Parklife, Perth 27/09/09

2009 was definitely the most mainstream Parklife since its inception in 2006, even selling out in Perth at the eleventh hour. Luckily the Perth leg of the tour appears to have been managed better than its Brisbane counterpart, where stages were closed off as they were too packed, which meant people either had to stay at the same stage all day, or risk missing their favourite act. This obviously lead to fights. The crowd here was massive though, but lucky for me, most acts I went to see were on at the same time as some of the headliners, meaning I enjoyed good spots and didn't have to deal with very much of the electro-flouro-scene crowd.

Walking in, Art vs Science were taking to the Air Stage to quite a large early crowd. And they rewarded those who came early with an energetic set. After grabbing a drink, it was off to the Fire Stage where Bertie Blackman put on a very rocktastic performance.

The Cool Kids

After Bertie Blackman finished, it was time for the first major act I wanted to see, The Cool Kids. The tent at the Fire Stage was absolutely crammed, and the Cool Kids really delivered. Their rhymes were tight, the setlist choice was good, and their laidback style really exuded just how Cool they are. The only issue was that the vocals could have been a bit louder in the mix, but that was a minor problem. Highlights: A Little Bit Cooler, Champions, Bassment Party.

After the Cool Kids, it was back to the Air Stage to catch some of Busy P, who was bringing the party vibes. I was chilling at the back of the crowd, so wasn't fully feeling it, but those in the front definitely were. Then it was back to the Fire Stage, where Sampology was mixing some crowd pleasing tunes together.

Metronomy

Then, it was time for Metronomy. And wow. 2008's Nights Out is an excellent album, but hearing its tracks live was amazing. Listening to Metronomy recorded, one could be forgiven for presuming (as was initially the case) that it may be the work of one person, and would not translate well live, which thankfully was not the case. Each member of the band was adorned with a dome light on the right side of their chest that would flash at preset times. This gimmick was actually quite effective due to its DIY nature. Highlights: My Heart Rate Rapid, Heartbreaker, A Thing For Me.

Back to the Air Stage to see Crystal Castles and the seemingly organized chaos that they bring. Frontwoman Alice Glass came out with what appeared to be a strobelight swinging from her neck, that looked as though it may be used as ammunition to be thrown at the crowd. While her onstage antics were quite impressive, the same can't be said for their sound. However, I was again quite far back, so I think that may have had something to do with it.

Metric

Metric were up next on the Fire Stage, and armed with a tambourine, Emily Haines lead the rest of the band out for what ended up being an energetic and fun set. The setlist consisted primarily of tracks from this years Fantasies, although a few old favourites were thrown in. The new material went down a treat, and the band looked like they really enjoyed playing it. Highlights: Dead Disco, Monster Hospital, Satellite Mind.

After Metric, I thought after all the build up, I had to check out the Empire of the Sun live performance. And it was very disappointing. But with all the hype that has been surrounding the debut live shows, Luke Steele could have been mounted on a white tiger, bounding through the crowd while he performed, and I still would have been unimpressed. Again, I was a long way from the stage, and while it sounded ok, it seems that the philosophy was that an abundance of makeup, lighting and other props lead to a good set. Which is not the case. It was the complete over the top nature that made me appreciate Metronomy's subtle chest lamps even more.

The Rapture

Last but definitely not least it was time for The Rapture who were closing the Fire Stage. A band I have wanted to see for a long time, I was extremely disappointed to hear earlier this year of Matt Safer's amicable split with them. The Rapture's casual and unurgent nature could be interpreted as a lack of enthusiasm, however I do not think this is the case. While their set was excellent, I could not help but wonder how much better it would have been with Safer there. The set also featured possibly the least enthusiastic looking stage-dive from frontman Luke Jenner (whose playing of the guitar was actually quite impressive). And they closed with the song that all Rapture fans love to hate, "No Sex for Ben", which was extremely fun. Highlights: House of Jealous Lovers, Don Gon Do It, No Sex for Ben.

And so the 2009 festival season has officially commenced, and I personally could not have wished for it to start in a better way. Now all I need is to be able to afford them all...