Review: Groovin’ The Moo 2014 – Canberra

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Review: Groovin’ The Moo 2014 – Canberra

Photo By Voena

It was hard to establish who was more excited; the bands, or festival punters who poured through the gates, moist with anticipation for something to actually do in our nations fair capital. Within minutes it was fairly obvious that the promoters had done something right; limited dickheads, friendly staff and a stellar mixture of both international and local acts.

With Triple J’s unearthed winners kicking things off, it wasn’t long before the festival was in full swing. As Violent Soho took the stage, circle pits erupted (quite convenient, seeing as all locals are quite used to going in circles) the group smashed through hits going from strength to strength acting merely as proof that the IOHYOU roster is stronger than ever.

As the Doctor handed over MC proceedings to Jake Stone, the Moolin Rouge tent erupted. With an impressive set from Kite String Tangle, it was clear that the Australian Dance music scene is in incredible hands warranted by an incredible live performance featuring the perfect hybrid of house beats and melodic breakdowns, pleasing everyone.

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Yet as the bar was set, it was Canberra locals Peking Duk who truly set the bar. “It feels fucking great to be home” they opened, and the set that followed truly showed this. Mashing everything from Outkast and Michael Jackson to their own bangers the crowd before them turned into a sea of bodies as people climbed over others in order to get the best possible vantage point. “We have one more song to play” Ruben Styles began, however he was unable to finish as an eruption of screams swallowed the tent, followed by their latest single ‘High’.

After a small yet incredible set from Jake Stone, Wave Racer stormed the stage to an impressively large crowd. Despite clashing against Australian heavyweights Karnivool, it was clear that the rise in dance popularity has taken full effect. Some say that Kite String Tangle is this years Flume, we say fuck that. Kite String Tangle, has brought something completely new to the scene, something which it would be naïve to compare him to anyone. His downbeat electronic beats combined with his impeccable vocals made for a set to remember. Climaxing in his cover of Lorde’s ‘Tennis Courts’ and his leading track ‘Given The Chance’, he left the stage, opening way for the likes of Holy Fuck – yet unlike the Australian artist, the UK outfit failed to draw a substantial crowd.

Easily one of the greatest success stories of the past few years, What So Not easily drew the biggest crowd of the day. The local favorites had just returned from their international conquests and it was clear that Emoh brought back an incredibly tight set. From ‘Jaguar’ to ‘Tell Me’, the hour allocated to trap was back-to-back high octane. Potentially some time with Skrillex did some good, perhaps it gave them a new direction – whatever the case, we condone everything that this Australian outfit do.

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As the festival began to draw to a close, it was time for one last clash – UK power duo Disclosure vs. local favorites The Presets. Both acts brought their best to the table, with The Presets smashing out everything from ‘My People’ through to ‘Promises’ however it was Disclosure who stole the show. The combination of their house beats, vocal brilliance and incredible musicianship, the brothers pulled off a flawless set. As the opening segments of ‘Latch’ began, the realisation that this was possibly one of the most iconic sets in the festivals ten-year history. From the pounding bass, to rolling drums and mesmerizing synths, it was clear that it was a performance never lacking in complete brilliance.

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