Groovin' the Moo sideshows

The Australian festival scene is apparently saturated. Yeah, we've been told that a lot this past 12 months, with only 1 festival in Brisbane selling out (and it's this weekend!). But there's some festivals that don't even touch the major cities, but instead embrace different markets in more regional areas. The biggest (probably anyway) is Groovin' the Moo, which is not a festival I mention here often. And that's because it's Queensland leg is in Townsville. It's NSW leg is in Maitland. Either one will see me having to travel a day or more to get there.

But the beauty of this festival is that Brisbane actually gets sideshows! YES! Lots of them too.

First off the rank is a band with one of my favourite albums: Kaiser Chiefs. Their debut album Employment is just a ripsnorter of a Brit-pop-rock album full of synth and happy indie dance tunes.

Although their latest albums haven't had the same impact on me, they are still a great band to see live.

Kaiser Chiefs - HiFi, May 8

On the same night is the poster boy of the current surf-punk movement: Wavves. Although not really my thing, there's a lot of people I know that are going to put in some bad Hawaiian shirts and go along to this.

Wavves - The Zoo, May 8

 Playing the next day at the Zoo is a man who parties hard. And does the weather some times:

Andrew W.K. - The Zoo, May 9

Also on the same night there'll be a British band playing their jangly guitar indie. They have a song called Lego. Is that the reason I listened to them originally? You damn well know it.

The Maccabees - HiFi, May 9

The very last sideshow is actually over two nights, one all-ages and the other 18+. And it kind of hurts me, as he was once in a hardcore band that put out when of my all time favourite albums. It was called Watch Out! Nothing against his solo music, he has an amazing voice and is an incredible musician. It just makes me a little sad. That being said, he does throw a few Alexisonfire songs in occasionally.

City and Colour - The Tivoli, May 8 (18+), May 9 (all-ages)

Pack it up, pack it in. Let me begin.

This is Everlast:

Soulful. Slightly depressing. Introspective. Laid back.

This was Everlast a long time ago:

Yes, he was an "Irish-American Rapper." And he had a massive one-hit wonder that most of us know when we're in the Mustang bar listening to 80s/90s music and still managing to remember all the words despite the quantity of cheap rum and vodka we've imbibed and the decades between last hearing the song.

House of Pain split up in 1996 which left Everlast writing some great folk-American-rock. But to celebrate a 20 year anniversary of being white rappers, House of Pain are coming out on a reunion tour. They'll be coming along as the Grooving the Moo festival, but we get to see them do a headline show in Brisbane.

May 2, HiFi
May 5, Coolangatta Hotel

I think I've just found an excellent reason to wear my 1991/92 replica Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen jersey. And maybe a backwards cap. But not fitted. I'm pretty sure they didn't exist then.

Grooving the Moo sideshows

I was actually a little bit jealous when I saw the announcement of the Grooving the Moo lineup. Jealous because it only goes to regional locales, and there were more bands I'd enjoy seeing than most festivals this year (Laneway announcement included!).

But, unlike most other festivals in Australia, the promoters are letting the bands do sideshows in most major centres. And pretty much every band I want to see on this festival are playing sideshows in Brisbane.

The first band I avoided for ages, because for the life of me I could not understand what the fuck was the irony of dancing to Joy Division. But if you haven't guessed the band yet, you probably didn't listen to Triple J at any point in the last 3 years, because it's the Wombats. They'll be doing a sideshow of dance-indie May 3rd at the Tivoli.

The second band is one of those bands that kicked off my love with all things musical from the Scandanavian regions.

I've missed seeing them tonnes of times now and constantly regret it. They mix together a healthy dose of geekiness, dance and rock, generally with a mix of tracksuits and BMX thrown in. What isn't there to love?

I will definitely be there this time, May 4 at the Zoo. 18+

The Drums

I never go to Splendour. I wish I had in 2006, but ever since then the lineup hasn't excited me enough to fork out a large chunk of money to spend a long weekend driving a long way to camp in a muddy field full of pill-popping drunk-party girls to listen to bands, 90% of which play every Australian festival ever.

But if I had gone in 2010, I would've definitely checked out the Drums.

As I have much lamented, 2010 was a year of the re-emergence of surf-rock. Where as surf-rock has been interesting in the past, 2010 was a year of generic sounding guitar-surf rock.

The Drums weren't really like that. They were a bit more upbeat and a bit more electro. Like if old school Gang of Four and New Order crossed over with the Beach Boys. That description makes me happy, like the Drums music does.

Well in less than a year, they've decided to come out as part of the regional Grooving the Moo festival. And like the Go Team, Brisbane actually gets sideshows!

May 3, The Zoo.

The Drums

The Go! Team

Back when Triple J were good (~2004) this band had a bit of a hit time!

Their mix of extreme lo-fi (mmm humming and distortion) with hip-hop, dance, alternative rock and lots of experimentation with noise made them a pretty great band for that time and place that was 2004. And unsurprisingly, I dug it.

Fast forward 7 years and there's been 2 albums since Thunder, Lightning, Strike; but no tours in 4 years. But that shall be rectified, as they have been announced as part of the Grooving the Moo run of festivals.

Although these festivals run to regional centres (Queensland's stop is Townsville, if it hasn't blown away), unlike most other festivals we get Brisbane sideshows. So catch the Go! Team May 4 at the HiFi.