I am both saddened and relieved to see the end of Splendour in the Grass. After 4 long days of ear crunchingly loud music, with nothing but overpriced pre-mixed drinks to keep my stamina up, I am grateful to return home to the comfort of my own bed. Having said that, I had a really rockin’ time.

DAY 1:  It was blue skies and sunshine as we eagerly hitchhiked into town. Looking fresh and ready for action (said freshness did not last long), we checked out Pond and Ben Howard. Pond, an energetic 5 piece psychedelic act from Western Australia, were really amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them at Homebake in December.

While we were watching Ben Howard in a tent full of trendy young hipsters, the weather turned evil and it started hailing (!?).  Although we were kept dry under shelter, the insanely heavy rain turned the Byron grounds into an explosion of mud. My Converse actually got suctioned off my feet as I jumped around trying to avoid the deepest puddles. Gumboots sold out in every store from Byron to Ballina…

“Splendour in the Hail” by Claudio Kirac, via Pedestrian.Tv

Although it sounds pathetic, the weather kinda ruined the end of the first day. It was too cold and miserable to party so we bailed to my friends van, which THANK GOD was fitted with a powerful heating system. We sat in there defrosting until we felt normal again.

DAY 2: Woke up to breakfast in bed. (This is where I should inform you that unlike the bulk of Splendour go-ers, I wasn’t camping. I stayed on my friend’s incredible property near Federal and ate organic eggs and stuff!)

Today we made up for lost time and crammed in gigs from Seekae, Mudhoney (which was the closest I have come to seeing Nirvana), Tame Impala, Lana Del Rey, 360 and Bloc Party.

Seekae were unsuprisingly groovy and moody, Mudhoney blew me away with their crazy, raw energy, and some crazy chick tried to fight me during Lana Del Rey. Lana hands down had the most aggressive fans. I stayed 5 minutes and left to see Bloc Party, who were really cool and tight. It was awesome ‘cos I wasn’t really a fan before seeing them live, but within a few minutes of their set I understood why they are so widely loved.

Lana Del Rey at Splendour in the Grass, via The Cold City. 

DAY 3: I struggled to get out of bed for day 3, but boy am I glad I did. I got to see the amazing Azealia Banks, the pint-sized female rap star. Her raw, bass-heavy tracks were made to party at festivals to, but she surprised all of us when she left the stage after a 25 minute set. She was supposed to play for an hour! Her devastated fans sought comfort in The Smashing Pumpkins, whose front man Billy Corgan still manages to rock after over 20 years in the industry. They made up for Azealia’s lost time, playing an extended set which was a mix of their old classics and new releases. At 11pm, it was all over. Confused, exhausted, and elated young people were pouring out of every stage exit, preparing for their long trip back to reality…

Thank you Splendour in the Grass. In the immoral words of a performer whose name I’m struggling to remember:

Q: “Are you feeling loose tonight? Have you conquered the mud? Are you at one with the elements?”

A: Yessssssssssssssss.

Images via FasterLouder.