Parklife
Sidney Myer Bowl, Melbourne
24/09/2011

The Sidney Myer Bowl is abuzz. The sun is shining and spring has definitely arrived as Parklife arrives in town. With a host of homegrown Australian talent kick-starting the day, Melbourne boys San Fran Disco are the first to draw a big crowd as they take to the tiny Atoll Stage. With the boys on the cusp of unleashing their new EP, the positive response bolsters the boys’ energy and they deliver a knock out set.

Triple J darlings and fellow Melbournites Strange Talk may have spent a lot of time Stateside prior to Parklife, but the boys are back in town with a second EP in hand and make the most of their early slot on Sahara, the main stage, where they warm up for the likes of The Naked And Famous, Katy B and the Gossip. With the crowd swelling, the boys throw themselves into a stonker of a set with a surprisingly strong cover of No Doubt classic ‘Hella Good’ proving a crowd pleaser.

Parklife also marks the return of Ballarat boys Gold Fields – who went down a storm on their US break. Having been back in the country barely two days, they take to the stage with jetlag written all over their faces. But they don’t let the fact that they are performing on the hideously small and hidden Cave stage get them down as they give their set their all and soon have bodies bouncing.

With the local acts have raised the bar, it is down to Kiwi songstress Kimbra to set the international tone. Exuding an air of Amy Winehouse she has the Atoll Stage eating out of the palm of her hand. As the day progresses, Katy B, Example and the Gossip send audiences into a frenzy but the internationals struggle to go the extra mile to top the natives. Two come pretty close, however, as Swedish quirksters Little Dragon cast their spell and Parklife veteran Santigold hits the spot once again.

Jeremy Williams