Werribee Park, January 11
Oh la la, So Frenchy So Chic was everything a self confessed all-things-French-lover could have asked for.
The weather forecast looked to be absolutely horrendous and it seemed that the heavens had set out to rain on our little French parade, but in some kind of strange turn of events, aka we were in Melbourne, it turned out to be sunny with a lovely breeze, you couldn’t have hoped for better festival weather really.
As soon as you walked into the gates of Werribee Park Mansion you were met with some seriously good vibes. Festival goers wore subtly French items, a beret here, some suspenders there and stripes, lots of stripes! Champagne flowed, macaroons were devoured and cheese, oh-so much cheese. I’m a girl that loves her cheese, so when I found out you could buy a little box of cheese and crackers, with a French stick to boot, to nibble on whilst listening to some Frenchy tunes and sipping on champagne, I was one happy So Frenchy So Chic-er.
The set up was brilliant, set on the grounds of the Werribee Park Mansion, just a stones throw away from the lions, elephants and hippos of Werribee Zoo. The stage, stalls and bars were in close proximity, which made for a really intimate event, however, you never felt overwhelmed by the crowd either.You could get in amongst it and have a dance if that’s what your mood called for, or you could sneak away near the little lake for a bit of a nap, or maybe even a French kiss with your lovely.
Oh, and the music, well the music was sublimely perfect. Emilie Simon was hypnotising to watch and listen to, her voice is as unique as it is beautiful. The Dø, an avant-pop duo, were sending out good vibes from up on stage across the entire festival, you just couldn’t help but have a little boogie. The stand out for me, however, would have to be La Femme, if surf rock and French pop had a love child, this was it. La Femme were so engaging and had such a fun and cool presence on stage, they had us all moving and shaking!
Besides the amazing venue, the out of this world food and suave tunes, one of the best things about this particular festival; there wasn’t a fluro pair of shorts or terrible orange tan in sight!
Thank the lord, a festival for the cultured and sophisticated.
By Montana Agustin