Queenscliff Music Festival Review

Queenscliff, November 27-29
Photographed and reviewed by Tex Miller
For the past 19 years, the Queenscliff Music Festival has been an essential part of my childhood. Having only missed two out of the 19 due to overseas holidays, it is one of the best festivals around and has developed into one of the best on the Australian festival scene up there with Falls, Splendour and Woodford Folk Festival. QMF has gotten to a point whereby, the tickets are no longer sold primarily on the lineup for the year’s bill, it’s now about heading down to the seaside, listening to some kick arse music, supporting the local traders and getting amongst the different tourism opportunities and experiences available throughout the town.
Since last year’s festival, this music journalist moved house to Queenscliff, which funnily enough made it really easy to access the festival. Never mind my geographical location, transport to and from the festival is also really easy and something that should be commended. With shuttle buses running throughout Geelong and the local area, transport to the event is easily accessible.
With so many bands on the weekend it’s hard to decide who to go and see. So here is a brief summary of who was awesome. Harts impressed on Friday night with eclectic and scintillating guitar and his cover of ‘Purple Haze’ by Hendrix was impressive and heavily applauded. The California Honeydrops on Saturday brought a lot of soul and funk to a day that saw the whole of the main stage singing Rip Rip Woodchip and True Blue by John Williamson. Paul Dempsey impressed with new tracks ahead of his new solo album coming out next year.

Kate Miller Heidke and Angus and Julia Stone were (as expected) main highlights on Sunday and it’s now back into the yearly sad slump in waiting with anticipation for the 20th installment in 2016. Big things are planned, I am sure. If you haven’t checked out this festival, then definitely get amongst it next year. Queenscliff Music Festival thank you for yet another awesome weekend and see you on the dancefloor in 2016.