Stonefest 2023 Wrapped
By Tia Priest-Willimott
Welcome to Stonefest 2023! This was my first Stonefest, but it definitely won’t be my last. UC managed to get an incredible line-up as always with talented local artists and bigger names (both internationally and from here in Australia). Each performance brought their own twist and different styles of music. Let’s get into them!
But before we do, I know I love song recommendations, so I thought I’d provide a list of my recommendations from each act (that way you can have a listen to what I’m talking about).
Author’s song recommendations from each act:
Sophie Edwards: ‘Lovescraps’
smartcasual: ‘Stay in your lane’
Ike(from)Pluto: ‘Fallaway’
Becca Hatch: ‘Blessed’ + ‘All of Me’ (KIAN)
Dune Rats: ‘UP’
Bakar: ‘Small Town Girl’
Ball Park Music: ‘It’s Nice to Be Alive’
While the headline acts of Bakar and Ball Park Music were sure to deliver incredible performances, I was keen to hear the smaller, local artists! Sophie Edwards was the first singer to grace the small stage and kick the afternoon off. While her crowd wasn’t large, the energy she and her band emitted drew us close and dancing along. If anyone were to ask how I would describe Edward’s music style, my answer would be: reflective girl era for when you’re past the sad girl era. Her songs were smooth and rich with her lyrical prowess clearly on display. We were treated to the (then yet to be released) single ‘Four Walls and a Telephone’, which made the crowd cheer with excitement. As someone who hadn’t heard Sophie Edwards before this afternoon, I made sure to find her socials and Spotify and follow her – just so I could hear ‘Four Walls and a Telephone’ again. If you’re in the mood to listen to some mellow songs with sultry undertones, with lyrics that feel like poetry, Sophie Edwards is your girl. She closed her set with ‘Lovescraps’ which got the crowd swaying in time and twirling.
Next to take to the stage were smartcasual. By this point, more people had come in and were milling around the bar and portable games that had been set up near the food truck. Once smartcasual started playing, the oval in front of the stage started filling up. The band like to describe themselves as “lake surf rock”, and I would have to agree - their songs are exactly what I’d choose to play when I’m down by Lake Burley Griffin, watching the sunset and having a BBQ. Enough of that diversion, back to the stage. One of my favourite things about watching them perform was how evident it was that all the band members were having the time of their life. While the band don’t have many of their songs out on Spotify, they performed some absolute bangers, including ‘Running into Trouble’ which had a simple, catchy melody that everyone could get into. Lead singer Toby Morwitch happily stepped back to allow the others to show off their skills – whether that be on the guitar, bass guitar or drums. Morwitch’s vocals were incredibly powerful and helped carry the songs well. Overall, smartcasual were serving looks and hard banging tunes.
Another one of my favourite things about music festivals is just how different all the acts are. To go from smartcasual to Ike(from)Pluto was a huge shift in tone, but the crowd loved it! We went from lake surf rock to a techno style, with a DJ coming out to set the backing tracks. Ike(from)Pluto loved getting the audience involved, teaching us phrases to sing along to in the songs, alongside a ‘call and response’ style interaction with the crowd that he could elicit at any time in his set. The performance was filled with short and snappy songs with a quick turnaround. He spoke a little between songs, introducing himself as a “Belco local” who was happy to be performing back home. He performed a song “that ain’t never gonna come out” as well as his more well-known song ‘BRICKY SUNSHINE’.
Sticking with the techno style, Becca Hatch was next on stage. A hypnotising stage presence, she’s got a strong grip on the contemporary R&B and dance genre in music. Hatch floated about the stage, grooving along with the crowd as her smooth vocals filled the space. The crowd enjoyed the laidback environment she created, constantly checking in with us and asking how we’re feeling. An extra surprise was special guest, KIAN. She brought him out to sing a few songs, including ‘All of Me’ which they’d released earlier this year. This song quickly made its way into my playlists – catchy melody, strong lyrics and rich vocals from both singers. The duo performed with electricity sparking between them – they bounced off the other’s energy and clearly wanted to show off each other’s skills. Hatch finished her set with ‘Safety’, a laid-back song with self-reflective tones, making me think that a Sophie Edwards and Becca Hatch collab is something I need in life – they both have incredible lyrics and a very similar vibe. She waved goodbye to the crowd with a smile and wished us a great rest of the festival.
