The Snowdroppers with front man Johnny Wishbone (pic above)gave FOTSUNners a lesson in rockin’rockabilly blues that got the entire crowd sitting down, to then ‘put their hands up and shout!’
Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie last week-end lived up to its name as punters left their wellies behind and whipped out the boardies and bikinis to enjoy some sneaky sunshine. An eclectic and diverseline-up delivered a weekend of impetuous drumbeats, boisterous guitars, energetic keyboards and some turbulent dance moves!
Rolling in from Thursday afternoon, tents and inflatable pools were erected first up to kick off the festivities. The grounds instantly broke out into a ‘true-blue’ backyard BBQ vibe as punters cranked the tunes and cracked open a tinny.
Friday leapt to life with the rampant sounds of local band The Pixiekills who kicked off day one in true rock ‘n’ roll style, solidifying the area’s local talent. King Cannons hosted some serious sunset vibes that amped up the crowd for the headline act, Art vs Science. Known for their frenetic yet infectious stage act, the boys literally had the crowd on their knees. At one stage, they burst into ‘Bumblebee’ and invited a trio of bumblebee-impersonating punters onto stage for the buzz of their life. True headliners!
Saturday delivered more of the same perfect festival weather as triple j Unearthed winners, Dirty Little Rebels woke any festival-goer still sleeping with a sound that shook the SundownerBreakwall Tourist Park - and any cobwebs from the night before.
The murmurs backstage began to build with the arrival of The Snowdroppers. As all artists set about rescheduling their media interviews to ensure they could catch the set, it was clear to see who one of the festival favourites would be. For their killer show, the band hosted the entire artist line up front and center for a performance that had all present rocking and all females mesmerized by the Casanova moves from front man, Johnny Wishbone. The Snowdroppers gave FOTSUNners a lesson in rockin’rockabilly blues that got the entire crowd sitting down, to then ‘put their hands up and shout!’
As the sun began to set, a very lucky competition winner was escorted to a beachside serenade with the Brothers Grim. A love sonnet sung by James Grim lead to an intimate party of 20 singing as the band jammed their favourite songs and splashed about in the ocean - what a memorable musical moment that will stay with all involved for a lifetime.
A star-studded lead up with the boisterous Hungry Kids of Hungry and lady-killer Dan Sultan set the stage for Saturday’s headliner Ladyhawke, who had the crowd in a state of ‘delirium!’ Suffice to say she finished with the hit track of the same name.
Delivering an impassioned and infectious experience through the paramount beachside location, good-humoured punters and soulful rocking artist line up, FOTSUN managed to once again stand out amongst the very completive boutique music festival industry. Headlining act Art vs Science described Festival of the Sun perfectly as, “a weekend that defied the odds and went above and beyond any expectation.” They’ll know better next time!