I was terrified for the day ahead of Freeform, as the day before was the worst rain Melbourne has had in 16 years. I lowkey thought it was going to be a repeat of Woodstock 99, with people getting trench foot as a result of the mud.
But that was certainly not the case. In true Melbournian fashion (literally), we all turned up in our solomons, hiking gear that's more of a fashion statement than for practical use, bumbags and those Arc'teryx bird beanies— to take on the world and do some hardcore techno dancing.
“Melbourne people are so cool and hot”, I hear my American friend say as we enter the gates of Sidney Myer. Yes, they are, particularly in the DJ realm for some reason. My friend and I go on to debate this topic later in the evening - why are people in techno so hot? The concentration of hot people is just astounding- I was just happy to be involved in it.
We were trying to get there just in time for Ned Bennett, but to my chagrin, Ned couldn't make it due to travel reasons. Devastating - but the show must go on, and that it did, with the graces of Memphis LK. She is Melbourne-born and bred, and combines elements of UK Garage, house, jungle, trance, and synth-pop. The crowds were just spilling in at the waveform stage at this point, and I was in warm-up mode, both physically and mentally. With this kind of techno music, you have to be in a certain zone to really let the music wash over you and prepare for the 7 hours ahead.
Then I made it just in time for Bella Claxton. We know her, we love her. She really brings the vibes. I did feel the crowd did not give her her flowers with her set; she brings the kind of energy that you see in Ibiza DJs, and she has played there, of course. Bella's sound is fast and hard; her music draws on the harsher edges of house music with trance-inspired and pulsating rhythms. Bella brought a playful intensity to the dancefloor - a perfect segue for the high-energy sets that were to come.
One qualm I do have is that Sidney Myer is just such an awkward space to perform and to see a show that requires dancing - there is only a bit of room for a mosh pit, and then the rest of it is seating, but then by the time you are on the barricade on the hill, you can barely see. I am not sure a DJ-based festival is the right fit for the Sidney Myer, but we made do.
We went for a drink and some chippies and made our way back for SWIM, which was arguably one of my favourite DJs of the night. He draws from more atmospheric and melodic textures - you can really hear the shimmering synths and nostalgic electronic sounds in the mix. His music feels almost intergalactic- like you are being shot up in space. Listening to him feels like being in Hypnosis; I got goosebumps in that crowd. Some people started standing on their friends' shoulders at this point, or even standing on the seats; it really made me feel enveloped in SWIM’s world.
Barry Can’t Swim joined SWIM onstage for a switchover- it seems to be an aquatic theme for the night. Everybody cheered. Now I must admit, I dont know Barry too well, and I heard him characterised under the Fisher/Dom Dolla umbrella, with a more typical house sound, which I tend to be more skeptical of. But I was delightfully surprised. He brought a soulful sensibility to the electronic stage, bringing warm grooves with jazz-inspired melodies. He offered a beautiful contrast to the harsher sounds on the lineup: uplifting house rhythms you could really feel in the depths of your body, and all you want to do is move and dance to the music.
The Bowl was filled to the brim at this point; there was a big queue to get into the mosh pit, and everyone was eager to get a good spot for Interplanetary Criminal. He is the most famous DJ on the lineup; I remember “BOTA” winning Triple J's Hottest 100 a couple of years back. I could not contain my excitement.
His sound is so distinctly UK, very UK club culture-esque. He's got the heavy basslines, chopped vocal samples, and some cheeky percussive elements. The Bowl had reached its climax at this point; you could literally feel the ground shaking and people screaming “she’s the baddest of them all” as it was being sampled in and out of his tracks. He lit up a cigarette, and I thought, can this guy get any more badass?
I left the stadium with my legs sore, my ears ringing, but I was content. I really am a seasoned raver now, and I will be coming to Freeform for years to come.