The Falls Music & Arts Festival

First thing I learned at The Falls Music & Arts Festival in Marion Bay this year?

Daisy Duke-style shorts are the height of summer fashion for females.

Second thing I learned at Falls in Marion Bay this year?

If you’ve made your own Daisy Duke’s by cutting the legs off your jeans, cut the pockets off, too. Having them sitting half way down your thighs like a pair of spaniel’s ears ain’t the best look.

But enough fashion advice, because if there’s one thing true about attending a great music festival it’s that you don’t need to worry about what you look like.

Tent life doesn’t exactly lend itself to pampering and preening, after all.

So, headline act Arctic Monkeys obviously weren’t staying in tents because when they strode onto the stage late on the opening night they were done up to a tee, hair combed and coiffured into old-school quiffs with leather jackets that seemed to scream rebel, in a black-and-white era Marlon Brando kind of way.

Their power-packed rock ‘n’ roll brilliance bought widespread jumping and dancing and fist-pumping and couldn’t be faulted. There were tracks from the full range of their studio catalogue from ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ to ‘Suck it and See’ and everything in between.

When the blazing lights of the Arctic’s show died down and people began to trudge away from the stage it seemed an obvious time to reflect on a great day.

Regurgitatorhad had almost as much fun playing their Unit album as the punters had in listening to it.

There were folks like me reflecting on just how many times I’d spun the disc back in its heyday and how familiar the tracks were, and others, maybe younger – or older – who’d had their first taste of the Brisbane boys and their overtly sexual onstage imagery, lewd lyrics and downright bouncy pop fare.

It had been a fun and frivolity-filled afternoon and evening around the Valley Stage, starting withThe Grates and Patience’s high-octane stage presence. It seems that some motherfuckers think they’re born to dance – and probably are.

Aloe Blacc’s set was a cool as it was well-versed – he and his band, The Grand Scheme, have trod the boards at festivals like Glastonbury, after all.

Their fare was smooth and soulful, fun and fantastic and finished with a sing-along en masse to ‘I Need a Dollar’ that was hard to beat.

As a left-field mid-afternoon chill-out, Tassie’s ownCharles Du Cane had been an inspired choice. Though the tent stage in The Village wasn’t crowded, there were plenty of other folks in the mood for a groove during what was announced as the second last CDC gig ever. More’s the pity.

The day had started in a rather Tassie way, too.

Launceston three-piece Sole Stickers were first up on the Field Stage – opening the festival for all intents and purposes.

While James was feeling poorly as the set opened, the rhythm section looked in rude health and the trio bopped along through tracks from their ‘We Got All Things That Are Good’ album.

As they reached the last few songs, there was more life in the frontman and he opened up with a couple of ripping solos, setting the scene for the arrival an hour or so later of guitar wizardJ Mascis.

The Field Stage crowd filled out somewhat as the silver-haired maestro sat alone on stage, working the pedals at his feet almost as hard as the guitar in his hands and keepingDinosaur Jrfans happy with a number of the band’s album tracks making an appearance.

Day two had started in a chance meeting with the sound of Lanie Laneemanating from the Field Stage.

While queuing for a restorative ginger beer, the bluesy/country guitar and sweet singing was too good to refuse and with another sunny day shaping up, the laid-back vibe and lush green grass was not to be missed.

Other than the sunshine and grassy bank at the Valley Stage, the scene at Grouplovecouldn’t have been different.

The kooky Americans washed a big crowd at front of stage in a happy/hippy feeling and made for excellent viewing further back on the hill.

It was becoming a topsy-turvy afternoon and whether the combo ofBeirut and CSSfollowing Grouplove was the best move by the powers that be is hard to say.

TheBeirut instrumentation – particularly the varied and numerous horns – and almost morose sound was in stark contrast to the up-vibe energy of the bands they were sandwiched between and probably took away from what was more a ‘thinking’ person’s set.

If there was an award to be presented for craziest stage presence, it would probably go to the female vocalist out front of CSS.

The Sao Paulo crew were pumped to be playing in Tassie (as was everyone if you believe the crowd banter you hear at these gigs) and I’m happy to reward anyone wearing a combo of mask, cape, hot pants and wig on stage.

It was back to The Village for a mid-afternoon recovery, only that Melbourne’s Sex on Toast weren’t in the mood for letting anyone chill-out. Jumping around like a bunch of mad dogs, their cabaret-ish fare was infectious and inspired some of the craziest dancing of the day.

The Sin & Tonics were next on, bringing more homegrown goodness, but my stay in their company was cut short for a date with the Field Stage and the smooth reggae grooves of Easy Star All-Stars.

After what seemed like an eternity of soundchecking, the eight-piece All-Stars - all the way from New York City and rather surprisingly dumped on the small stage – dragged a massive crowd away from The Jezabelsand sent people to stoner heaven with their re-imagined take on Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, playing their ‘Dub Side of the Moon’ pastiche in full.

In terms of nostalgia, the walk down memory lane courtesy of the classic Pink Floyd tunes was a beaut. As was the playing. Everyone got a chance to solo; trombone, keys, sax, bass and guitar all the same.

But the nostalgia really hadn’t begun until 90s rap sensation Young MC burst onto stage in gold-coloured tights and a Wallabies jersey.

It seems fair to say Mr Young has been in a good paddock since the days of ‘Bust a Move’, but as he assured us, he can still rap and he can still rap fast. The big party tune didn’t come out until the end of the set, but it wasn’t like folks were made to suffer while they waited.

There was plenty to bounce to, lots of reasons to booty shake and a nice reminder that old rappers never die. They just sit around for a couple of decades until someone coaxes them out of retirement with a festival slot for them to rip up.

As shadows lengthened across the festival site for the final time in 2011, it was a period for damn-near everyone to find a spot at the Valley Stage and to count down the final hours to the New Year.

Fleet Foxesharmonised beautifully but didn’t exactly bring the party atmosphere, handing the baton to Tim Finn to lift the energy and prove to one-and-all he can do a mighty-fine Crowded House cover.

John Butler had a little bit of preaching to do, but kept the growing throng at the bottom of the sloping field at fever-pitch with some old ones and some new ones – and some signature slide guitar plus a very excellent percussion break that saw the whole trio thumping away in unison.

And so to the New Year slot and a guessing game as to whatThe Kooks would bring.

If you went for a drunk-sounding singer and a band swaggering through their collection of radio hits, you’d have got it bang on the money.

As Luke Pritchard’s babble got harder to understand and the minutes ticked towards midnight, folks gathered in tight bunches, preparing to shake hands, kiss, embrace – or any combination of these reactions to the passing of another year.

I didn’t hear any ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and, in fact, I didn’t even hear the end of The Kooks set.

Instead I exchanged niceties with those around me and headed off into the night to find my digs and start 2012 in the best possible manner – with a 13-hour sleep.

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