THE FINAL MEADOW FESTIVAL

I love those first few hours of getting to a festival where you are only just getting your bearings, seeing all the faces, where exciting expectations are set. After what felt like a huge drive from Melbourne, we were met with an array of coloured tents popping up quickly throughout the valley from the top of the hill and a bunch of happy campers setting up what would be home for the next two nights–all calling “Happy Meadow” to each other in the same way one would say “Merry Christmas!”

This is Meadow—Bambra’s iconic music festival, which recently celebrated its tenth and sadly final festival. It’s a strange phenomenon coming into something right at the end. Friendly festival goers were striking up conversations with “How many Meadows have you been to?” as if unsure if they’d seen your face there before. This was very much the vibe at Meadow, a whole decade had been spent working on community and forming a big happy family—who made the annual trek out to congregate at the stage under the stars. The final Meadow is truly a sign of changing times, the once prominent luxury of independent, BYO festivals, has been made rarer due to rising costs and stricter regulations. The air was thick with this knowledge, which manifested in a mix of melancholic nostalgia and Anticipatory grief, and the need to celebrate one last time. In a big way.

So, after three trips up and down the gruelling uneven hill of the Meadow campsite, our camp was set up and our cheap beers were just cold enough, and able to stay that way with the South-West Victorian Autumn air. We made it to the Bambra Bowl just in time for O.R.B. as Friday’s sun ducked over the valley. I've been a fan of the band for the longest time and have somehow missed every gig they’ve played since first hearing them in 2018 so I was very keen to finally be able to see them live and they did not disappoint. They presented heavy hitting and jammy fun, as well as an incredible red statement scarf that made the lead member easy to spot for the remainder of the evening.

Post O.R.B—and now changed for the better—we hiked back to camp for dinner. An assortment of corn chips, four bean mix and hommus was had, and we reloaded our camo lunch box with beers to go back to the Bowl and catch Hiatus Kaiyote. Boy they know how to put on a show—playing groovy, techy funky fresh music for us. When bed is just a short walk away, it can be tempting to hit the hay—especially after a big drive and a morning full of interviews—but we persevered and made it back to the Bowl. Pleasantly surprised by Pureblast, an electronic French Duo that brought a vibe similar to Prodigy. With echoing vocals and a ravey electro beat, yet one that wasn’t too overbearing for the non raver. It was way too fun, the crowd gobbled it up like cornflakes and were bouncing around until the wee hours of the morning.

Picture this: waking up confused in a stuffy tent with a slight headache from the night before, yet excited to line up for your much needed morning coffee. Well, that was us, we stood in line for our cuppa joe for half an hour or so, and then took a seat to watch the first few bands to kick off the day. We were blessed by Think About You—which I can only describe as an uplifting blend of folk and post-punk, who had quite a few members up on the small stage. They all seemed as though they were having so much fun up there, and I’ve since fallen in love with their music, and their latest album Don’t Die On Me on has been on repeat. 

Then was Eggy, with even more members than the last—I think there were about six or seven? They brought a swirly synergy to the stage, each having a solo moment with their instrument from synths to keys, to guitar and violin, somehow intertwining so seamlessly. They brought in a nice little crowd too, having only released their album From Time to Time the day prior, and the audience were already singing it back to them with enthusiasm. Up next were Wanderer team faves Armlock up on stage, who had some incredible new songs to share, for which we’re patiently waiting to be released… 

After a nap—the undeniable best part of going to a camping festival—and some hommus and tuna on Aldi Etons, Uncle Barry did the most beautiful Welcome to Country, bringing attendants together for the ceremony. The day began to fly by, with Melbourne based Npcede brought an eerie, yet extremely engaging performance reminiscent of a Halloween themed Sleaford Mods. Soon after, we saw James Range Band from remote Northern Territory, who had everyone up dancing with their infectious energy. Switching it up a gear, the Japanese rock and roll relics Guitar Wolf came in HOT with their punchy chords, black leathers, and fists raised.

All of this was getting us pretty hyped for the main event and headliner—MJ Lenderman and the Wind. Their sunset slot was opened with title track Manning Fireworks, then they began to move through the catalogue at a perfect pace, slowly amping it up as they passed around a bottle of Hibiki Harmony Whiskey and a cigarette over the hour-and-ten-minute set. The band were giving it their all, and brought so much energy to Jake’s somewhat calm, almost melancholic composure. All-in-all, they played to perfection. Perfect time, perfect sound, perfect set-list. We've since developed a crush on lead MJ—who performed his whole set in just jeans and a Drive By Truckers t-shirt, later explaining to us backstage that he doesn’t feel the cold, due to the regular snowfall in Asheville, his North Carolina hometown. 

Once we caught our breath and collected ourselves, we ran back to the pit to catch Floodlights. Another must-see act of the festival, they brought a fierce and demanding stage presence. Frontman Louis dipped in and out his spoken word vocals, producing an anthemic vibe that created a ripple effect for the audience who sang it all back to them. Floodies’ performance felt like a well oiled machine, with the two girls of the five piece moving around the stage with ease—from harmonica and trumpet to guitar and keys, uniting on vocals to create a dynamic and engaging set. 

Next up we saw Pond. I believe it’s my eighth-or-so time seeing them play, and I feel as though it was the best set I’d ever witnessed. Kicking off their hour-and-ten at 11:30pm they whipped together the most fun and dancey performance ever. Nick held nothing back, jumping from stage to barricade to crowd to stage again—with his electrified ragdoll energy—with the rest of the band having so much fun alongside him. We immediately noted that he wore an unfamiliar shirt this time… Maybe his washing machine was broken? We soon crashed fast asleep, to the sound of thumping basslines, and one snoring neighbour drifting off. 

Meadow was magical–-like nothing we’ve ever experienced before. It truly is the community the founders worked so hard to foster which sets it apart from the rest, and has turned Meadow into festival legend. It’s so sad that the Australian music industry has come to a point where people may not get to experience anything like this anymore, and stuff you can only read about in books. We’ve been reflecting on the need to support those who support the scene, and the people who go above and beyond to create these cultural experiences. It truly takes a special kind of person who has enough drive to make events like Meadow a reality, and while we’re sad, we’re equally excited to see what comes next. We’re also reflecting on the speech made between sets from the land owner—who established an open invite to use her land to host a festival, if someone’s got the energy to do it.

Thank you Meadow, and everyone behind it—we feel really grateful to have experienced it, even if only once!