Essential Festival @ Oxford Art Factory & Exchange Hotel

So here I am again walking in through the entrance of Q Bar. I’m ascending the scraggy and forlorn steps trying to convince myself I wasn’t a little out of breath after the climb. But it’s all very different. The sun is shining through the windows on the faces of band members unpacking their instruments. The clubbing crowd is missing, tucked away along with the turntables and DJ booths. CD cases have been replaced by guitars and amps. On the elevated dancefloor now stands a stage.

The brain child of promoter Select Music, Essential Festival spans the Exchange Hotel complex with stages in Qbar, Spectrum and the Oxford Art Factory. If you were prepared to weave around people in a fire escape, one ticket bought you a giant three-storey iPod. Forget skipping that track or making a play list. Set it on shuffle, finish off your drink and check out what the next bar has to offer. There were no light shows, shufflers or chatter boxes choking on their gum in the corner (an environment that can be fun sometimes…sometimes). Instead at every stage stood a crowd transfixed around an up-and-coming Australian band trying to make a mark, build a following and have some of fun.

Before endlessly planning out who I should see, I decided to wander as I pleased, confident that I would stumble on something that would take my fancy. There on the stage at Qbar, clad in the very un-rock ‘n’ roll ensemble of black suit jacket and buttoned shirt stood Shaun Mitchell, the frontman of Perth band December Seven. They, like so many bands coming out of Perth, were well rehearsed and flawless but lacking in a unique sound.

That kind of Sydneysider pretentious criticism led me to wander the three storey music collection in search of someone trying hard to be new. Within minutes it turned out I didn’t have to try very hard at all. I walked into the back of crowd packed densely against the wall, keeping a safe distance from the harmless musicians up ahead. Traps, a band from Sydney as it turns out, didn’t stand up to any truly unique ideology. However, they pulled an ever-growing group of onlookers to join the rest of those dwelling against the venue’s boundaries. It was indie rock, plain and simple. It was gelled together by forceful vocals and wailing guitars, but it felt new. Even though I had a horde of talented headliners to go, Traps had already made the afternoon worthwhile.

Following the same theme as before, my feet dragged me further down into the Oxford Art Factory’s uber-trendy depths. There I found a much more populated venue, with an audience gently tapping their feet along to Tennis. These ‘80s pop/rock revivalists oozed cool, from their pointed leather shoes to their matching fringe haircuts. It’s not uncommon to find a synth or midi console in rock bands these days, but soulful vibrato vocals and an endless pool of energy separated the band from the stereotypes. Essential Festival is, after all, about the music and performance.

Which leads me from a satisfying set from Tennis to the outrageous and memorable presence of Young & Restless. Having my back turned to the stage trying to find a place to leave my empties kept me oblivious to their speedy and silent entrance. Just as a delayed applause began to pick up, rocking geisha Karina Utomo was screaming into the mic. Dropping my ill-fated plastic schooner, I turned to find a band almost inanimate: except for its frontwoman moving about the stage like a darting moth. Light as a feather went to thick and heavy, as Young & Restless changed the tone of the festival for an exhilarating half hour. Utomo leapt onto outstretched hands and talked the crowd into a timid circle of death, while the rest of the band proved their worth with tight and punchy performance.

At this point there was a break, dinner run, breath of fresh air and another visit to the bar. By this time, I was back in Qbar on a passing recommendation, leaving the packed-out Oxford Art Factory below. There I found the Atrocities, clad in flannel and black cowboy hats. Things got even heavier. It was like a ho-down with a death metal theme: music as thick and as stark as mud pressed down on the audience’s shoulders.

Back in Oxford Art Factory, Dappled Cities punched balloons around the stage in front of a club at full capacity. Despite playing out of their skin, Essential Festival had already been a complete success. There were no subjects for complaint, an awesome venue and an appreciative crowd. Entertained by the blue orbs floating around the ceiling, we all watched on, assured that Australian music (parts of it at least) is in safe hands.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/18194/Essential-Festival--Oxford-Art-Factory-and-Exchange-Hotel-Sydney-250409.htm