A couple of weeks ago I attended the Canberra leg of the Groovin’ The Moo festival.

Overall, it was a great day. Getting negative comments out of the way, there were a few jerks in the crowd, and a few sections reeked of weed, but what can you do right? The day was so much fun it was unbelievable, although it probably helped spending it with some great friends too. Over the day I saw a few full sets, and a few partial sets, but here’s what I took from it all.

The Jezabels:

Clearly these guys should’ve been billed much higher. Brilliant drumming, especially on the last track they played (not sure of the title). Their playing was incredibly tight, the singer has an amazing voice, and the crowd knew both of these things. The Jezabels have been climbing up the ranks of Aussie bands for a while now and it shows.

Sampology:

Saw part of his set, but it was really fun. Mixing visuals and sound, The Mighty Boosh remix he did of the Bouncy Castle crimp was brilliant. The Queen singalong was also spectacular.

Datarock:

Saw the first 5 odd minutes of their set and a bit at the end. They sounded really fun, wish I could’ve stayed longer. The saxophonist sounded brilliant.

Plus they had giant inflatable condoms on stage. Enough said.

The Go! Team:

Hadn’t heard much of their work beforehand, but they were really fun and energetic. Almost in a “I really want to dance to these guys” way. I loved how the band members regularly changed instruments too. Added a bit of variation and excitement into the set.

House of Pain:

Witnessed the end of their set, and saw everyone running over for “Jump Around”. It truly was a sight to behold. The whole crowd got involved.

Gyroscope:

The crowd was pretty lacklustre for the first half of their set, but they got them moving eventually. Very big, raw sound. At the time I was in line at the signing tent to meet Birds of Tokyo, but I could still see them. They put on a good show.

Gotye:

Disappointingly, from my spot as I was getting ready for Birds of Tokyo, I could only hear Gotye playing. Couldn’t see them. But they sounded great. Wally De Backer has an astounding voice. Everyone on stage worked together to recreate the tracks in a live environment. If I could go back in time, I’d make sure I saw their whole set.

Birds of Tokyo:

Not sure there’s much for me to say here. Amazing. Brilliant. They sounded great as usual, and their set was really engaging. Still one of my favourite live acts.

The Wombats:

Only knew a little of their material, but they were fun. Did a good job with the crowd I thought, and they sounded pretty close to their studio material from what I could tell.

Bliss N Eso:

I am unbelievably happy I watched these guys do their thing. I’m a fan of the singles I’ve heard from them, but still don’t have “Running On Air”. Might have to get it now.

Out of the whole festival, Bliss N Eso were one of the best acts playing. They know how to get a crowd going. They know how to perform well. They know how to interact with the audience. They know how to get people moving. They had a brilliant DJ. Everything about their show was great. If you have a chance to see them, do it.

Cut Copy:

By this time, I was well and truly freezing. But Cut Copy sounded good. It seemed like a lot of the crowd had left for Drapht, but they did a really good job of getting everyone going. I’m not the biggest fan of their pop, but some of it sounded pretty good. In terms of replicating their sound live, they were great. If you’re a fan, see them.

~

That was my day. It was brilliant, and I’m proud of GTM for making their festival all ages. One of the most frustrating things about being under 18 is missing out on a heap of amazing gigs. Thanks to GTM, everyone could see a brilliant line-up of musicians.