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V Festival, Gold Coast QLD - March 30 2008
| Music Reviews
The resort golf course of avica resort on the gold coast was once again transformed into a seething mass of punters keen to see the world’s biggest and well weirdest bands…..QOTSA,Cut Copy, Duran Duran,Modest Mouse Robyn, and the first visit by The Smashing Pumpkins since 1998.
The event was unfortunately bombarded with cyclonic weather in the days preceding the event and the grassy knolls at Merrimac were transformed into a slosh-pit. Clean up efforts postponed the start of the gig with punters lining up until 230 pm just to get in! But undeterred punters in thongs and white t-shirts embraced the mud like a hippie at Woodstock!
After the belated start the crowd at the Blue stage were treated to an amazing set from Canadian outfit HOT HOT HEAT. Ripping through a set list of old and new the group didn’t miss a beat proving that constant gigging is the best medicine for any group! They also proved that Canada need no longer be sorry for bestowing Bryan Adams and Celine Dion on the world!!
Next up Modest Mouse …..2 drummers a keyboard player and 2 of the best damn guitarist in the world today! The interplay between Isaac Brock and Jonny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) was as if they’d ben playing together for years. After 13 years in the American indie scene MM are a group well; deserved of the enormous audience that swamped the stage. Brock delighted with not only a healthy dose of old and new nut tracks but some amazing facial movements that showed he enjoyed playing just as much as the crowd loved hearing it! But by far the biggest applause was saved for the groups smash hit Float on with the crowd uniting to chant the chorus and dance like a Midwestern ho-down!
Bursting onto stage Queens of the Stone Age proved why they are one of the best bands in the world! Josh Homme & group ripped through tracks from their most recent release igniting the crowd with “Sister” then dousing them with “The Lost art of Keeping a secret”. As always at a queens gig someone decided to throw something at Josh which elicited a response that well can’t be written about in this posting! “No-one Knows” the smash hit of 06 was by far the biggest winner of the set list with the group cranking up the tone and belting out the distortion in a display enough to make Sonic Youth proud.
In between sets I was fortunate enough to meet Richard Branson. Not only is the man one of the worlds greatest entrepreneurs he’[s also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. One could only wonder though after The Smashing Pumpkins launched a legal suit against Virgin records last week was he here to save face?? Either way I was happy as a pig in mud meeting my hero.
As soon as Jesus and Mary Chain hit the stage one felt as if they’d been transported straight back to 1993. The brothers Reid John and William took the crowd on a grungy journey so damn cool ya could have sworn you were in then Antarctic. Drawing from all their LP’s the group who may be getting older certainly proved they can still rock.
Finally after 10 years long wait The Smashing Pumpkins graced an Australian stage. Billy Corgan resplendent in a Lycra top with an image of Saturn on it plus an Alfoil skirt (yes a skirt) ripped straight into business with “Today” and what an appropriate track to encompass the crowd’s mood! Billy Corgan the perennial showman then told the crowd that the smell emanating from them was “Earthen” and beautiful if ya like that stuff. After playing tracks from their latest Lp “Zeitgeist” The pumpkins then ripped out all the stops for a brutal rendition of “Zero” with the crowd so anxious to scream the words that Mr. Corgan faltered stopped and laughed at the now out of time make-shift choir. Stripping back to an acoustic guitar for arguably their biggest hits “Tonight Tonight” & “1979” the crowd sang and swayed as one and for a moment you could of almost thought time itself had stopped. After wrapping up the set The Pumpkins returned for a rousing encore. Billy Corgan however was none to impressed with hearing the Presets in the distance. As the drum kick of “all of My People pounded in the distance Billy got angry and the group launched into an impromptu jam entitled “Death to Disco”. With such lyrical gems as look at me I’m a disco boy, don’t you like my six pack, and have you got any more drugs. Finally after extolling the virtues of rock vs. dance the group closed up shop with an extended version of Porcelina. The crowd roared as Billy Corgan stayed onstage for a good 5 minutes signing the crowd and blowing kisses of appreciation. One can only hope that was not a sign of closure for. The pumpkins proved that they are still one of the4 best bands in the world!
If you haven’t yet been to a V-Fest make sure you get a ticket next year as it is sure to become an Australian institution.
