Highlights of Mountain Sounds Festival 2015

daisymagazine
Feb 28, 2015
3 min read

Despite the overcast weather upon arrival to Mt Penang Parklands, punters lining up to enter Mountain Sounds Festival were all smiles (most likely due to the fact that you entered through a giant inflatable rainbow- which is enough to make anyone smile). Piling in, their smiles widened as they witnessed the unique beauty of the boutique festival unveil.

The layout was planned perfectly, the area being small yet surprisingly spacious, even with 4000 or more ticket holders it felt anything but cramped (except when moshing to The Griswolds and The Jungle Giants; but that’s expected). The festival was aesthetically pleasing from every angle, with hay bales and wooden seats spread across the field, dream catchers hanging over heads in the trees above, the VIP tepee, market stalls, and ‘couch land’ in front of the ‘Unicorn stage’ which complimented the chilled vibe the festival so effortlessly executed.

Every aspect of the festival was impressive. Like other festivals, Mountain Sounds held a ‘Cash for Cans’ initiative throughout the day where punters could exchange empty cans for bar tokens, which benefited both the organisers and the ticket holders as the prices of drinks became affordable, while the mess decreased.

The variety of local and much loved acts spread across four stages meant less clashes, and plenty of new talent to discover. These were a few favourites of mine throughout the day:

Photo: Jack Cowling

Daniel Lee Kendall is dead. He told the crowd as they gazed at the stage with confused and curious eyes. His eccentric outfit also added to the curiosity. Performing his tracks with out of this world dance moves, his stage presence was phenomenal as he continuously engaged with the audience. You knew he didn’t just rock up to play a few songs and leave. He came to perform, and entertain, and that is exactly what he did. Daniel Lee Kendall fell to the ground, staging his death which was followed by a man bouncing on the stage dressed as a woman. The whole situation was overwhelming and bizarre but amped the crowd up as they began to cheer. Daniel Lee Kendall is certainly at home in the entertainment industry. The sun loving care-free punters sang along to their favourite tracks ‘Lost In the Moment’ and ‘Under a Spell’ as they danced around in front of the stage.

Pepa Knight: Providing the crowd with 3D glasses, Pepa Knight graced the stage with his indian themed visuals and dress code. Accompanying these was the all important music which was played with mostly indian instruments found on Pepa's travels. Definitely fitted in well with the chilled out vibe and nearby teepee. His music was rejuvenating and unique as always. He proved that local talent is just as good (if not better).

The Griswolds: Having just won Single of the Year for "Beware the Dog" at the 6th Annual Rolling Stone Awards, The Griswolds sent the crowd into a frenzy with their energetic tracks. They played a lively set filled with old favourites like "Mississippi" and newer tracks from their album "Be Impressive". The first time I saw these guys live was at Big Day Out 2013 and although they were still impressive back then, they have definitely made major improvements. Highly recommend attending a show of theirs.

The Jungle Giants: With all male eyes in the crowd fixated on Cesira, the much loved QLD indie-pop band performed their high-energy tracks to a loving yet crazy crowd of punters mouthing every lyric. Each set I have seen them perform seems to be more energetic and fun than the last. I will never get bored of The Jungle Giants, and it seems that majority of those around me would agree.