Over the weekend, thousands of punters descended on Maitland for one of the largest regional touring festivals in Australia, Groovin’ The Moo.
The lineup was hot, the ground was muddy and the crowd were keen.
When we arrived, around midday, the rain was pouring, but it did not dampen our spirits. We headed straight for the Moolin’ Rouge Tent to see Royel Otis, a band I was personally excited to see.
The group had quite a large crowd in the tent who came to take refuge from the rain but stayed for the infectious indie pop tunes. Not long after the last note rang out, the skies cleared and the crowds dispersed.
We then decided to brave the bar lines, grab a beverage and head over to the main stages, where we were lucky enough to catch the force that is BARKAA, a proud Malyangapa, Barkindji woman. Her flow was tight, her energy was high and her message was clear – She’s going to be a big name in the local scene.
Next up we caught Slowly Slowly, off the back of their sold-out Hamilton Station Hotel gig. They played sing-along hits such as Jellyfish and Blueprint and even threw in a tasty treat – Their recent Like A Version of the blink-182 cult classic I Miss You.
We hung around at the main stage for a while for Canadian artist BBNO$ and then Confidence Man, who produced a perfectly choreographed festival set (complete with light-up cone bra).
Next was the UK powerhouse band, Nothing But Thieves, who were everything but boring. The soaring vocals and tight guitar riffs echoed across the grounds, and people took note.
One personal surprise for me was Eliza Rose, who showed Maitland she truly is B.O.T.A (the baddest of them all). The Moolin’ Rouge tent was heaving as the UK DJ/singer/songwriter absolutely brought the vibes and the party to Australia.
The crowd only became more excited as the Enmore Theatre floor-breaking Genesis Owusu took to the stage, accompanied by three hype men dressed in black and red bondage and balaclavas, who just kind of screamed at the crowd.
The set was a perfect blend of Prince-esque smooth, soulful melodies and high-energy hip-hop raps. His whole vibe was impressive, captivating and infectious.
The rest of the night was spent over at the main stage, where crowd (and my personal) favourites, Ball Park Music delighted us with a hit-filled set list and plenty of sing-alongs.
Then it was time for the big man, the OG, the godfather of house and dance music – Fat Boy Slim.
Admittedly, I was ever so slightly disappointed. We were treated to more of a DJ set of his DJ set, rather than the original, huge hits that made him an international household name.
We did get snippets of Praise You, Right Here, Right Now, Eat Sleep Rave Repeat and Renegade Master, but there were noticeable absences of hits such as Weapon Of Choice.
Fat Boy’s version of rave classic Born Slippy was a very well-received addition and had attendees in a trance.
The visuals, lights and lasers were worth the ticket price alone, this man knows how to put on a show and minor gripes about the set list aside, it was easily a highlight of the day and the perfect way to end.
Now. It sounds like I had a great time, right? I did. But. There is an elephant (or cow) in the room that must be addressed.
During the day we went on a hunt for the festival staple – the chip on a stick, only to be disappointed and quite frankly, outraged. A festival without chip on a stick is a like a pub with no beer. Despite the lack of a certain potato stick snack, the food choices were a-plenty and the service was quick and no-fuss.
We may have left with sore feet, aching backs and extremely muddy boots, but overall the 2023 instalment of Groovin’ The Moo was successful and an all-around enjoyable festival experience.
I give it 9/10 moos (they lose a point for the lack of spiralised potato).
