Live Review: Beyond The City

DAY 1, DEC 30

Festivals are back and nothing is stopping Beyond The City from going ahead. Despite a few last-minute changes to the line-up due to COVID and contact tracing, the show goes on with a few other artists stepping in to perform. It’s a beautiful sunny day as the gates open to welcome punters to Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Upon walking in it’s clear to see that a lot of time and effort has gone into planning for the event and the team has paid attention to every little detail to ensure punters have a great time. There’s plenty of free water stations, bars, food, shade, and chill zones to cool off. The festival space is also not just limited to the main stage at The Bowl, there are also two additional dance stages to get around.

The stalls area at the main stage is all general admission for the event so the crowd can grab a seat or dance in the front section to watch each live performance. Telenova attract a sizeable crowd early on and charm them with their cinematic emotive electronic pop sound. The trio is somewhat of a supergroup with Joshua Moriarty from Miami Horror, Edward Quinn from Slum Sociable and filmmaker frontwoman Angeline Armstrong. Together they create a new enigmatic style with a warm nostalgic vibe that draws us in with powerhouse vocals and mesmerizing basslines. They share some of their songs from their EP including Tranquilize. “This song is a special one because it’s the first song we wrote on the first day we met,” Armstrong says. They throw in a cover of Madonna’s Hung Up which is an unexpected twist but proves to be a lot of fun.

Sydney artist, producer and engineer Big Skeez brings Afro-inspired rap flows and upbeat energy alongside a fast-paced backing track to get the crowd vibing right away. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Cambage gets the party started on the DJ decks over at the Dance Domain stage underneath a towering, mirrored satellite dish structure. As the hot sun reflects off the stage panels, the crowd soaks up the sweltering beats of Cambage’s set full of deep house beats.

Sycco, aka Sasha McLeod, already has a pretty big following amongst the younger crowd and dives right in with her infectious summertime bedroom pop anthems including Dribble, Germs and her most recent collaboration Weakness with Alice Ivy. Mcleod’s bubbly energy shines through with her catchy hooks that get everyone bopping along. She debuts a new song written only a few weeks ago called Bad World featuring some grungy guitars and against her soft falsetto that’s another winner.

Eves Karydas has the perfect soundtrack for the heat with her uplifting synth-soaked pop hits from her latest EP Reruns. With a striking stage presence, we’re swept away by her sweet and crisp vocals and can’t help but sing along to her catchy lyrics. One song that she released in the middle of the pandemic titled Complicated is a relatable anthem that brings us all together during these crazy times.

“It’s so good to be playing live music with all these people and enjoying life together,” says Allday. After some microphone issues to start he powers through a set that’s predominantly hip hop and rap, however, he explains that during lockdown he made some different music which is more indie-rock and guitar-driven. He plays one of those tracks called Void and it really shows off his versatility.

Partiboi69 keeps the energy levels at an all-time high and turns the main stage into a huge techno rave complete with a display of matrix-like computer-animated graphics. His hard-hitting mash-up of techno, electro and ghetto house gives the crowd a shot of adrenaline to keep them going all day long.

There’s a big break between sets on the main stage so it’s the perfect time to explore Dr Dan’s Stage, featuring a multi-level scaffold dancefloor with the best local DJs spinning everyone’s favourite tunes all afternoon. It’s a cool space that’s been carefully thought out for everyone to enjoy and have a dance under a large shady tree to beat the heat and get lost in the moment.

Back over at the main stage, Mallrat draws us in with her sweet hooks and a soaring chorus and encourages the crowd to get up on their best friends shoulders. She brings out special guest Allday back to the stage for a live performance of their collaboration UFO and continues to build momentum right up to her latest dance track she features on with The Knocks' R U HIGH.

Perth indie rocker’s Spacey Jane have had a massive year and tonight they’re back at the Bowl to finish it off right. The crowd sings along in unison with them at the top of their lungs for every chorus, especially their biggest hit Booster Seat. Their performance is polished and energetic with plenty of anthemic melodies to win over the crowd.

