REVIEW: Sweet Relief Festival
Words by Aaron Griffiths / Photos by Max Wenke
Sweet Relief kicked off as many festivals do, with a group of people standing in the sun. As the eager patrons waited for the gates to open, the thumping of DJ Poof Doof and heckling from the tribune of drag queens set the tone for the events to come.
This is the first iteration of Sweet Relief, the hip new music festival with an intentional focus on self expression and togetherness. Inclusivity for all was entwined in the ethos of the festival, and highlighted why this event has a strong future. This new venture was brought to the masses by QLD Music Trails, Untitled Group, and Brisbane Festival and found its place on the Northshore. The Northshore Green was transformed into a sprawling artwork adorned with brightly colored streamers and flags proudly displaying the festival brand. Walking through the event space at midday, you couldn’t help but anticipate the crowds that would occupy the mosh pit and vendor lines. However, this festival would not meet these expectations… yet.
Sweet Relief’s main stage started with an eager modicum of a crowd. Latifa Tee, known for her work on Triple J, was set to open the musical floodgates by playing her DJ set. The bitter twist was the dam only held a trickle of music lovers, and it didn’t seem like there were many upstream. The festival itself for the first few hours was quiet, with the majority of attendees spread across the green either grabbing a drink, in the silent disco, or watching Latifa Tee on the Deck. Latifa Tee's set was airtight with notable understanding of composition. