Harvest: The Gathering

It's not very often that a festival turns from a gathering into a movement, but that can be the only description that describes the reality of yesterdays Harvest festival. Portraying a generations musical influences is a hard task, but with legends such as Portishead and Flaming Lips, alongside fan (and personal) favorites such as Bright Eyes, Mogwai and The National ensued that the first Harvest must be deemed unforgettable in Australian festival lore.

Bright Eyes is the initial reason that my interest was piqued for Harvest, a lifelong fan of the introspective indie rocker but as vital to me being there, he won't be what I remember in 5 years time .. but I digress.

Harvest had promised a lot. From the iconic lineup, to being 'a festival that stands out as being so much more' to quote the site; it had a lot to live up to. Furthermore, it had been beset with a litany of organisazational screw-ups that threatened to derail the entire event.

The day started out with a cruisy drive down the highway to the sleepy town of Werribee, an hour out of Melbourne and one of the most surprisingly beautiful settings for a festival in Australia.

Picturesque in the extreme, it seemed to encapsulate the vibe of Harvest seemingly, one can only hope that more events are held there in the future. The first act of the day was Kevin Devine, an intimate acoustic guitar serenader who killed his set. Similar musically to Josh Pyke, except with a vicious bite of vindictiveness swirling inside his carefully constructed lyric-based pieces, he brought a significant amount of emotion that kicked off the day in fine style.

From there, I made me way through the site and was mesmerized by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Eight brothers making funky hip-hop with brass instruments and making the whole crowd move with delight, they enjoyed themselves and it showed in their performance. I left before the end of their set to see This Town Needs Guns, but in hindsight should perhaps have stayed.

Don't get me wrong, TTNG are a fantastically talented band but perhaps one not best suited to festival life. The phenomenal guitarage of Tim Collis is a sight to see, but he was often drowned out by the vast space in front of them. I would see them again, as they waltzed through classics such as Chinchilla and Baboon but I wish they had refined their sound before going on stage.

Their was a bit of a lull in terms of bands I wanted to see for the next hour, so I decided to bite the bullet and lineup for some food. Long lines indeed, but if you got in earlier than others like I managed to then you could escape the disaster that was lines later in the day. Considering it was the only thing I ate all day, the baked potato I received was excellent .. considering the other options on display it worked out quite well .

"The Great Lawn"

After relaxing on the green for an hour whilst taking in the sights, I moved onto the next 'need-to-see' band on my list, Mercury Rev, who were passable. Musically brilliant, they were lyrically poor which kind of ruined the set for me. My attention was on the next act, and I left half-way through to get a good position for what is potentially my favourite band. The next five hours was to be the crux of the event and it did not disapooint.

The entire reason for my being at the Harvest festival, Bright Eyes, blew me away when I saw them on thursday night at the HiFi. He writes songs that sing to my soul, summing up everything that I feel on so many occassions. He killed his set, my only complaint was that it was brief .. but with crowd favorites like 'Lua', 'Old Soul Song' 'Shell Games' and "Lover I don't have to love' made sure his cameo was unforgettable. Lua especially was a standout, with Conor playing acoustically with a trumpet providing melodical interplay that delighted the crowd.

After Bright Eyes, I finally managed to find some friends and hangout for a bit whilst watching The National. Their style of music doesn't especially speak to me, so I left mid-way to listen to Scottish Post-Rock band Mogwai. 

A short-term fan of the band (I started listening weeks before Harvest), they blew me away with their utter musicality. They write music that doesn't need to be known to be loved, you can just stand their and revel in their talents. It's often uncomfortable when bands forgo lyrics, but Mogwai more than make up for anything they lack in the lyrical department by producing music that has a soul, breathes and lives.

The moment however, came that every single person who came to Harvest was anticipating. Portishead, playing their first live show in 13 years in Australia. I came unknowledgeable in all things Portishead, but left with an experience that will stay with me throughout my lifetime.

The anticipation in the crowd was noticeable,the night thick with nervous waiting at what was about to unfold. There are very few times when something delivers past its own means, but that night .. music become something more.

The sight of 15,000 people standing in silent reverence cannot be adequately described. Their rendition of Glory Box, Roads, Over, Numb and Machine Gun were truly ethereal, becoming more than just music. It was a 'where were you when' moment.

There are very few moments I will remember in old age, but the feeling after Portishead .. I doubt I will feel like that again in my lifetime. It was a life-affirming, transcendental experience that words can't truly capture. I felt like I wanted to hug every single person in the crowd.

The only word that even comes close is reverence. 

An outward manifestation of deep respect tinged with awe and veneration

With that, my review of the Harvest festival ends. It was without a doubt, one of, if not the greatest experiences of my life and no better way to pop my festival cherry. If you weren't there .. well... You've missed out.