Well, day light savings has officially ended and that can only mean one thing; summer is out and unfortunately, so is the outdoor music festival season.
On my weekly music mission as roving Spice reporter, I managed to attend some of the best events Victoria’s entertainment scene has to offer.
Along the way, my crew and I have grown very fond of the overnight camping festival sort. From Meredith to Falls, three-day camping affairs are just too good to pass up.
The music mania that was the summer of 2009-10 began last December with RRR’s Meredith Music Festival (MMF). I returned to the Supernatural Amphitheatre – reminiscent of the stage at Likavitos in Athens – to experience many musical and visual delights: Animal Collective, Jarvis Cocker, Paul Kelly and Eddie Current Suppression Ring, just to name a few.
Thankfully the weather held out, and much fun was had by all. As the party months rolled on, I decided to skip the Golden Plains festival in March – MMF’s sister event also held at the amphitheatre – to instead attend a little known boutique festival called Boogie, over the Easter break.
Boy was that an awesome decision to have made! To quote my boyfriend’s current Facebook status update, I am most certainly “boogied-out, but not out-boogied.”
It was a lot fun to say the absolute least. Boogie is a boutique camping festival committed to providing diversity in music, arts, alcohol and food.
It is situated on a farm in Tallarook, which is in regional Victoria to the north. Organisers purposely limit capacity by selling no more than a strict 500 tickets, which encourages a real community feel over the weekend; there are no lines for toilets or to see the bands.
The event site is provided by legendary Tallarook local “Bruzzy” the farm owner. In homage to the generous host, the licensed bar serves delicious “Bruzzy cocktails”.
He is often seen mingling with Boogie patrons having a good time.
Different to other mainstream camping festivals, Boogie gives the patron a real sense of being on an adult version of school camp. Fitted with a wooden clad ‘clubhouse’ and main stage visuals of Ren and Stimpy, the atmosphere takes over and you just cannot resist the childish urges to get dressed up and run amok.
Night two is dress up night; there were Mexican fighting masks, Ghostbusters, Zombie nurses and even a space Viking.
No one really attends this gig to see big name bands or DJs, it is more a forum for kicking back with your peeps and to get a little crazy.
The organisers actually started Boogie in response to the “soul destroying, corporate, overcrowded, box ticking, mass market festivals,” they often found themselves not enjoying. The mission statement of Boogie is to create a small event that connects all guests and services their “Boogie needs.”
This was the fourth ever Boogie, and it really just keeps getting better. Not bigger, but just better.
www.boogie.net.au