Event Review: Rocking the Daisies 2011
Upon arrival in the dusky heat of Rocking the Daisies, I promptly realised I had forgotten any form of pillow or blanket. However, being on the zaniest festival high you can imagine quickly cast aside any worries or vague musings of organization or responsibility. I had my little brother, Mikey and all his friends with me who together resembled a very tall brood of hairy gangling antelope and I was just thrilled to be playing Mama Goose.
On top of all of this I had some pretty awesome line up to look forward to in terms of a little group called Band Of Skulls with a side ordering of Mr Cat and The Jackal, Belleruche, Tumi and The Volume and possibly the most heavenly sunny weekend that summer could deliver. Rocking The Daisies; you pulled out all the stops, Babes.
Deciding that putting up my tent would waste valuable stage time, I grabbed my brother and we headed out into the chaos. My recent obsession with Daisy Buchanan of The Great Gatsby reached its pinnacle at this festival which if it was anything, was a little girl’s luxurious dream. On the way to the Main Stage we passed a pink surgery miracle called The Daisy Den. I flew inside dressed in metallic latex and faux fur to see clouds of girls walking around the ultimate powder room. Manicure tables, fairy lit mirrors and perfectly maintained loos not to mention the chandeliers and velveteen couches. I absolutely had a lump in my delighted throat I tell you!
The surreal magic didn’t stop there or at all for that matter the entire weekend. Friday night gave us the incredible options of Gazelle, a Burlesque act and gypsy glamour from Toby2shoes and loads more. The dazzle was the most I’ve ever been subjected to at a festival. Whilst taking a breather, I stepped out of the tented stage and saw a boxing ring full of the beautiful dark creatures of the night jostling and leaping at each other. The heat and the stars were as intoxicating as the smell of a million dancing partying fairies and smoke machines.
The next day was big business for our crowd of merry trip cats and we spent it dreamily at the dam. The dam at Rocking the Daisies was a strange paradise of buoyant animalistic Lilos, enormous floating hamster balls with excited bikini clad girls inside and a real flock of geese gliding dreamily between the ruckus. Glazed and glistening with sunburn I left the watery paradise to go and attend The Band Of Skulls conference and catch as much as I could of that deeply sexy shwe-shwe clad front man, Tumi Molekane along the way.
The Band Of Skulls were shy and sweet while the journalists were hesitant and slow to the mark. Clearly we’re not used to such big acts being up for a conversation this side of the equator. Things did start rolling after a while though and it was a pleasure to hear their opinion of how lovely our country and the festival were.
The weird Twilight madness one gets at festivals around nightfall set in fast. We collected our essential sixers and mixers from the camp and then ran all the way to the front of the Main Stage. We were all in it for the long run and as the Band Of Skulls started up there was no way of moving outside of a mosh pit and getting minced through the safety barrier. Alive and well though not quite on this planet anymore, we peeled ourselves off the breathless crowd and headed off into the electro tent. Recovered angels and sleepy young men and girls carried us through the flashing tents, determined to dance till dawn. What a way to start the festival season.
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