When it comes to seeing in the New Year, it would be difficult for lovers of music, beautiful scenery and a bit of adventure to pass up The Falls Music & Art Festival. The Falls celebrated its 18th year in 2011, showcasing an impressive assortment of musicians, comedians, street performers and general entertainers against the stunning backdrops of Lorne and Marion Bay over the New Year period. Boasting approximately 4 days of festivities and 129 acts (not to mention ~16000 attendees at Marion Bay alone) this time around, The Falls has continued to grow since 1993 to be considered one of Australia’s iconic and longest running music festivals.
Music is at the heart of The Falls and 2011 was no disappointment in terms of bringing high calibre musical performances to the table. International headliners such as The Kooks, Crystal Castles, The Arctic Monkeys and The Naked and Famous wowed the masses; local artists did much the same with Falls veterans The John Butler Trio and Regurgitator standing out as definite crowd pleasers. Other highlights included the London-based, audio-visual spectacular The Wonderful World of DJ Yoda; Los Angeles’ Grouplove; Sydney group The Jezebels and – well, the standard was incredibly high across the board. The festival seemed to have a little something for all audiences, with everything from blues & roots and folk to electronica and hip-hop making at least one appearance: a dub step adaptation of a Pink Floyd record entitled Dub Side of the Moon was a particularly interesting part of the schedule. If you’re interested in having a look at the full 2011 Falls lineup, it can be found here.
Drums and guitars aside, all kinds of entertainment was available to campers for the duration of The Falls. Stand-up comedy acts had the afternoon sun-soakers in stitches; karaoke and interpretive dance competitions kept Lorne adventurers moving and shaking. The Village, a carnival-like hub of activity in the heart of the Falls universe, hosted everything from craft to cabaret: the Village people were responsible for the fabulous New Year’s Eve Fiesta, complete with costumed festival-goers and a truly enormous papier-mâché fish. The APRA People’s Stage was also a highlight; open to any camper with a (claimed) flair for entertaining: gems such as “kitchen appliance electro-rock” graced the stage, blending smoothies and improvising rap lyrics to a poorly kept beat. Hilarity for all involved.
For those expecting little but riots, illicit substances and irresponsible youth at a festival like The Falls, you may be somewhat disappointed. The overall festival atmosphere was one of relaxation and while, of course, there were those who had well and truly lost their inhibitions, people generally looked out for one another. Music lovers of all ages congregate each year for The Falls, with infants in strollers and curious youngsters being just as common as couples and groups in their 40s and beyond. Midday naps in the shade were commonplace; trekking to the nearly beach took a bit of time and energy, but to see the stunning shoreline and take a quick dip in the ocean was definitely worth every effort. As far as food and beverages were concerned, there was no shortage of variety. Many campers brought most of their own food and water; however the temptation of hot food and a cup of coffee seemed too good to resist for some. Water was readily available and free of charge throughout the day and night, while soft drink, hot beverages and alcohol demanded a few dollars and an often lengthy wait in line.
Despite the scorching daytime heat, freezing night-time temperatures and that timely bout of rain that came just as we were packing up our camping gear, The Falls had a lot to offer in 2011. A fantastic array of music and entertainment, gorgeous scenery, enough free water and sunscreen to supply a small city and the kind of atmosphere that makes you wish you never had to leave … Though, I’ll admit, it was wonderful to come home and take a shower! I’d recommend The Falls to anyone who can stand sleeping in a tent and dealing with “environmentally sustainable” restrooms (and even those, like me, who struggle a little).
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