Festival Review – Good Things Festival 2019
Bringing the one-day alternative/heavy festival to numerous capital cities around Australia, Good Things backed up a solid first year featuring bigger International and Australian acts, a large variety of food options and set the gold standard in what we can expect for a summer festival.
Opening the main stage this year was Poppy; YouTube star turned musician. With her own brand of creep-pop, Poppy’s music verges on the borders of bubblegum-pop and death metal – two unique genres that find a way to blend effortlessly. Opening her set with one of her new releases, Concrete, Poppy made her dramatic entrance onstage flanked by two band members wearing masks. It wasn’t until we reached the front that the realisation was made – the masks were of Poppy’s face, the look completed with long blonde hair. Alongside tracks Scary Mask (very fitting) and X, her set was truly something to behold, and left us wanting a longer set time.
Speaking of masks, next up were American band Ice Nine Kills, who opened with American Nightmare. The band members continued the theatrics seen by Poppy, dressed up to kill in horror film costumes, with a set packed full of horror references. Much like their latest album The Silver Scream. Set design, weapons and costumes aside, the performance was incredibly action packed, with the audience jumping along and cheering. Vocalist Spencer Charnas’ multiple costume changes (Ghostface, Michael Myers, Pennywise) and their recreation of horror scenes was nothing short of entertaining, and made up for a set that we’re sure was different from your usual metal-core gig.
Ice Nine Kills’ set was followed by fellow international act Dance Gavin Dance, gaining a massive crowd eager to see the band at work. Leading their set with The Jiggler and Chucky vs. the Giant Tortoise, the band brought an incredible energy, each member performing at 110%. Vocalist Tilian Pearson and Jon Mess seamlessly bounced off one another, much to the audiences adoration. Leaving their performance in awe, we head over to the main stage for one of the most anticipated acts of the day.
After teasing a heavy appearance for a while, The Veronicas made their Good Things debut.
Ramping up the audience with opening track Take Me On The Floor, their set was a party from the get-go. If there was any doubts The Veronicas belonged on Good Things’ lineup, all of that was out the door from the moment they took to the stage. The Origliasso twins easily elicited one of the biggest crowd reactions of the day, and we were all for it. Playing banger after banger, hit after hit, the band and equally energetic backing members treated the crowd to classics like Hook Me Up and 4ever as well as a well-received cover of Blink-182’s I Miss You – cue massive crowd singalong.
The highlight of the set was the moment we’d been waiting for, as we were told, “Please stand for the national anthem” as the opening chords of Untouched rang out. With the audience losing their minds, taken even further when Jess and Lisa ask for a wall of death, we couldn’t help but appreciate significance of their set at the event.
After surviving the mosh at The Veronicas, we made our way to see local band Slowly Slowly. We’d seen the boys a few times before, but it was great to really see them in their element at a festival. With a packed out crowd and a killer setlist, the crowd was treated to a guest appearance from Bec Stevens to help perform new single Safety Switch. Playing fan favourites Jellyfish, Alchemy and Aliens to an amped up audience really showed how much fun the band was having. So much so, that by the time they began closing their set off with Ten Leaf Clover, vocalist Ben Stewart and the audience were practically singing the words back to each other.
Without a moment to lose, English rockers Enter Shikari launched into an energy-packed set, with an impressive catalogue and dance moves to match. Dancing around on stage, climbing speakers, and running through the audience was frontman Rou Reynolds approach, and had the crowd cheering along at every moment. Oldies but goodies Destabilise and Sssnakepit were obvious crowd favourites; with the audience yelling along to every word. At the opening notes to Sorry You’re Not a Winner, everyone (including the band) goes completely off, and the band goes into a ‘quick fire round’ – playing three songs in seven minutes. It’s a bit of a feat, but Enter Shikari completely own the moment, and play out their set to a more than satisfied crowd.
Rushing back to the main stage, we catch Simple Plan; this year’s nostalgic offering. With their angst-driven pop punk anthems, the crowds rush in from every direction to sing (or in some cases, shout) along with every word. Opening with Welcome To My Life, the emo anthem has everyone raging along. Performing Jetlagged, the band bring out guest vocalist Erin Reus from Brisbane band Stateside, who added her own spin on the song. Classics Addicted, Shut Up and the always emotional Perfect close off the set, leaving the audience in high spirits.
Playing their first Melbourne show in three years, Violent Soho made their grand return to our stage, opening with modern classic Like Soda. With the turnout and the performance the Brisbane locals gave, it was as if they never took a break from Melbourne. Playing a massive set, the audience is completely unhinged – pelting rolls of toilet paper through the crowds and onto the stage. Dodging the paper in between songs, Violent Soho rips through In the Aisle, Jesus Stole My Girlfriend and Vacation Forever, leading a mass crowd singalong. Of course it wouldn’t be a Soho show without Covered In Chrome, and with a collective ‘hell fuck yeah’, it was all over. The boys have easily been a staple for Australian festivals, so we’re sure we’ll see them back soon enough.
It was no joke that American metalcore band A Day To Remember lived up to their namesake – garnering one of the wildest sets and crowds of the day. As usual, their set opened with Downfall Of Us All, leading into a mass singalong with the crowd, which continued right through to the very end of their set. Anthem All I Want is next, and has frontman Jeremy McKinnon flexing his impressive vocal range. Playing Sticks & Bricks live for the first time in Australia, the audience goes absolutely mental when the breakdown hits. Slower songs Have Faith in Me and If It Means a Lot To You have the crowds swaying along, which quickly ramps up when ADTR close off with older track The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle. Their set leaves everyone with an energy burst, all ready for the headlining act.
Metal behemoths Parkway Drive closed off the night, playing their first ever festival headline show. The Byron Bay five piece cemented their status in the Australian alt-scene – making a lot of us wonder why they hadn’t headlined before. Pulling out all stops for this headlining tour, the band spent no time mucking around; getting deep into their performance. Opening with Wishing Wells, vocalist Winston McCall’s impressive guttural range persists through fan faves Prey and Carrion. With some of the wildest mosh pits we’ve seen, it’s clear how Parkway Drive’s hard work and dedication has cemented them as one of Australia’s strongest metal acts. Before we don’t think it can get any wilder, the encore calls for drummer Ben Gordon’s kit, with him playing a solo, rotating 360 degrees. The crowd is absolutely stunned at this point – until the kit is set on fire, and he leads the rest of the band into Crushed and closing track Bottom Feeder, with the stage awash in flames. In possibly one of the most crazy sets we’ve ever seen, it was easy to see why Parkway Drive were so deserving of a headline slot.
On the mad rush out, everyone is on a concert-high and loving life. At the end of the day, Good Things delivered a massive event, with another strong line up, and an amazingly well run day. We’re hoping that the festival is here to stay, and we can’t wait to see what it has in store in coming years.