Live Review: Party In The Paddock – Day Two

It was my very first time at Party In The Paddock (PITP) and my expectations were nowhere near grasping how impressive the festival was. Whether you were a crew member, artist, volunteer, stall holder, or festival punter the paddock and it’s gracious team at Vibestown Productions smothered you with open arms so that you never wanted to leave. I was taken aback by the amount of love that was carefully put into PITP from everyone involved. Only hitting the halfway point of the festival and already it was all whirling by too quickly. I made my way into the festival grounds to indulge in some well-needed caffeine and soak up the Tassie sun.

“Winding down their set, the 7-piece “jammed” a slow groove with Cruz improvising ambient, non-coherent vocals.”

Koi Child took time out to sit backstage with me and talk music and festivals. With a shotgun start from a once-off gig a year ago to touring nationally on multiple festivals, Koi Child are a month off releasing their debut album and I was a little more than excited for what their set had in store. As the seven band members emerged on stage the unsuspecting crowd were soon entranced in the pioneering sound of the Western Australian act. Jazz-infused hip hop was the pinnacle of my PITP experience and I think I can say the same for the other noticeable fans in the crowd.

With silky brass and catchy rhythms, Koi Child delivered their forthcoming album including pre-released singles Slow One, Black Panda and 1-5-9. Vocalist Shannon Cruz and drummer Blake Hart introduced their minimalist track Rap Trash with a mouth-watering syllabic performance from Cruz. Winding down their set, the 7-piece “jammed” a slow groove with Cruz improvising ambient, non-coherent vocals.

“It was a strange moment to be among a crowd of about 50 per cent topless men and women…”

After inhaling signature festival food I headed back to the main stage for psych-grunge outfit Lurch & Chief. Entertaining as always, the angelic grace of Lillibeth Hall (backing vocals) perfectly contrasted against Hayden Somerville’s (lead) powerhouse vocals, blending seamlessly together. Smashing out songs from their EP ‘Breathe’ the Melbourne natives won over the paddock with their progressive sound.

I didn’t know what to expect from triple j Unearthed garage-rockers Tired Lion and I was pleased to see a rioting crowd within minutes. Along with the vocalist Sophie Hope’s power to fill the paddock with her jaw-dropping vocal range, she also had the power to get everyone topless. It was a strange moment to be among a crowd of about 50 per cent topless men and women… for a second I could have sworn I was at Stereosonic. Hopes demanded people to undress unless they were in a Tired Lion tee and despite the thrill of it all I couldn’t help but notice the tension escalate when the singer repeatedly asked a reluctant punter to take her top off. Aside from the cheeky shenanigans the Perth band put on an entertaining set.

Among the music and good vibes of the small festival Party In The Paddock had a big heart and celebrated their humbling beginnings. In the lead up to the very first Party In The Paddock a very dear friend to the group of mates that founded the festival passed away suddenly on a trip overseas. Ever since the festival has honoured their friend, Chris Horrocks. At 4:20pm on the second day of the celebrations a large mob of friends and strangers gathered together for the parade.

“There was even a finely dressed gentlemen in a cropped blue button-up, police badge, cap, and jockstrap.”

In every direction I saw glitter work on girls from the fabulous glitter stall “Glitoris” and men wearing minimal clothing. There was even a finely dressed gentlemen in a cropped blue button-up, police badge, cap, and jockstrap. He even carried a baton to keep people in line. With him stood his friend “Speedy Ralph” from one of Party In The Paddock’s promotional videos. The charming officer, Speedy Ralph, and buzzing crowd danced their way down to Bakers Big Top (second stage) where something very spiritual was about to take place. One of the Party In The Paddock friends spoke of their beloved friend in front of this large group, familiar and unfamiliar faces. This was followed by a performance from Vibestown Production pals including the Festival’s Director Jesse Higgs. It was the most humbling experience to be a part of something so intimate at a festival of 5,000 people.

After this amazingly intimate experience the crowd slowly moved back to the stages for the final night of entertainment. Jed Appleton is an acoustic artist from Hobart who, at the fresh age of 20, has already performed with Passenger as well as released a debut album ‘The Other Side Of Home’. Never before had I heard of or listened to Jed Appleton but this was a name and performer I’ll never forgot. From the soft, delicate whispers carried by intricate guitar plucking to the cries that would melt your heart and wrap you in goosebumps, Appleton blew away the crowd that pushed closer to the stage with every song. The emotional performance was unforgettable and to top it all off Appleton delivered the most beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohern’s Hallelujah I had ever heard.

“British India are Australia’s most loveable pub band, and with a tried-and-tested set the crowd didn’t miss a single lyric, not even when it came to their surprise cover.”

Playing everything from 2007’s Run The Red Light to Wrong Direction off their latest album ‘Nothing Touches Me’, British India were definitely the highlight of the Festival. The 4-piece are relentless when it comes to touring Australia, doing the rounds twice last year to celebrate the launch of ‘Nothing Touches Me’. British India are Australia’s most loveable pub band, and with a tried-and-tested set the crowd didn’t miss a single lyric, not even when it came to their surprise cover. Bumps and bruises were formed when the Melbourne outfit belted out Rage Against The Machine’s anthem Killing In The Name.

Being taken under the wings of a few bands I headed backstage to listen to The Preatures and Spiderbait from a short distance. Between the beanbags, couches, and a few cracked beers I was welcomed in by some of my favourite acts on the line up. Throwing banter and digging into everything music related, it wasn’t long until we ran for Close Counters set in the shelter of Bakers Big Top. Sadly, the night had to come to an end and as we said our goodbyes and farewells I knew this was the first of many Party In The Paddocks for myself. Until next year!

Read our review of Day One HERE