Silver lining in short-lived Lorne Falls Festival 19/20
Falls Festival is a magnet for the masses each summer-time. A congregation of committed Australian music fans, ranging from subtle and understated to staunch and peppy is most likely to be found in the perimeters of the festival. A Falls Festival wristband is a marker of music’s uniting power, a social glue that affirms the group identity that live music is a vehicle in constructing.
Though cut short, with only day one complete, due to “extreme weather conditions forecast… creating a risk to health and safety due to potential fires, smoke, severe winds and tree hazards” according to festival organisers, the running of the first day was one to celebrate and retain in the memory bank.
Crowds began heaping into the Grand Theatre for John Farnham’s set, a quintessentially Australian performance in more ways than one. Cementing his place as an Australian hero, and an achiever of cult status, Farnham, affectionately known as Farnsey is the oldest performer to command the Falls Festival stage.
As he took to stage, Farnham’s cover of AC/DC’s ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll)’, caused a stir with the veteran jokingly addressing his crowd as ‘p******’ when their pitch wasn’t on par as they sang along. Using his tongue-in-cheek demeanour, Farnham pulled off an unlikely one-two punch, with his ability to make his act cool, and simultaneously feel reachable with his singalongs, ‘You’re the Voice’and ‘We Will Rock You’ cover.
After witnessing one of the most recognisable Australian figures in John Farnham perform, refreshingly left of centre five-piece Parcels gave audiences a set to relish in. The Falls lineup has its eyes on capitalising on versatility, making sure the lineup has a pulse on the tastes of every music listener imaginable. As a group that has been brewing and channeling their ambition since 2014, it’s no surprise that they have an effortless and fluid camaraderie between one another. An endearing and charming fusion between the band members translated into a similar viewing experience with the audience so closely banding together.
In a singular, standout moment, Parcels used their noise to break through the kaleidoscopic disco of their set, transitioning from groove to grit. As drums played became heavier, and bass filled its own gaps with more gravity, Parcels’ fixation on creating “movement” became a transcendent experience. What could have been an overwrought moment of commotion was arresting and gave what felt like an unprecedented sense of internal clarity. Capping off the theme of movement was an energetic, and dangerously addictive dance-break from the quintet that didn’t take long to spread to the back of the Grand Theatre.
Tying up the night (and the entirety of the Lorne festival) was Vera Blue‘s sizzling set. Once singing John Farnham’s ‘You’re The Voice’ as a contestant on The Voice (as Celia Pavey) in 2013, she now takes the same stage as him hours later. The singer embarked on a challenging balancing act between the layers and tonal shifts in her catalogue. The singer manages to hit the mark between her stripped back and subdued tracks, and her more thrilling, vocally flexible offerings, floating between the two categories continually throughout the set. Beginning with the spook and eeriness of ‘Private’, Blue strikes in her storytelling as she brings her craft to life with dark, glossy visual representations of each track.
In minor slip-ups, including forgetting lyrics and losing power, the singer had the smarts and guts to flip the situations on their heads, which entailed a more interactive approach, recruiting the crowd to shine their flashlights and serve as backup vocalists. As Blue deep dived into her ‘Perennial’ catalogue, and also slotted in one unreleased track, she replicated the pop panache evident in her studio recordings through her free-spirited aura and encompassing, mighty voice. In all its facets, and with the whole spectrum of it on display, Vera Blue’s voice is a pronounced trademark, but perhaps what escalates her into delivering an even more masterful set is her ability to go from strength to strength as she showed off her talent on guitar and using the synth machine.
Lorne’s Falls Festival was a fleeting affair this year, however the driving force of witnessing a cracking lineup and being touched by music wasn’t lost. The humanity of the lineup and organisers, and their quick willingness to relocate and perform replacement shows to fundraise for the CFA and communities affected by the devastating bushfires nationwide, is a true testament to the power of music. In crisis we must gel and unite. Acts including Halsey, Yungblud, Lime Cordiale, and Baker Boy showed what it was to passionately use their platforms to support affected communities, and the CFA as they risk their lives in defeating the ferocity of the fires.
Lorne’s Falls delivered an exhilarating first night. Whilst cut short, music rose above and served a greater purpose beyond fans. Now the question that remains is, if an assortment of musicians and organisers can play their role in bushfire relief, when will our government do the same?
To support the CFA, donation, fundraising and sponsorship opportunity information can be found here: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supporting-cfa
CFA donation fund:
Account Name: CFA Brigades Donation Fund
BSB: 063 225
Account: 1022 0603
Branch: Forest Hill – 23 Mahoneys Road, Forest Hill Vic 3131