By CORINNA LAGERBERG
Groovin’ the Moo was an oasis of music at Saturday’s Bendigo Festival, the first national tour to sell out in 2015.
Groovin’ the Moo is Australia’s only annual six-date touring music event to visit regional Australia, spanning locations including Oakbank, Canberra and Townsville. It has developed into an illustrious space for like-minded people to gather and open their ears to both new and familiar sounds.
Bendigo launched its Saturday festival with an eclectic mix of music and an experimental landscape. Headliners included Hilltop Hoods, Sticky Fingers, Wolfmother, Hermitude, Charli XCX, Meg Mac and Flight Facilities.
Various local artists, including the Triple J Unearthed winners, played alongside acts including Ball Park Music, You Me At Six, A$AP Ferg and The Delta Riggs.
A few scattered clouds provided surprising relief at the notoriously chilly event as temperatures reached an unexpected 21C.
The lines for free water and sunscreen stretched across the grounds, while festival-goers shed their jumpers and jackets and embraced a chance to air out their summer gear.
The Groovin’ the Moo crew were dressed to impress, with costumes aplenty across the show grounds.
From The Wiggles to chemical protection coveralls, there was certainly no shortage of the strange and whacky. There were also some questionable outfits including mini denim shorts, velvet vests, suede high heels and Indian head-dresses.
Hair was definitely the accessory of the festival with shades of green, pink and purple sprinkled through the mosh pit.
Manes of hair were specifically grown for the purpose of head banging in the mosh, an unpleasant experience for those around them.
By the end of the night festival-goers had shed enough bindis, sparkles and metallic tattoos to bury a small person.
Groovin’ the Moo is one of only a few underage festivals in the country, with the aim of immersing all fans in the music world.
This was certainly achieved, with a melting pot of peers in the mosh. Twenty-something-year-old hipsters and even a few souls old enough to be their grandparents raved harmoniously.
Under the full moon, the groovin’ really began. The spectacular light and smoke shows under the dome of the tent enhanced the whimsical atmosphere of the event.
Flight Facilities’ request for all artificial lights in the tent to be shut off, and all moshers to turn on their phone torchlight, created a crowd that looked like fireflies.
Some of many standout moo moments included Sticky Fingers’ unexpected collaboration with One Day for their 2014 sensation Gold Snafu.
Ball Park Music’s cover of Friends song I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts, was a shoulder-surfing extravaganza as moshers tried to get a better view of the performance.
Naturally, Flight Facilities' closing track and 2014 mega-hit Stand Still had everyone singing along and was a musically brilliant way to end the night.
More than 10,000 people attended the event showing their interest and support for the live music industry.
The consensus? A round of applause for this year’s musical geniuses. One thing’s for sure, this groovin’ the mooer will definitely be returning to next year’s musical oasis.
Home page image: Groovin’ the Moo website