With a reputation for delivering some of the best local lineups on offer and a picturesque coastal setting serving as a backdrop, it’s pretty easy to see why Loch Hart has quickly established itself as an exciting staple for Victorian festival goers.
Located in the serene setting of Princetown, the three day BYO event which has previously hosted the likes of Beans, Genesis Owusu and Mildlife has well and truly established themselves as an event that aims to foster homegrown talent.
Loch Hart four was no exception, with the 2022 edition further highlighting an amazing array of local artists.
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Hobson Bay Coast Guard ushered in the Friday evening with their vibrant brand of indie rock, with their jangly surf rock riffs and Tame Impala inspired high vocal distortions getting punters up and dancing early on.
Jonathon Boulet’s set at Kennedy’s Creek 2017 still stands out in my memory bank as a mind blowing performance, so I was pretty damn excited to see his newest project Party Dozen in the flesh. With a heavier output and a Death Grips inspired live energy, the Sydney based duo came as a bit of an outlier on the lineup, however it didn’t stand in the way of the group being many’s clear standout for the weekend. Blasting through tracks like ‘Fruits of Labour’, ‘Macca The Mutt’ and the shoegazey ‘The Iron Boot’, Party Dozen had the crowd in the palm of their hands, with Boulet’s unrelenting drum fills and Kristy Tickle’s distorted saxophone lines and unique vocal delivery being absolutely mesmerising in a live setting.
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Headlining the Friday night was Perth based occa-rock act Peter Bibby, who impressed punters with his wry and observational style of lyricism. Performing songs off all three of his album’s Bibby tore through his set with hit’s like Medicine gaining some loud singalongs from the crowd. Newer singles such as ‘Whyalla’ stood out with its heavy rhythms and distorted guitars perfectly matching the allure of Bibby’s worn out and cigarette affected vocals.
Digital Afrika brought in the party vibes of the night with their revered brand of African based techno which impressively saw the combination of organic and traditional percussion with MPC’s and electronic samples. Crowd favourites such as ‘Ode’ and ‘Asiko’ both made appearances, as did the surprise edition of 2019’s ‘Babalu Aye’, which immediately struck a chord with the punters due to its hard-hitting basslines and singalong-inducing vocal hook.
Good Sniff delivered a killer performance on the Saturday morning, albeit their early slot. With punters enduring the rain for the entirety of the set the Jan-Juc based duo tore through their back catalog, with ‘Sniff City’, ‘Dog Act’ and ‘Bong Flu’ making early appearances’. Drummer/vocalist Lachie Brown did an amazing job keeping the crowd entertained through his impressive changes in tempo and rapid drum fills, in particular when performing the group’s newest single ‘Energiser’, which channelled elements akin to the drum pattern of Nirvana’s ‘Scentless Apprentice.’ With an incredible amount of tone for a two-piece and a sound that resembles that of an early Silverchair, Good Sniff certainly marked themselves as an act to keep an eye out for.
By the end of Good Sniff’s set the weather was getting pretty treacherous but that didn’t stop people braving the elements for the soulful grooves of Squid Nebula and a blistering punk set from Würst Nürse.
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Although, by late afternoon it was getting pretty hard to disregard, with the surrounding areas clearly being affected by heavy rainfall, strong winds and lightning storms. By the time the organisers called the Saturday night off due to weather conditions, it seemed like a pretty inevitable decision. With it being quite evident that the organisers had done everything in their power to present an event that was safe for everyone in attendance, it was a decision willingly accepted by the punters.
Undoubtedly everyone was shattered about foregoing the likes of Harvey Sutherland and Gordon Koang but given the situation, what else could we do but be thankful for the terrific 24 hours of live music we got to enjoy on Friday night?
