful Like A Version cover of Tina Arena’s Chains he was joined on stage by none other than Arena herself. The pair brought the absolute house down, the combination of their powerhouse vocals driving the crowd wild. In an epic end to an epic set, he introduced Meg Mac, Jarryd James, Broods and Joyride to the stage to join him in a beautifully harmonised Miracle Love.

Matt Corby. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Grammy-nominated artist Tycho brought the old school electronica to Mix Up for a bass-heavy set of songs covering his nearly 20-year career. With Saint Sinner (Hannah Cottrell) on vocal duties bringing ethereal light to the dark beats, it was a good balance as we explored a variety of sounds together, the majority taken from his brand new album, Weather. At this point on the third day, it was a good chance to let the music take you to another plane, close your eyes, escape and explore the deepest recesses of your consciousness. Or, to put it simply, just bliss the fuck out.

Tycho. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

We felt like we had truly stepped back in time when The Teskey Brothers brought their hearty soul and blues to GW McLennan. Packing out the early evening slot with strong red hues and couples aplenty, it was a real romantic moment to take us into the night. Not that the singles seemed to complain, with a non-stop party on the dancefloor. We had no idea the frail Sunday crowd could still pull such a boogie. Closing with Louisa, the volume of the crowd drowned out the signature harmonica swill at the start of the tune. Humble as always, a simple "thanks y'all" was all we got as a fond farewell.

The Teskey Brothers. Photo by Clare Hawley.

James Blake - wow, wow, wow. The set was a cosmic delight, plenty of punters tripping the light fantastic in all senses of the word. The synth wizard poured a lot of heart into his onstage musings, encouraging us all to say exactly what we felt as we held each other tight. He closed with The Wilhelm Scream, a song originally written by his dad, in a delightful full circle moment and in true Retrograde fashion, suddenly we were hit.

James Blake. Photo by Clare Hawley.

Everyone, including Splendour organisers, underestimated the crowd Ziggy Alberts would manage to pull. When he took the stage at GW McLennan, the tent was way past capacity, with people crowding the hill and the outskirts of the tent, all straining to get a look at him. Armed with just his guitar, Alberts let his talent do the talking, leading the crowd in singalongs that put Pub Choir to shame. Despite the huge number of people present, the atmosphere was calm and loving, a testament to Alberts' soulful, folky sound. 

Ziggy Alberts. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

Cosmo's Midnight are fairly fresh off a tour of our great country, so they knew they had to pull out the stops to make their Splendour set impressive. Giving us a wicked rendition of Juice by Lizzo certainly did the trick - good god was the funk through the roof. Add in some amazing hand-drawn-looking background visuals throughout their set and you had a visual and audio masterpiece. Why the brothers weren't on the main stage is beyond us, but the packed Mix Up tent certainly validated the many hours they must have put in. God bless.

Cosmo's Midnight. Photo by Clare Hawley.

SZA appeared on a platform within a glowing egg made of curved lighting trusses. No fanfare, just her glorious voice singing Broken Clocks. Go Gina, a song she wrote about the character from the '90s sitcom Martin, had the crowd grooving hard. There was no over-the-top stage production, no posturing, just a voice that could have been sent from heaven. 

"There's a song. You may or may not like it. It's a '90s jam. But fuck it." SZA singing Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag may seem a bit incongruous, but that's ok. It's a perfect example of the artist taking the opportunity to do things her way. "Thanks for letting me randomly do that!" Random? Yes. Suitable? Also, yes. 

Her performance of Love Galore, despite obvious in-ear problems, was flawless and a beautifully raw moment. Her refrain from All The Stars evoked goosebumps and then 20 Something connected with the majority of the loved-up crowd. There was a constant air of unpretentiousness about everything she said in between the sparkling tracks, ensuring an amazingly wholesome and refreshing set.

SZA. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

When Chance The Rapper cancels, there are going to be strong opinions. Luckily for fans of The Lumineers, this entire debacle could not have mattered less. A surprise pack-out saw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend congregate for the outfit. Having been the punchline for many a joke by punters and even comedians in the comedy tent, no one could have expected such a ravenous crowd at a set that incorporates violins, but we're here for it. 

Opening with the jaw-dropping Sleep On The Floor, the air was immediately sucked out of the packed tent. After building up the set with a bedrock of familiar classics they hit us with cuts from upcoming album III, of which Gloria was the crowd favourite for sure. The stripped-back, floor drum-accompanied Big Parade gave us all a chance to snap the perfect pic as each band member shone in collaboration, all huddled around the huge floor tom centre of stage. We are all going to be taking the memory of set closer Stubborn Love to the grave, as the Splendour 2019 crowd embraced one another and sang as if they were all sitting side by side outside the fires at Tipi Forest.

The Lumineers. Photo by Pete Dovgan.

It was always going to be a big ask to pull a replacement together in 24 hours with Chance The Rapper cancelling. We’ve started the hashtag #chancelled. The pockets of holes throughout the Amphitheatre after SZA was testament to the hurt a lot of punters felt. But Hilltop Hoods bounded onto the stage and the rolling hillside filled pretty rapidly. Nothing like the crammed mayhem of Childish Gambino the previous night, but it was clear Splendour was up for one last night of partying. A hilarious video opener slamming the no-show’s recent tweets riled up the masses, along with cheeky quips like, “Hey, we’re Chance The Rapper.”

The crowd stood and proudly sang the “official Australian national anthem” - Nosebleed Section of course - and we were feeling the love following a planned onstage proposal. “You know the person that is never invited to the party but turns up anyway, that’s us,” they joked. But they weren’t gonna be gatecrashing alone tonight. Adrian Eagle, Ruel, Illy, Montaigne and Nyssa were all there for the ride, the Adelaide group going to great lengths to ensure this was a headline-worthy set. While it wasn’t quite there, props have gotta go to the Splendour organisers and the Hilltop Hoods for pulling it off - a love of music and mateship cutting through all the noise. And that is what Splendour is all about. 

Hilltop Hoods. Photo by Pete Dovgan.