Festival Review – Good Things Festival 2018
In December 2018, Melbourne was introduced to the first iteration of Good Things Festival, designed to bring us something different, something new and something good. MEL Live attended the festival, braving the heat with thousands of punters in the name of all things good.
Located at Flemington Racecourse, Good Things had a lot to prove to win over the audience, and big shoes to fill to make up for the void of a post-Soundwave climate. In their first year of existence, we believe that the festival managed to cater to all audiences and demographics, exceeding expectations of what we can hope for from any new and emerging festivals.
The musical festivities commenced with Ecca Vandal and WAAX, showcasing some of Australia’s emerging talent in the punk-rock scene. Ecca Vandal, a Melbourne-local, performed at the festival in her first hometown show in seven months, having spent the year touring all around the world. Launching into her tracks with lightning-quick vocals and strong beats, she won the crowd over encouraging them to dance in the heat to her singles, including Price of Living and Battle Royal.
Queensland band WAAX were next to take the stage, being no strangers to the Australian festival circuit. Leading the crowd into a supercharged and animated set, WAAX took the title of first mosh pit for the day as they launched into This Everything and I For An Eye.
The band cycled through their setlist with assistance from Violent Soho drummer, Mike Richards, encouraging the crowd to let loose while they performed a cover of In the Aisle. Before we knew it, WAAX’s set was coming to a close, performing fan favourite Same Same and finishing on the title track for their upcoming album Labrador.
Continuing on with strong Australian artists, we headed to the main stage to catch Northlane. Accustomed to playing at festivals around the globe, Northlane were the perfect choice to bring in the afternoon set. With high level production and lively frontman Marcus Bridge showcasing the heavier side of the festival’s performances, they were clearly a reason many Melbournians chose to attend.
Opening with Genesis, Northlane wasted no time in stirring the rowdy crowd to get amongst it. Playing key tracks from all three of their successful albums Singularity, Mesmer and Node, Bridge and the band powered through their set with the audience singing along to every word. The loyalty fans have shown to Northlane over the years has never faltered and it would be hard to imagine the day without them. Finishing with Quantum Flux, the crowd were left satisfied that Northlane continue to perform at their highest level to date, justifying themselves as an essential component to any heavy music festival.
Michigan-based La Dispute tore up the stage from the get-go, running through each of their hits one after another. Their energy was undeniable and endless, with vocalist Jordan Dreyer even breaking his microphone at one point. The audience hung on every word and note; making it evident that the band was a highlight for many. After belting through songs such as New Storms for Older Lovers and The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit, the audience went wild as soon as Dreyer uttered the words ‘King Park’.
Powering through the song, the band’s energy was only mirrored by the audience, with Dreyer jumping into the crowd, encouraging a sing (in this case, yell) along. The set was a highlight of our day and was perfect as could be – making us want to see them again as soon as possible.
Making their Australian debut, BABYMETAL walked on stage head to toe in black and gold, and wearing kitsune masks. Beginning their set with Megitsune, the trio’s tight choreography and catchy songs drew in massive crowds at the festival. Smashing out singles Distortion and Gimme Chocolate!!, the trio had the crowd mesmerised throughout the whole set. How they managed to dance around on stage that long, we’ll never know. Judging by how crazy the audience went over BABYMETAL, we’re sure we’ll see them back in the country soon.
For many at Good Things, the Used were a probably a band that a lot of the audience grew up listening to; which was reflected in the masses that came to their stage. Opening with Take It Away, the set was packed full of classics, as well as new hits such as Blood on My Hands and Cry. Their set wouldn’t be complete without getting political, which is exactly what vocalist Bert McCracken did a couple songs in – encouraging the audience to flip off and hold their hands high.
At one point, a mosh pit opened up when McCracken started singing the Play School theme song. Needless to say, the band’s energy onstage had the crowd going wild at all times, and there wasn’t a person around who wasn’t singing or jumping along. Closing with 2002 hit A Box Full of Sharp Objects, the Used proved to everyone why they had stuck around this long.
