Capping in at a capacity of only 1,000 and delivering the highest quality of local line-ups, Kennedys Creek Music Festival provides a haven for music lovers to come and experience what’s to offer from local up and comers.
Kicking off the weekend with acts such as Morning, Morning, Baked Beans and The Fire Alive, the vibe was set early. Each act performing something completely unique from the other, punters were shown early on the diversity and calibre of the KC lineup. This meant the benchmark was set quite high Australian multi-instrumentalist Jonathon Boulet, who scored the headline slot of the Friday evening.
Playing for an hour, Boulet stunned the audience with his impeccable display of psych based alternative rock. Performing with precision, Boulet kept the crowd’s energy up with constant hits such as ‘Is Anybody Dooming?’ and ‘I’m A Man’ before concluding his set with the 30 second ‘Don’t Call Me Champ,’ leaving everyone wanting more.
Luckily, there was more to come on the Saturday, and if sitting in the sun and drinking through a hangover wasn’t enough to ease the crowd into the second day, Reilly Fitzalan was; with his enigmatic voice mesmerising punters as he breezed through his set.
Giving the festival a taste of something different, Sunnyside cruised through their modern jazz numbers, commandeering the crowd’s fullest attention with their technical prowess and jazz vibes, which were greatly welcomed to the party.
Bringing the no-wave pop sound School Damage delivered a fantastic set, juxtaposing between vocalist’s Carolyn Hawkins and Jake Roberts helped to give a nice balance between melancholy and ferocity as they smashed out their up-beat pop numbers.
Ausmuteants played the hardest and fastest set of the weekend; sharing vocals between all band members, the four-piece aced their garage-punk originals, barley stopping for a moment, except to thank all the “hard-working honest rock bands out there.” Finishing their set with their blistering cover of Martha and The Muffins ‘Echo Beach’ it was hard to find a punter not in awe of what they were witnessing.
Performing a cover was something also adopted by Melbourne lads White Bleaches who performed one of the best sets of the weekend. Playing hits from their self-titled EP, songs such as ‘Ease The Pain’ and ‘Psychic Visions’ had huge effects on the crowd, being the first band for the day to get punters dancing, before putting the crowd into a sheer frenzy with their cover of the THEM classic ‘Gloria.’
Playing every song as if it was their last, The Vasco Era showed yet again how fantastic they are as a band. Opening with a heartfelt rendition of the Elvis classic ‘Can’t help falling in love (with you)’ before going straight into their 2007 hit ‘When We All Lost It’, the three-piece proved why they where the deserving headliner of the weekend. Playing through their back-catalogue, The Vasco Era smashed through hits such as ‘Oh Sam’ and ‘ Rock N Roll Is The Only Thing That Makes Me Feel Good’ before concluding with the revered ‘Honey Bee.’ From the second the riff cut through the crowd you could feel the atmosphere, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for and it left an earth shattering effect, with the festivals’ MC ecstatically screaming after it finished “THE VASCO ERA ARE THE BEST AUSSIE ROCK BAND IN AUSTRALIA!”
Having the vibe of a house party, Kennedys Creek is its own oasis. Surrounded by picturesque views, one stage and an all round inclusive nature adopted by festival-goers, it’s hard not to feel at home at KC, which has proven yet again to be Victoria’s best kept secret.
Where: Kennedy’s Creek Public hall ground, Kennedys Creek
When: October 27 – 29 2017
Reviewed by Alex Callan & Photos by Chelsea King
