Splendour In The Grass – otherwise known as The Festival We’d All Go To If We Had A Huge Income And No Work Or Uni Commitments In Late July – is once again taking over a field somewhere vaguely Byron Bay-ish. If you’re lucky enough to be heading up north this weekend, you’re probably going for Outkast or Interpol, but there are actually a few pretty great names lower down the order. We’re not talking the Courtney Barnetts or the Chvrches, we’re talking right down the order. Here’s Happy’s Guide to Splendour In The Grass.
If you’re lucky enough to be heading to Splendour in the Grass this weekend, here’s a guide to some of the acts you should see during the day before you get too trashed.
Touch Sensitive
Wunderkind is a term thrown around a lot these days, so we’re gonna go ahead and throw it around again. Van She co founder Michael Di Francesco is as much an icon of style as he is an icon of musicianship. Self confessed Synth Freak, Touch Sensitive‘s Pizza Guy was the centre of attention back in 2013 with an incredible, star studded video clip and a ridiculously successful social media campaign. If you’re into Instagram and EDM (if you’re into one of those you’re almost certainly into the other) then Touch Sensitive is pretty much a must see.
Saturday, 6:00 – 6:45pm, Mix Up Stage.
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Darlia
Blackpool via Manchester three piece Darlia are on pretty early on the Friday, but trust me when I say you’ll wanna see what these guys can do. Candyman is one of our favourite releases of the year here at Happy, seeing as we’re all lame 90’s nostalgia kids. Creatively grungy, losing your shit and ripping your denim to a stage full of Darlia is a great way to kick off your Splendour long weekend.
Friday, 12:45 – 1:25pm, Amphitheatre.
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The Acid
You’ve heard the hype around these guys, now you can see the hype for yourself. Stirring the mixing pot of Pitchfork’s two favourite late 00’s artists Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective, The Acid have a talent for blending the mechanical with the natural, the ethereal with the terrestrial, the fish with the chips, and so on. We don’t condone drug use here at Happy, and I don’t think Splendour would be too happy if we did, but all I’m saying is LSD is odourless – no sniffer dog danger there.
Friday, 1:30 – 2:15pm, Mix Up Stage.
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Violent Soho
This one doesn’t really need saying. If you like Violent Soho, you’re gonna go see Violent Soho. However, if you don’t like Violent Soho, I’d implore you go see Violent Soho. Of all the acts on the lineup (that I’ve seen) I can confirm that the show is legitimately life changing. Not only are they as loud as they are tight, a Soho show is a great opportunity to pretend you’re that long haired 15 year olds again who’d totally reckon Hell Fuck Yeah is absolute poetry and that moshing is the best shit out. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to see Luke jump off something tall.
Friday, 4:45 – 5:45pm, Amphitheatre
MT Warning
Having recently toured with Gang Of Youths, this three (or maybe four) piece outta Byron (or somewhere like that) make above average guitar music for the modern man(probably). If you haven’t already gathered by the number of brackets, we don’t know much about MT Warning other than that they are called Emm Tee Warning not Mount Warning and that they’re good. Damn good.
Sunday, 2:45 – 3:00pm, Ewan McGregor GW McLennan Tent.
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The Creases
In an absolute crime against good taste and common sense, Brizzy ledges The Creases are playing a mere 30 minute set at 12pm on a Sunday morning. If there is any night that punters deserve a good sleep in, it’s the night after dropping those green hearts and dancing your tits off at Africa Hi-Tech, but alas, you need to get up to see The Creases. Even if you already caught them on the Laneway tour or on their national tour with that Jake Bugg guy, you’d better set your alarm. It’s okay, you can nap in the arvo.
Sunday, 12:00 – 12:30pm, Amphiteatre
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