At this point in the afternoon, people were getting excited for the bigger acts. Enter Dune Rats. You could tell how much of a favourite the band were as the crowd flocked to the stage, pushing and trying to get closer to the front to get a better view of the iconic trio. Again, the switch up in vibes from Becca Hatch to the punk rock of Dune Rats was massive, but the mosh pit that quickly formed was indicative of how excited everyone was. Their songs are easy to get into, with ‘Six Pack’ being one of many that got the crowd screaming. The main singer sung through a wave of hair covering his face when he wasn’t head banging. The song ‘Scott Green’ got the mosh pit going wild, jumping all over each other and swarming as close to the stage as possible. As someone who is quite short, mosh pits are a terrifying thing, so my friend and I left to observe the show from afar. Standing back, it was insane to see how much fun everyone was having and the control the band had over the crowd. The song that really encapsulated the performance was their rock cover of the Angel’s well-known classic ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’, with the famous twist response to the question.
While I could appreciate the punk rock of Dune Rats, it’s not quite my style of music so my friend and I took the opportunity to grab something to eat during their set and leave the mosh pit behind. There was only one food truck available, with the most popular meal being hot chips (coming in at $8). My friend and I would recommend going to the food truck (and bathrooms) during an act to skip the queues. We waited for a maximum of five minutes for food and to get a bathroom stall, whereas when we went later in between acts, the food truck line was very long, as were the bathrooms…The drink options were limited, with the mixed drinks being a lot more expensive than the other options.
After Dune Rats finished their rocking set, the crowd stayed where they were as it was time for the international act – Bakar. By this point, the sun had set and the flashing lights and spotlights were really adding to the performances. Bakar truly capitalised on this, by performing under a spotlight for most of the performance. His set was groovy and laid-back, with the audience swaying in time. His adoration of the crowd was evident as he frequently moved to the edge of the stage to sing with us and smile for photos. At the start of the set, there was minimal talking between songs but as he continued, he really settled into the performance and started interacting with the crowd more. One such interaction was his toast to Australia:
“Alright put your drinks in the air, this is cheers to a 17-hour flight and shoutout to you guys! I’m so glad to be in Australia, it’s my first time being here. It’s super cool being here, I really like it.”
We got to hear a range of songs including ‘Big Dreams’, ‘Small Town Girl’ and ‘1st Time’ as well as a cover of Toploader’s ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’. Of course, how could he not finish with his famous ‘Hell N Back’? The crowd loved him and his music and he left the stage to cheers and applause.
The last act of the evening had arrived – Ball Park Music. This was the band I had been waiting to see and they didn’t disappoint. With a strong setlist of their classics and a captivating stage presence, the crowd went wild. They started their set strongly with ‘Hands Off My Body’, a song that got everyone jumping. Very quickly another mosh pit formed and people went wild to the catchy, indie tunes the band were pumping out. Ball Park Music are seasoned professionals who know exactly how to keep their crowds happy and having fun. Their set was accompanied by lights that flashed and changed colour with the riffs and beats of the songs, really elevating the entire experience. Lead singer Sam Cromack moved around the stage with confidence, singing for the crowd and absorbing their excitement. The tone shifted for ‘Stars in My Eyes’ – we went from indie pop to indie-reflective, with the band focusing in and pouring their heart into the words. Cromack also demonstrated his guitar skills switching between electric guitars and an acoustic guitar during ‘Stars in My Eyes’, ‘Exactly How You Are’, ‘Sunscreen’ and ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’. As the band bowed to a wave of applause, bass guitarist and backing vocalist Jennifer Boyce handed a lucky fan the setlist and headed off with a curtsy.
And just like that, Stonefest 2023 came to an end. The crowd filtered out of UC, still buzzing with excitement and on the walk to the carpark you could hear people reflecting on the afternoon and their favourite acts. Overall, I’d give Stonefest a glowing review with great diversity in the genres – I’m sure everyone would hear something they loved. To quote Dune Rats, “this is your music class, thanks for attending”.