Live Review: Groovin The Moo

While Groovin The Moo’s 2019 line-up is arguably mediocre compared to previous years, it still come together as a day of frivolous fun and good music. Attendees were blessed with sunshine and blue skies – rather unusual weather for early May, although temperatures did drop in the evening much to the displeasure of those who didn't wear much. The Southern River Band played to a small gathering of early arrivals. Their heavy, old school rock vibes had the crowd hyped up and eager for more. 

Grace Armstrong won the opportunity to play Groovin The Moo Bunbury through triple j Unearthed. For an artist who is only just beginning her career, she carried herself well on stage. Armstrong’s voice is lovely, but it’s relatively timid and was often drowned out by her band. 

Angie McMahon was next on the Cattleyard stage. A small crowd had formed up the front in anticipation. McMahon was casual and carefree, taking to the stage in a plain shirt and jeans with her guitar in her hand. She has a primal, powerful voice that entranced the crowd, comparable to that of Florence Welch. 

Over at the Moolin Rouge stage, Carmouflage Rose had everyone partying up a storm. He didn’t do much with himself on stage, but his music was well received by the crowd. They were ferociously bouncing up and down, their hands cutting through the air.

A booming voice introduced G Flip to the stage as though she was entering a wrestling ring. She opened her set with a wild drum solo, accompanied by a mixed recording of popular dance tracks. After her solo, she traded the drumsticks in for a microphone and launched into her second single Killing My Time. Her ability to move between drums and vocals is nothing short of impressive. 

There was only a small crowd of people at Haiku Hands – understandable with G Flip on at the same time. Haiku Hands are an unusual band of women who sing, rap and dance. Unlike Carmouflage Rose, they absolutely threw themselves into their performance; it was animated, energetic and evidently choreographed.

Thelma Plum fell rather short of expectations. Her voice is undoubtably stunning, with a distinct Australian twang that sets her apart from the rest. Despite her popularity, her songs didn’t translate very well with the audience. Maybe this was due to Plum’s apparent lack of dynamism and fervour on stage.

Trophy Eyes provided the crowd with some angsty, headbanging goodness. Lead singer John Floreani is a character and a half. Think Billie Joe from Green Day and you’ve got something similar. In true rock'n'roll fashion, he dived into the crowd and surfed over the top of them. He returned wearing a rainbow lei but had lost his favourite beanie. These lads were simply here for a good time, nothing more.

Holy Holy played a 45-minute set of expectedly groovy, upbeat indie-rock. In the lead-up to the release of their third LP, Holy Holy’s sound has been shifting away from their norm. This was evident when they played their latest single Teach Me About Dying, which seems to have more pop vibes than rock. 

Holly Rankin, otherwise known as Jack River, took to the stage wearing a hot pink sparkly blouse and iridescent silver flared pants. Rankin’s voice is as unique as her fashion choices – there’s no right way to describe it. She performed several tracks from her debut album Sugar Mountain, including Ballroom and Fool's Gold. Her cover of Tal Bachman’s 1999 classic She’s So High was a definite highlight of her set. 

DMA’S delivered a diverse range of sounds, from heavier rock tracks like Lay Down to slow ballads like In The Air. Their 2016 hit Delete remains a crowd favourite. It’s always a passionate, emotion-charged moment when they play it, with the crowd singing along as loud as they possibly can. Saturday was no different. It was a memorable moment for any music lover.  

Despite only being on stage for all of 25 minutes, Coolio truly solidified his status as a ‘90s icon. His 1995 classic Gangsta’s Paradise was no doubt the most anticipated song of his set and it was met with an ecstatic reception. The iconic opening notes inspired an absolute roar of excitement from the crowd. 

As per usual, Hilltop Hoods put on a fantastic show filled with classic Australian hip hop. They opened their set with the slightly older but ever-popular Chase That Feeling. Everyone just lost themselves in the music and danced like there was no tomorrow. By the end of their performance, the Adelaide trio had the crowd wrapped around their little fingers.

The crowd that had been there for Hilltop Hoods had almost completely dissolved when Nick Murphy, formerly known as Chet Faker, began his set. Murphy played a good balance of both new and old. His Built On Glass album featured several times, including his ever-popular track Talk Is Cheap. Dozens of people ran to join the mosh pit when the song began. 

The crowd was chanting Billie Eilish’s name before she’d even hit the stage. Eilish is an unbelievable performer. She’s charismatic, humorous and full of energy. While her songs on their own would be fine, it’s her larger than life stage presence that truly pushes her performance over the edge. During her performance of When The Party’s Over, the audio unexpectedly cut out. To her credit, Eilish did her best to keep the audience singing along. She was eventually taken off stage as they attempted to fix the issue. It was only a few minutes until she was back on stage to close her set with Bury A Friend.

Hermitude was the last act to perform on the triple j stage, finishing just before Flosstradamus closed the festival. They played a fairly typical electronic set, occasionally inviting a bit of crowd interaction. The Blue Mountains duo gave the crowd one final opportunity to really let loose and enjoy their night.