Live Review: Stereosonic 2012

Two men nod their heads heads satisfied behind a table, the chap with a goatee, tie-died t-shirt and blue mohawk does a little spin as he sets off the shrieking noise over the top of the bfft bsh, bfft bsh.

In front of the stage, men are dancing frantically wearing vest tops and shorts, or less. There are a lot of moustaches (it is Movember after all) and tattoos. The women dance less frantically.

The punters are late teens to mid twenties, transfixed by the music.

This is Stereosonic: Australia’s premier electronic music festival, and it has taken over the Showground at Sydney’s Olympic Park ahead of dates in Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Arriving mid-afternoon, the scenario is immediately alien and welcoming. The sense of fun is contagious, powered by intense sun, flouro, booze and a line-up of top DJ talent.

The small Paris Social Club stage greets you after security, throwing out a cute, villagey feel.

A bearded, topless guy sporting impressive abs sidles up behind a very-nearly-topless blonde with flowers in her hair and, oblivious to the thousands around them, sees how far he can slide his hand up her leg before she moves away – quite far, is the answer.

Yards away, two police officers wander past chatting casually to a young lad in a designer t-shirt. The lad is cuffed.

These sights are typical of Stereosonic; carefree, a bit inebriated and raging with hormones.

Entering the main arena is like another gig, a stadium show. There are people everywhere in a glorious festival of furious dancing, glow sticks and booze.

The pitch is rammed, as are the stands. Miles away, a guy stands behind a table with headphones on. But I can’t actually see him, except on a big screen. This feels like the biggest nightclub in the world, and possibly the coolest.

The music never stops and nor do the dancers. During a booming, energetic set from Scottish DJ god Calvin Harris, I sit and watch people dancing with great haste – arms and legs everywhere – without slowing for a moment or even noticing their surroundings.

I stay to see how long they could keep it up, but they have more endurance for movement than I do for sitting. Blimey.

Pre-the Calvin Harris riot, Brit star Example breaks with the DJ trend and turns up with a band.

He does not look like a superstar (he resembles a kid I went to school with who used to play too many computer games in his room) and he’s not much of a singer, but he puts on a hell of a show.

And it is not until he starts reeling out the hits that you realise he has had so many. In between constant shouts of “Sydney are you f*****g ready?!” and “Put your f*****g hands up” he blasts out popular tunes such as Kickstarts, Stay Awake and the crowd pleaser Changed the Way You Kissed Me.

The day gets even better as it becomes night. The lights, the evening energy and the bright colours make the term festival seem incredibly fitting.

Watching from high up in the stadium, I have never seen anything like it; happy people everywhere. Ecstasy – and I mean the mood, not the substance – rules.

Away from the main stage, parties rage on in a handful of other stages, each with its unique atmosphere – like a superclub.

In the middle of the evening, I reach my dance limit. That much relentless energy in others can make a man weary.

Heading out of the Showground, I notice another crowd. Middle-aged blokes and all kinds of people wearing rock tour t-shirts.

They don’t look like they have just come from Stereosonic, I think, so I follow them. Just a hundred yards or so away they are all heading into the Allphones Arena to see kings of cheesey Canadian cock-rock, Nickelback.

Ever the curious mind and keen to see how it compares, I head in.

Nickelback, for me, are a guilty pleasure; Rock Star was huge while I was at university and How You Remind Me was one of one of the first proper songs I bought.

Slipping inside the stadium, having already missed the support act, the vibe is wildly different; much older and more Aussie, compared to Stereosonic‘s international flavour.

Nickelback are an over-the-top triumph. Big, brash sounds, unsubtle lyrics and Chad Kroeger’s ridiculous RAAWWK vocal.

The phallyic image of the guitar has never been more stark as he howls the words “you look much cuter with something in your mouth”.

Watching Nickelback is a more familiar experience, like rooting for your favourite team. You know they have their shortcomings, but it doesn’t matter.

There is a form a camaraderie with the tens of thousands next to you, although you may have nothing else in common but a thirst for a great show.

The band, well drilled, give everything they have for two hours of heavy riffs and big singalongs. And these are big singalongs.

Outrageous, maybe. The polar opposite of Stereosonic, certainly. Great fun, you bet.

By Jim Palmer

Check Out The Stereosonic Festival 2012 Sideshow Listings