At the beginning of each summer, thousands of people from far and wide descend upon a farm in rural Victoria, as it morphs into an unlikely musical microcosm. Home to a delicious brand of goat’s cheese and less than 1,000 permanent residents, the township of Meredith also hosts a festival that faithfully defies the odds. The national music festival scene may be in upheaval, but the 32nd edition of Meredith Music Festival was a testament that this indie event has mastered the method for delivering a sold-out success.
With vivid memories of the 2023 mud bath and a chaotic weather forecast ahead, the collective resolve of attendees to have a great time remained intact – such is the loyalty of the average Meredith-goer. After a rambunctious kick-off to the festival from Greek punk band Frenzee, local indie duo Good Morning kept the energy cruising along nicely, with a set that carried the spirit of the weekend ahead. As they piled mates onto the stage for their last song, it was clear they were having a whole lot of fun.
Mk.gee’s crashing guitar chords and growling vocals stilled the crowd in awe as the light of the festival’s first day faded. But it did feel like he should’ve swapped slots with Americana darling Waxahatchee, who followed him, as her sweet songs would’ve been a beautiful soundtrack for the sunset. Enigmatic psych-rockers Glass Beams’ rolling riffs seemed to glide out across the amphitheatre as they led an entranced audience into the late-night bracket. Genesis Owusu’s high-energy set cemented his status as a local powerhouse, with a reworked bass-heavy rendition of ‘Get Inspired’ electrifying the crowd and ‘A Song About Fishing’ an unexpectedly emotional closer to his set.
Princess Superstar was camp, chaotic and carefree, wisely bookending her slot with the viral remix of ‘Perfect (Exceeder)’ – which, as you’d imagine, absolutely went off – flanked by a tight troupe of dancers. But her onstage antics were mild compared to the insanity of Spanish techno group Mainline Magic Orchestra, whose set truly had to be seen to be believed. In brief, it was incredible and hilarious. I finally put myself to bed as DJ Pgz closed the first night by playing the full ten minutes of the Frank Ocean track ‘Pyramids’. You wouldn’t think that at 4am I’d be tempted to venture back into the crowd, pajamas and all, but such is the magnetic pull of the sup’. Thankfully, there was still another full day of dancing to be had.
The festival eased into Saturday with a soundscape of the beloved brass band (yes, there is a brass band performance every year) and dreamy, velvety vocals from Maple Glider. The second day’s afternoon bracket is always reliably curated with a diverse range of acts that are all similarly very danceable. Foolishly, I was slightly concerned that Leo Sayer would show his age during his set – but as he burst onto the stage belting out ‘Thunder in My Heart’, any worries were forgotten. He delivered the performance of a seasoned pro, jump-starting the party for the day, while also poking fun at himself: “All my drugs from the ‘70s are kicking in now”.
Indonesian band Precious Bloom kept the crowd grooving, with a lead vocalist who had a beautiful soaring soprano. This was followed by Olof Dreijer, who brought the energy to a fever pitch with Latin beats and Ballroom culture tracks, as the amphitheatre heaved with dancers. The sequence of the festival’s music programming curates a smooth undulation of pace and energy, with the crowd calming at sunset to listen to the soulful tunes of Angie McMahon. She gave a beautiful and moving performance, as we all knew she would.
Funk pioneers Zapp were an unexpected highlight of the second night, with old-school charm, slick choreography and awesome light-up suits – their set was a crowd-pleaser. It was followed by the stark contrast of the Dare, whose strobe-filled act didn’t feel like it totally translated from the smaller venues he usually plays to the festival stage.
Festival headliner Jamie xx delivered a truly masterful set, holding the entire crowd in the palm of his hand for the full 90 minutes that everyone wished went for longer. There was an air of amazement that washed over the audience as his tracks seamlessly cascaded from one into the next, many from his latest album In Waves. He perfectly captured the collective euphoria.
Meredith Music Festival is likely to be the only event of its kind in the country where you can see an electronic producer in the midst of a massive world tour and an afro-sporting Aussie '70s popstar on the same stage, on the same day. It sounds like a bizarre model, but year after year, it works. While it’s an eclectic festival, there’s a beautiful, consistent simplicity to Meredith. As a new generation of festivalgoer emerges, it’ll be interesting to see if the event manages to age gracefully. But for now, as they say: if it ain’t broke.