Meredith Music Festival: The Silver Jubilee Edition
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Meredith Music Festival: The Silver Jubilee Edition

Meredith Supernatural Theatre
December 11, 12 & 13
Reviewed by Amanda Sherring
In a sea of Meredith beanies, glittered up cheeks and space-inspired rompers, the 25th annual Meredith Music Festival was underway. The rain on Friday may have slightly washed away the glitter from our cheeks, but there’s a helluva lot more where that came from and nothing (you hear that Mother Nature? NOTHING) can dampen being in the Sup.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.


Things kicked off with no frills rockers, Power, pounding our eardrums in a manner only fit to open the festival. Festival goers continued to bring in their art savvy couches (my favourite was Big Boned Bitches) into the Sup as the band strutted around on stage. If anything, Meredith is one of the greatest examples of team work, as duos carried leather two-seaters, a stranger helped a bystander open a can of beer and the general consensus of the festival’s “no dickheads” policy rung true for another year. The Thurston Moore Band drew campers from the comfort of their shady seats and dancing along, things got weird with Shellac (ummm, do you feel like an aeroplane?) and everybody had their hands up for Big Daddy Kane. By no surprise Tkay Maidza playing ‘Brontosaurus’ early on had everyone flocking to the stage (though there’ll be no pushing, what a dickhead thing to do).
Feeling rough on a Saturday morning? Jessica Pratt can help with that. New loves and surprise musical epiphanies came with GL and their sweet, sweet tunes, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats bringing the heavier rock/doom sounds to the festival and Fatback Band to get those hips moving. As you’d expect, Father John Misty’s performance was on point and had the crowd eating out of his hands (pretty much at least) and Ratatat had much of a similar effect and fueled the rest of the night. Saturday sunset brought a trip to Inspiration Point where many engagements were made, love professed and those looking at bit green stared up at the sky and imagined eagles, swirls and all manner of things.
All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.


Alas, Sunday and the last day of the festival. The queues to coffee still going strong, quickly topped up with something a little extra, it may have been the last physical day of the festival but the Meredith experience would forever live on in our hearts. Jess Ribeiro and Totally Mild kept things relatively cruisey and both stood as ones to watch. It’s said that Steve Miller Band have defied the odds and that sentiment certainly rings true from their performance; with sound issues, mutterings of “shut up” (I’m sure there was some profanity in there somewhere) from Handsome Steve to fellow band mates and general awkward moments it’s a wonder it didn’t tarnish the music. Props to Shewolf and The Duchess for wearing smoking costumes and putting on a good show. It was only fitting to have two such babes on stage before leading into the Meredith Gift, where dare I say, there was a ridiculous proportion of good-looking people that ran hell for leather (like the guy who won overall). Now two days later I’m in the office, thinking of those three magical days at the Sup. Only three or so months until Golden Plains!
Photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno

Five Times You Know You Did Meredith Right

-If you were able to not only gain a ticket to the festival but the illustrious Meredith beanie, which sells out in a matter of hours.
-You actually caught the sunset from Inspiration Point, feeling inspired?
-Your Saturday night consisted of a $17 espresso martini from Eric’s Terrace, and you loved every. dollar. of. it.
-You wore easy to remove shoes and held them up at the perfect moment. No regrets.
-You didn’t compete in the Meredith Gift but got naked anyway, because why the hell not?

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.


All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.


All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.


All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.

All photography by Steve Benn, Ryan Wheatley and Darby Bicheno.