Photo: Kilian David
Even though Homebake's crowd this year left a lot to be desired, the saving grace (as is usually the case with big festivals) was the music, and at the end of the day that is what we were all there for.
First up were Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Australia's new darlings who have been making a splash on stages around the country of late. The Melbourne band (and many Sydney festival-goers) braved the sweltering heat to jump around maniacally to a garage-punk soundtrack. The quartet bashed out tunes from their past recordings and from their new album Primary Colours with raw energy, at times reminiscent of bands like Dead Kennedys and The Stooges, while still maintaining their own unique take on rock'n'roll.
Not exactly 'Homebaked' (but close enough), New Zealand's very own Headless Chickens donned their cowboy hats and fedoras to grace the Big Top stage. Unfortunately, it seemed that punters who weren't extremely intoxicated were just not all that interested in their alt/country/rock flavour, with a fairly dispersed crowd inside the Big Top.
Died Pretty gave a superb performance, with the Dome being a perfect venue for the veteran rockers to entertain a very eager crowd. Ron Peno strutted across the stage with a confidence and finesse that was reminiscent of an early Mick Jagger (without the protruding chicken neck and those signature inflated lips).
You know that when you can catch giant dancing strawberries on a stage on a hot summer's day you're in for a winner of a show. Pnau donned the main stage just as the sun was starting to ease off in the Domain, which was a happy relief due to the exhaustive heat of the day. Their show had it all: catchy dance-about tunes, self-congratulatory performers and the employment of a harness which saw some of the Pnau crew floating above the stage while singing and dancing. What a show indeed. They played their hits 'Wild Strawberries' and 'Embrace' to a very willing crowd, a sea of people united by sweat and infectious beats.
After snoozing through Gabriella Cilmi, it was time to hear what Children Collide had to offer over at the Hopetoun stage. The tent was filled to the brim, with latecomers having to stand metres from the edge of the tent just to listen. A stellar performance by the boys got the whole crowd jumping and screaming along with Johnny Mackay, with their last song electrifying the audience into a mass frenzy of limbs, smiles and inevitable sore throats.
Heading across to the Big Top to catch Drapht and Bliss N Eso to kill time before Sneaky Sound System turned out to be a happy surprise, and the best part of the whole night. The Big Top seemed to attract all the happy people (it might have had something to do with the chemicals), but good Aussie hip-hop just seems to make everyone smile. Drapht was outrageously good, stirring the crowds into a sea of excitement with his smooth rhymes and dirty beats; a perfect intro to Bliss n Eso who started their set off with a roaring rendition of Grinspoon's 'Chemical Heart', with the whole crowd singing the words while the DJ team intersected with beats and flowing prose.
The main stage hosted Sneaky Sound System, who were good - flawless in fact - but it would have served them better to have them in the Big Top, as the main stage was far too big for them, causing the little intricacies and sweet licks to be lost on the majority of the crowd.
Sparkadia's brand of inoffensive pop-rock drew quite an impressive crowd, which was spilling out of the Hopetoun tent to catch a glimpse. The sun had well and truly gone down, so people seemed to have regained their energy and were dancing about crazily to the four piece who were pumping out catchy pop riffs like they were going out of fashion. Their hit 'Too Much to Do' was a real winner, with almost everyone in the vicinity singing along with gusto.
"I'm Timmy F**king Rogers, I should look good" blasted You Am I's frontman after sauntering on stage wearing a country music get-up enough to make any Nashvillian jealous. Rogers delivered the goods, and he certainly knew it. The band flipped through their back catalogue for tracks like 'Purple Sneakers' and 'Heavy Heart', which featured Kasey Chambers on stage, but then pursued their more recent tracks that really have taken the country vein. Fellow Homebake artist N'Fa hopped aboard the stage to rap through parts of their hit 'The Big Wheel', and the band employed the use of strings and other instruments to really bring something new to the stage.
Cut Copy and Grafton Primary were deserving of their main act time slots, with both acts creating an intense experience for the audience through their charisma and solid musicianship. They both did well with their respective venues, with both the Big Top and the Hopetoun stage teeming with screaming fans.
Crowded House seemed almost like a religious experience for many of the fans front and centre for their headlining set at the Domain main stage. There were hands waving, group hugs, and people theatrically belting out the lyrics to 'Four Seasons in One Day', 'Fall at Your Feet', and the closer, 'Better be Home Soon.' Their newer tracks, such as 'Even a Child', were also well received. The performance was full of fun and crowd participation, with the band also busting out an impromptu dance beat to rival their competitors, Cut Copy, who were booming from the Big Top during the Crowded House set. If nothing else, this set at Homebake proved that there's an almost innate knowledge of Crowded House songs ingrained into Australian music lovers heads, and there's no sign of that changing anytime soon.
Carrie Dennes & Alex Hahn
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