Review of V Festival: Oh My Golly

Although the event occurred two whole months ago, it’s taken me that long to realise just how important to my studies on scenes and locality and just how much information the V festival provided. Held on the Gold Coast at Avica Resort on the 1st of April and at Centennial Park in Sydney on the 31st of March, this festival left no audiophile disappointed.

As the virgin Virgin Festival in Australia - the festival is part of an international expansion of V festival by owner and entrepreneur Richard Branson - it proved to be a highly successful and popular day. With a line-up of artists including Jarvis Cocker, Beck, Groove Armada, Phoenix, The Pet Shop Boys, Gnarls Barkley, New Young Pony Club, and the band that I went to see, the newly reformed Pixies, there proved to be something for everyone.

How can so many varying artists work so effectively within the one venue I don’t know, but what I do know is that it worked. I discovered talent in bands as varied as Nouvelle Vague - who expertly covered Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart” - and Groove Armada - where I danced the night away in a sea of boozy boys and drunken girls. I flitted between the stages before securing a prime position three people back and dead centre for the main event. The Pixies. Although the only interaction between the band came in the closing of the set, where they bid each other goodnight, “G’dnight Charles…” “G’night Kim…” etc., the preceding 90 minute set was pure indie-rock bliss, with the crowd raising their voices for every obscure song. Although slightly aged since they first formed some twenty odd years ago, this only enforced the age old saying ‘that with age comes…experience’. It started to rain about halfway through the set, a set containing lyrical content relating to the abstracts of mutilation, debasement, lost minds and gouged eyes in settings both surreal and biblical, but this didn‘t stop anyone. Frank Black screamed while Kim Deal grinned manically and everyone shouted for more. Their first Australian show ever was a success, with the band who famously inspired Nirvana - and wrote the 90s rock rulebook - ruling supreme over the currently popular Emo trends. The Pixies - as ever - delivered unadorned note-perfect versions of their albums. And it killed….before I passed out.

The Pixies - Live at V Fest

As far as the facilities were concerned, there was an abundance of toilets, which meant minimal lines and quick relief. The drinks system on the other hand was a total farce in that you had to line to get tickets and then line again to actually get the drinks. I swear I was in line for about 45 minutes which meant I missed most of Phoenix, however I did get to see Beck and New Young Pony Club so all was good. Whether positive or negative, the lack of security was noticeable everywhere except the beer tents. The merch tent was well set up with cash and card options and there was a fairly good array of food to choose from. All in all a good day/night out and I can’t wait for V Fest ‘08, in the meantime there’s always Splendour to look forward to!