Pnau is the headliner and highlight of the day with an incredible light and sound show. They kick off with Solid Gold featuring Kira Divine on vocals and Tim Commandeur on drums to elevate the live explosive performance to the highest level. “What a day, what a night, what a year, but we’re here party tonight!” shouts Nick Littlemore. With hit after hit, the show culminates to their latest chart-topper remix of Elton John and Dua Lipa’s Cold Heart. We dance until there’s no dance left in us for the night.

DAY 2, DEC 31

It’s the first time Beyond The Valley have curated a two-day event in a city location that’s not a camping festival and this concept proves to be favoured by many who take their time to recharge at home or close by ahead of the final day. With temperatures soaring to uncomfortable heights, people roll in a little later for New Year's Eve in order to sleep off those hangovers and prepare for another big night. 

Jaguar Jonze draws punters out of the sun to take shelter under the large main stage canopy. The smoke machines set off and the strobes burn bright as she unleashes an electrifying set with soulful tones and a pop-rock edge. She includes a cover of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box and even shows off her pan flute skills with an instrumental solo.

Boo Seeka, aka Ben Gumbleton, is now a solo act but today he’s got some help from Golding on keys and vocals on their popular collaboration Don’t Waste Your Love. Together they raise the roof with an incredibly energetic vibe. Blending a soundscape of hypnotic psych-soul, hip hop and dreamy electronic synths, we’re instantly commanded into an infectious groove. Gumbleton shares a couple of new songs including Dream, and it’s the perfect summer dance track.

Brother and sister duo Lastlings give the perfect dreamy electronic pop performance. Lead vocalist Amy Dowdle’s captivating airy vocals wash over the layers of euphoric beats smooth and effortlessly. Playing songs from their debut album First Contact, their pulsating electronics wash over us as we’re transported to another place and time. They have a real treat for fans as they share some brand-new music with us today to give us a taste of things to come in the new year. It’s a stellar track with an explosive chorus and one to get excited about ahead of its release.

“What a fucked-up year it’s been, we commend you for coming out today!” shouts lead singer Sam Cromack of Ball Park Music. With so many hits and so little time, they zoom through as many songs from their catalogue as they can. Their songs are full of fun, easily relatable and upbeat indie-pop anthems for the crowd to sing along to at the top of their voices. Their latest track Sunscreen is a fitting anthem for the day and a subtle reminder put some on as the audience braves the hot sun. From the jaunty Spark Up! to the charmingly intimate hit Cherub, the band gets the crowd grooving along to their syncopated funk and percolating beats to create a warm and happy atmosphere. 

Cosmo’s Midnight are pulling out all the stops today with a massive stage setup. After releasing a new album just last year, it’s one of their first opportunities to play it to a big Melbourne crowd plus a few old favourites too. Singer Sayah steals the limelight giving a powerhouse live vocal performance on some of their biggest hits including History and Talk To Me. The place is vibing in no time and the duo showcase their multi-talented production skills with a seamless delivery to pulsate through every inch of our bodies as we groove along to the ultra-funky tunes.

Lime Cordiale cheekily tease an early countdown and give an epic performance like they're the headlining act. They are unlike any other band with their unique brand of surf psych-pop full of energy and charisma to really engage us with their positive vibes and infectious rhythms. Their groovy upbeat jams including Apple Crumble and Robbery work the crowd into a frenzy before an exceptional cover of Divinyl’s Touch Myself.

Hayden James properly brings in the new year and helps us farewell 2021 with an epic fast-paced set highlighting a mix of his best work. He tells us he’s been working on some new material written during quarantine and samples some exciting unreleased songs for us tonight, including and a special debut live performance featuring Boo Seeka. It’s another certified club banger and sure to be a hit when it’s released in 2022. The countdown shows up on the screen and when it hits midnight lasers and confetti stream out over the massive crowd at the main stage as he drops Just Friends. It’s the perfect track to share with our mates as we dance along without a care in the world and savour the feeling of feeling free and celebrating live music together again.