Homebake 2012

Yesterday I went to Homebake, a music, film, comedy and arts festival. I haven’t been to many festivals and this one was… well, I’ll be honest, it was worth the $110 I paid for it. I was debating against buying tickets because I thought I’d win some, or be able to get some for free. It didn’t quite work out that way. What happened was I got tired of waiting, I became really impatient and got a little concerned that tickets would be sold out if I kept waiting, so I ended up buying my ticket a couple of weeks ago. I was wondering what to do if I won any tickets, but later I didn’t have to worry about that at all because I won nothing. :P

It’s a bit of a shame that I did buy my ticket because Chris (Riley) said he had a couple of spares and they (The Griswolds) could have given me one. Boo, but it’s okay. I really do think the money was worth it.

I rocked up early because I didn’t wait to wait too long in line, and because The Griswolds were on at 11:25am. The gates opened at 11am and I was already a little concerned about the sun. I slapped on sunscreen before I left the house, glad it wasn’t grossly thick in consistency like I last remembered. I’m all for keeping my skin protected, but I can’t stand thick, slimy sunscreen/sun lotion. I even brought my sombrero. I was thinking of not bringing it because I’d look ridiculous, but I just realised how good it would be as shade and for protecting my face, so I lugged it along anyway. As I was standing at the bus stop I realised I forgot my sunglasses, but hoped my sombrero would do me good. It was a good thing I did have it.

The lineup of bands was impeccable. I was impressed with it from the beginning, and as more artists were announced, the more it made me want to go. I’ve written time and time again about bands I’ve seen or love, and it was just perfect that the lineup included San Cisco, Ball Park Music, Lime Cordiale, Hey Geronimo and The Griswolds. I was lucky my Hey Geronimo shirt finally arrived in the mail about a week before Homebake, because I tossed it into the wash straight away so I could wear it. There was the ol’ pants vs skirts issue that I had to tackle on my own, and given I comfortably wore a skirt throughout the cool days leading up to Homebake, it didn’t make sense to wear jeans on Saturday because it was even hotter. That said, I hate shorts possibly even more than I hate jeans, so that was out of the question. Regardless, I wore spandex shorts under my skirt just in case.

I even bought a bag for the occasion! Daniel helped me pick it out, I bought it on Thursday night. I bought from The Iconic, famous for their three-hour shipping. That only applies if you’re in Sydney and it costs just under ten dollars. My bag arrived the next morning - because I live in Sydney, they can do overnight shipping. It’s great because I was looking for a bag all week - both online and in-store, and had trouble deciding on one. I got a tan-coloured cross-body bag that is perfect for gigs and festivals. :D

I have to admit I didn’t see all the “famous” bands at Homebake, but I saw who I wanted to see, and I had a good time, and that’s the important thing. I watched The Griswolds on the main stage first. There was no one else playing at the other stages in the park until an hour later. The Griswolds played a similar set to the one I saw on Wednesday night, but it was good to see and hear them again, clear in the summer sunshine. Andrew greeted me on my way through the gates just before I saw The Griswolds. He said, “I like your shirt.”

Of course he likes my shirt, it has his band on it. XD

I waved at all the guys on stage while they were doing their sound check. It’s natural that I greet them all the time now; I’m not just a fan anymore or “the photographer” but they have accepted me as their friend. :) I was glad I’d brought my sombrero because the sun was directly above me. After they played I headed straight to The Dome, another stage where Lime Cordiale and Hey Geronimo were due to play. I enjoyed Lime Cordiale’s set, their music completely suited the weather and it was really chill. I walked towards the back of the crowd to talk to Joel some time during the set and we watched from there. Because of the height of the stages it was a nicer view from further away so there was no neck-craning.

Joel was laughing about Andrew’s pants, which he’d pulled up to mid-shin (they were normally to his ankles like normal pants). He was in hysterics and when he pointed it out to me I’d just noticed as well, because when I talked to Andrew earlier, his pants were normal. LOL. After he disappeared I texted him with, “Your pants look ridiculous.”

He said, “I can take them off if you like.”

My sinuses nearly fell out of my nose as I tried not to snort while laughing.

I probably sound mega biased but Hey Geronimo were amazing. Simply amazing. I just can’t get over how great it was. I sound like a mad-ass shit suck up, but their set was so much fun. There were laughs, there were many people dancing. I love how all the guys dance on stage without a care in the world. They even had a mini brass band accompany them for some of their songs. As usual, my favourite was Co-op Bookshop, which sounded lovely with the brass instruments. I did, however, really enjoy their other songs, especially their cover of Burning Down The House by Talking Heads. Something about the way Hey Geronimo does it just makes me want to jiggle my neck like an Egyptian. When I heard the songs they hadn’t released but had played at shows before, I recognised them immediately and just realised how much I can’t wait for their next release.

It’s been three months since I’ve seen Hey Geronimo, and it feels like an awfully long time. Can I just say I’m glad I didn’t bring my camera? This was just way too fun. I would have regretted missing out and trying not to smash my camera.

I went to see San Cisco and Tim Rogers (going between two stages) after them. I said to Andrew, though, that my day was seriously made. I would be hard pressed to see another band perform that day who would top Hey Geronimo. San Cisco were a bit of a disappointment, starting late and drummer/vocalist Scarlett having lost her voice. Izzy from The Preatures took over for vocals, but it wasn’t the same.

I also enjoyed Ball Park Music, which sounded mad on the big stage, and as usual they got the crowd singing along. However, I felt like it was lacking that intensity and power that both San Cisco and Ball Park Music have when they sell out a theatre or other venue. It was a bit disappointing, to be honest. Good thing I bumped into Riley who recognised my sombrero! I had been wandering alone, ate lunch alone, walked around alone, all day. He said I was welcome to hang with him and his friend Tim.

Last Dinosaurs and Tame Impala were up next, but I didn’t enjoy them as much as I’d hoped. The sound was mucked up in Last Dinosaurs’ set, you could barely hear the vocals and the bass guitar stood out more than anything. I’m not sure about Tame Impala but it didn’t really get me going as much as I’d hoped. At this point it got windy, so that might have had some effect. The music was great, but I didn’t feel like I could hear the vocals much.

The rest of the evening I hung out with Riley and a girl named Prinnie and her friends. Chris (Whitehall) and I had a screaming competition and when I thought I won, he belted out a screeching one. After some craziness going between stages and having a few drinks we lost our gang and it was just me and Riley for a while. I wasn’t keen on seeing Blondie (the headlining artist for the night) and it was long past the time I should have left to go home, so Riley and I parted ways and so, home I went. It was a lovely day.

I’d say I can’t wait for the next one, but I don’t know. You never know what to expect from Homebake really…

I could not sleep last night so I only got a few hours. I’m tired now…