Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images
Australian regional tour Groovin The Moo made its way through the mid north coast of NSW on Saturday, with the second stop in Maitland.
As always, Groovin brought together a smorgasbord of artists, from the newest of the new in the form of 17-year-old breakout act Billie Eilish to ‘90s and 2000s legends Regurgitator.
Here’s what we learnt from Groovin The Moo 2019:
Billie Eilish Could Have Headlined
To say that teenage US sensation Billie Eilish is a musical phenomenon might be a disservice because she’s so much more than that. Whether you’re a fan of her twisted take on pop music or not, her rise to the upper echelons of music has been hugely impressive. She was the second last act on the main stage on Saturday, but drew what would have gone close to being the biggest crowd of the day.
“If you despise yourself this song is for you,” she quipped to raucous applause before one of her many hit songs. Her self-loathing brand of music makes her almost the antithesis of the traditional pop star, but her rise has been born of a world of growing mental illness and an uncertain future.
Billie performing “you should see me in a crown” at Groovin the Moo in Australia pic.twitter.com/dcvi64fBpE
— billieupdated (@billieupdated) April 26, 2019
Female Acts Dominated The Day
From one of the most sincere sets of the day by Angie McMahon, all the way through to the last female acts of the day; Billie Eilish, girls were front and centre of everything that happened at Groovin this year. Some of the highlights included a raw performance from the talented Thelma Plum, G Flip creating vibes galore early on, the mesmerising Aurora, a hard-hitting set from MØ, and plenty more.
Regurgitator Rock As Hard As Ever
Their heyday may have been over a decade ago, but Aussie rockers Regurgitator delivered one of the most fierce and fun sets of the day. Few bands are able to tread the line between rock, rap and electronic music quite like them, while ever fewer can deliver one-liners between songs with quite the same dry wit. ‘Polyester Girl’ and ‘! (The Song Formerly Known As’, the latter of which closed out the performance, were clear highlights. The Gurg went way back through their discography and even played some new stuff that punters threw their support behind.
G Flip Is Only Just Starting To Hit Her Stride
Composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and all-round badass G Flip played one of the early sets, but had the crowd pumping from start to finish (save for a heartfelt interlude). She might have only released a handful of songs, but starting the set with a drum solo to Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here Right Now’ was a clear signal of intent to kick off a set that was all killer, no filler. She drummed, she sang, she did both at the same time (no mean feat) and also danced and played synths. The set wasn’t perfect, but so early on in the piece, G Flip is set for bigger and better things.
First 3 show at @groovinthemoo were insane ???? I’m shook pic.twitter.com/pvD8OklJ9I
— G FLIP (@gflipmusic) April 29, 2019
Sofi Tukker Were The Surprise Package
You’ll no doubt know Sofi Tukker for their 2016 hit ‘Drinkee’ or perhaps for their Grammy performance of ‘Best Friend’ this year, but the enigmatic US duo is much more than a couple of hits. Combining Portuguese poetry with shades of rock and electro, the duo gave one of the most energetic sets of the day as dusk turned to night. They played a hugely eclectic and diverse set, combining instruments, singing and dancing in a show with performance elements rivalling that of the likes of Client Liaison or Confidence Man.
