Oh, shit yes. We’ve had the Fat sale and the Alpha 60 sale in recent weeks - now it’s time for Melbournians to get their grubby little hands on some seriously marked down Ksubi goods.
33 Simmons St, South Yarra
Friday 22nd October - Sunday 24th October
10am - 5pm
Get on it and snap up some bargains. Unless the thing you want is a size 28. Leave that alone. That’s mine.
You can set your watch by it. Every year, as the Melbourne weather warms, every single 1-star, suckfest publication (the mX, any crap insert in the Herald Sun, The Melbourne Times, for example) publishes a story on Surviving Music Festivals. These articles will contain details on how to buy tickets to the Big Day Out (even though it will have sold out two months earlier). It will also recommend that you drink water and wear sunscreen.
This, of course, is all totally useless information. And so as a seasoned festival goer, I attempt to bring you the guide to the summer music festival scene that was begging to be written. You’re welcome.
Meredith Music Festival - 10th of December- 12th of December 2010
Meredith Music Festival marks the official start of the Summer Festival Circuit, or SFC. It is held at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre in Meredith, which is a tiny town somewhere between Geelong and Ballarat.
Meredith (the festival, not the town) attracts one of the better crowds of all the festivals, which is probably due to the fact that the bands that play there do not generally produce music that appeals to bogans or wankers. More Animal Collective than Wolfmother, if you will.
Meredith 2008 is remembered with a degree of fury by those who attended, not only because MGMT sucked so hard, but also because it rained the entire weekend. The hearty gritted their teeth, pulled on their gumboots and sloshed their way through the mud with grim determination. The weak fled after the first night. Losers.
Lineup highlights for this year include The Dirty Three, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Neil Finn, Girls and Custard.
Arbitrary Festival Rating System:
Total score: 32/35
Falls Festival Marion Bay - 29th December, 2010 - 1st January, 2011
There is, of course, a more local Falls Festival in Lorne. But the Lorne Falls is expensive and full of idiots, so I’m just going to focus on the far superior version of the event that is held in Marion Bay, Tasmania.
Marion Bay Falls is kind of like the unholy lovechild between the quirky and punter-friendly Meredith and the insanely large, commercial enterprise that is Splendour In The Grass. The festival is one of the prettiest parts of Tasmania, and I dare you to find a more amazing experience than watching a band like Grizzly Bear perform with glorious ocean views in the background.
Tickets to Marion Bay Falls are vastly cheaper than tickets to Lorne, because the Tasmanian Government subsidises some of the cost to encourage tourism to the Apple Isle. If you can take the time off work, trek around Tasmania for a few days after the festival. Camp. Enjoy local produce. Swim. Drink local beers. It’s the ultimate festival-recovery solution.
Lineup highlights for this year include The National, Public Enemy, Interpol, Klaxons, Sleigh Bells and Cold War Kids.
Arbitrary Festival Rating System:
Total score: 30/35
Just got back from seeing ‘Us’, an offering by Grit Theatre for the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Held in a tiny space above Cafe Coco in Smith St, Collingwood, ‘Us’ was funny, moving, intense, honest and pretty sexy, too.
It explores what it means to be a twentysomething in 2010, and if you yourself fall into that category, you’ll probably feel more like you’re at a party with friends than watching a theatre performance.
‘Us’ is on til Saturday. Tickets are available here. $20 full/$15 concession/$10 groups of 5 or more.
