Golden Plains Festival has crept up on us again with this weekend marking the ninth installment of Aunty Meredith’s little event. Whilst it may seem silly writing a post of the acts you really shouldn’t miss considering this festival prides itself on only having one stage, there are just some you can’t miss. So here’s a list of some of the most promising acts Golden Plains has to offer this year and, essentially, whose set you shouldn’t take a lunch/dinner/drinks break in.
Popping by Aunty Meredith’s place for Golden Plains? Here are 8 acts you can’t miss at this years Festival.
The Village People
The Village People. That’s all.
I’m totally kidding (at least a little bit) but if truth be told most festivals have an act worth checking out purely for the novelty. Last year saw Kelis bring all the boys to Splendour in the Grass with her famous milkshake whilst hip hop outfit Salt N Pepa produced a, um, interesting set for both Falls Festival and Field Day. Was Kelis the best live performer I’ve seen? No. Were Salt N Pepa the most talented ladies on stage that day? Highly debatable. But that’s not what these novelty acts are booked for; they serve the purpose to entertain with their few musical gems and they do a damn fine job at it. So you can turn up your nose at The Village People but I guarantee if you’re the tenth person in line for the bar when YMCA comes on, you’re going to have a bad time. Plus think of the bragging rights.
Parquet Courts
They have a bundle of achievements under their belts having played at major festivals worldwide, released two albums in the past year alone and peaked at number six in the Rolling Stones’ Best 100 Songs of 2013. Now they’ll be appearing at Golden Plains Nine. Need I say more? New York four- piece Parquet Courts, also known as Parkay Courts, will bump up the energy with their alternative rock on Sunday night.
Courtney Barnett
Ah Courtney Barnett, you beautiful folksy songstress. This Aussie export is rapidly becoming one of our favourite artists all thanks to her witty realist lyrics, humble approach to music and sheer talent. In between writing and performing, Barnett will be appearing at Golden Plains and then jet-setting to the US for a long string of headline shows and a few little festivals you might have heard of (namely SXSW, Bonnaroo and Newport Folk Festival).
Twerps
Twerps are another fine example of Australian’s killing it abroad recently! The Melbourne slacker rock band will soon be visiting the US (including SXSW) and only have a short break before heading on their first UK and Europe tour in May – so this is your chance to catch them! Twerps have also recently released a killer second album Range Anxiety, as if you needed another reason to see them.
Banoffee
The dreamy, woozy soul that is Banoffee will hit the stage on day two and seems to be the perfect way to start a Sunday morning. The singer will fulfil all your electro-pop needs but not in typical fashion, combining what she describes as caramel old school R’n’B and the quirky 1980’s. Think strong vocals but with heavenly synths and a resounding bassline – the perfect cure for your probable hangover that morning.
The Bennies
If you’re familiar with this punk-ska-reggae outfit then you’ll already have them on your must-see list because of their high energy party numbers, enthusiastic approach to music and stellar live reviews. If you’re not familiar with The Bennies then be prepared to stretch your traditional perception of music genres a little…
Milwaukee Banks
Following up Banoffee on day two is the smooth styling of Milwaukee Banks. This producer/rapper duo from Melbourne creates fluid hip hop over minimalistic electronic beats and it is gold. Hits such as Pluto Bounce, Hazy and Van Gogh are sure to be crowd favourites that you can enjoy while playing it reaaaaal cool.
The Meanies
If blazing, thrashing punk music doesn’t get your heart pounding with excitement then I don’t know what will! Amongst all the smooth synths, indie tunes and deep basslines we end up with classic punk band The Meanies. Lasting 25 years (equivalent to 100 years in music industry speak) is an impressive feat only few special artists can achieve but somehow these crazy rockers have done it without tiring. Link, Ringo, Wally and Jaws still play with the same enthusiasm and energy they had 25 years ago. Don’t believe me? Catch them opening Golden Plains 2015 on Saturday!
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