Harvest Time (Is The Best Time)

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I feel so lazy to write about this festival, but I have to. If I wait another week or month, I'm afraid my memories won't do it justice. That being said, I don't think any piece of writing could do music justice. Still, I'm writing, to simply record my scrap pieces of memory.

Though I loath festivals, I'd definitely come to Harvest festival again. I love its convenient location (inner city), simple design (one-day event) and its impeccable taste (headlining with Portishead, Flaming Lips, and The National!). But this is most likely to be the final festival event that I'd attend in Australia, because I'm leaving the country fairly soon.

So, I started off with The Walkmen. I have only got into them quite recently. I don't even know half of the songs they played live... so, I won't talk too much about it. What I'll say is... they're like The National. You have to love their songs to like their live performance. More often than not, people love their songs more than their live shows. That's just how it is. I do reckon they have pretty good songs. It's just that I have not got into them earlier, more intimately, which is a shame considering that I have the privilege to see them live.

Next up is The Family Stone, yes, Sly and The Family Stone's Family Stone. Again, I'm not too familiar with them. My shallow taste hasn't explore the funk/soul aspect of rock music. But, when I hear them live, I feel like grooving, feel like dancing to the music. A perfect example of "when it hits you, feel no pain." The badass bassline, funky drumbeats, and the groovy horn section can really take you higher!

Followed by TV On The Radio, kicked off with Halfway Home from the last album, which I think it's good opening track, it comes out strong and still have a sense of building up. Perhaps, I was quite close to the stage, their sound felt all mesh together (even Tunde's voice), like a sonic nucleus, emitting high power of soundwaves/noisewaves. Of course, I don't mean it in a bad way, this is what TVOTR should sound like. Their setlist is not so much to my like... there are a lot of good songs missed out. But it's a festival gig, you can't have everything. Also, I'm glad I finally saw them, even with a disappointing new album. With Gerard gone, who knows what'd happen to them. And the final song, Wolf Like Me, boy, that was something...

After TVOTR, I felt kind of sick. Not sure whether it's the burning sun, or the constant weed-smoking smell, I felt dizzy, and wished I have some fucking panadols. I walked over to Death In Vegas stage when they just started with You Loft My Acid. I stood there for like three songs, but it didn't help, in fact, I felt worse. Their music is fucking monstrous. For the state I was in, I was ready to be shattered by their music. I mean, they're really good at what they do... but it was all too much for me. I walked some 200m away from the stage to lie down on the grass. Their music is still louder than what I normally play in my headphone. These guys are insane. Still, better than Bright Eyes. I think I made the right choice going over to see Death In Vegas instead of seeing Bright Eyes. To be honest, I don't get Bright Eyes.

So, The National. The fact that they were the first band I saw live, I have a special connection with them. However, I realised that it's the songs I have a special connection with, not the band anymore. I know it probably sounds weird, but it's true. Like I said before with The Walkmen, people love the band because of the songs, which they have a connection with. Putting the National at the festival-scale stage is fine, I guess, more people can hear them, but the music can easily lose its emotional power and significance to the fans who actually have a special connection with these songs (maybe it's just me...). I still love The National, but I wouldn't want to see them again in a festival. I want them to mean more than what they are, I want them to sing more songs, I want them to bring back the thrills I had when I first saw them. As much as I want, the songs are what I really care about, not necessarily the band.

On the contrary, The Flaming Lips is perfect for festivals. It's a blasting spectacle, with balloons, laser rays, vaginal thing, and the hamster ball. It's all about taking drugs, getting high, having fun. It's all about partying. Which is fun, in a way, because I've never seen a band who cares so much about having fun. It is definitely worth seeing. Then again, I'm not really a festival person, no wonder Flaming Lips is just not for me. Surprisingly, they did a beautiful acoustic version of Yoshima. Well, I didn't see through the whole show, because I was more eager to hear the full set of Portishead than hearing Flaming Lips' closing.

Portishead... I have difficulties writing them. It's beyond words. This is like fifth time I started this paragraph. Fuck it, I don't wanna change it anymore. I'll just say what I feel. Beth Gibbons' singing is awe-inspiring, she can do so many different things with her voice. She can be seductive in Glory Box, she can be violent in Threads, and heart-wrenching most of the time. Before the festival, I listened Portishead quite a lot, and their music is so good, but the songs are so heart-breaking. To see them live, I might have to repeat that sentence again with x 100 times over the "good" and "heart-breaking" part. There are many moments when my eyes become moist, just to hear her sing. Their live performance is ridiculously good. You know the song, "Machine Gun"? You literally feel you are being shot by Portishead's sonic machine gun, every part of your body synchronously vibrating with the beat. The creepy visuals go along very well with their mystical nature and the music. But man, it's the music... its accuracy, its powerfulness, everything about it is fucking top-notch, fucking class. I still can't get over how good they are. Gosh! At the end of their set, Beth, who always turns her back against the crowd when she's not singing, actually jumped down the stage to hold hands with the first row people. It's a beautiful moment, not only they make awesome music, but they also care about their fans who appreciate their music.

The Walkmen
Blue As Your Blood
While I Shovel The Snow
Victory
Woe Is Me
On The Water
In The New Year
Juveniles
The Rat
All Hands and the Cook

TVOTR
Halfway Home
Wrong Way
Caffeinated Consciousness
Second Song
Golden Age
Will Do
Blues From Down Here
Young Liars
Red Dress
Staring at the Sun
Repetition
Wolf Like Me

The National
Anyone's Ghost
Mistaken For Strangers
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Afraid Of Everyone
Conversation 16
Abel
Sorrow
England
Fake Empire
Mr. November
Terrible Love

Portishead
Silence
Mysterons
The Rip
Sour Times
Magic Doors
Wandering Star
Machine Gun
Over
Glory Box
Chase the Tear
Cowboys
Threads

Encore:
Roads

We Carry On