Welsh powerhouse Bullet For My Valentine played a thundering set to a massive crowd, starting off with one of their newer tracks Don’t Need You. The vocals were well balanced between vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck and bassist Jamie Mathias, while lead guitarist Padge thrilled the crowds with his screaming guitar riffs.
A few songs into the set, the audience is told that it’s time to go back to 2005, as the band rips into 4 Words (To Choke Upon) from their debut album The Poison. Later in the set, the audience hears what they’ve been waiting for, and go wild as soon as the opening notes of Tears Don’t Fall start playing. After a two year absence in Melbourne, it’s fair to say that Bullet were well and truly missed by the audience, and were a great win for Good Things.
Waiting for the Dropkick Murphys to grace our presence, we were unclear of our exact expectations leading up to seeing the leading American Celtic Punk Rock band. From the moment the band hit the stage, with lead vocalists Ken Casey and Al Barr jumping straight into The Boys Are Back, we realised why they had been booked for Good Things; delivering one of the highest energy performances of the day.
Bringing back memories of every time we’ve spent in an Irish pub, as well as the time we were introduced to the band through the film The Departed, the boys jumped into a range of hits that kept the audience dancing and singing along. Performing Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya, and Out of Our Heads, the band showed no signs of slowing down.
The set felt as if a story was being told to each member of the audience, finishing on Until the Next Time with a big sing-a-long, before launching into their most popular song Shipping Up To Boston. We were thankful the band had been booked in, as they spent the set showing us why they were an important asset to any festival slot.
Following up the Dropkick Murphys on the main stage was Baltimore pop-rock band All Time Low. Known for their cheeky antics, the four-piece put on a fun show, gaining laughs from the huge crowds gathered around their stage. Starting off the set with Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t), the setlist only got stronger as it went along, and the pile of bras being thrown on stage only grew bigger.
Vocalist Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat’s on-stage banter was entertainment at best, and by the end of the set, it wasn’t just their usual younger fanbase who were hanging off their every word. Blasting out classics such as Stella, Weightless and Lost in Stereo, All Time Low’s set came to a climax with closing track Dear Maria, Count Me In – leaving the audience wanting more.
Stone Sour were always going to be a big deal at Good Things Festival, with Australia’s obsession with anything Corey Taylor touches being known by everyone, including Corey himself. Seeing fans peering over fences to take a look at the man himself standing backstage, the anticipation finally came to a close when they walked out onto the main stage in the early evening. Opening with Taipei Person/Allah Tea, the crowd roared in excitement as the set began.
Tearing through songs such as Absolute Zero, Bother, Tired and Through Glass, the 60-minute performance from Stone Sour lasted a lifetime as the crowd engaged in every movement and every word. Corey, proving as always why he is so renowned as a frontman to any band, jumped around on stage delivering each lyric with a passion and purpose. Concluding with the song Fabuless, it was time to say farewell to Stone Sour for now, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Corey and one of his projects returns to Australian shores.
The Offspring came on as day became night, and the band launched into playing their hit album Smash in its entirety to a receptive and enthusiastic crowd. With highlights including Bad Habit and Genocide, it was exciting to see the band performing some of their lesser known songs to their die-hard fans across the Melbourne audience. With the expected back and forth between lead singer Dexter Holland and the crowd, it was evident that the banter still remains an integral part of any Offspring show.
Once the Smash album concluded, the band performed Self Esteem before departing the stage. The encore was everything you could hope for and more, performing a barrage of hits including You’re Gonna Go Far Kid, Why Don’t You Get a Job?, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), and finishing their 90 minute set with The Kids Aren’t Alright. Wrapping up the festival, the Offspring showed us why they deserved the headline slot.
All up, Good Things was a well-run and organised festival with minimal lines for entry, food and bars, and was well prepared for the heat with sunscreen and water stations, mist areas and shade. Plenty of options were available for eating and drinking throughout the day; we were able to enjoy lunch at Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks Food Truck, and dinner at the Hamsa Hummus Bar and Vegan Shawarma tent. The bands and artists performing were exceptionally strong, and we look forward to what’s to come for the Good Things team.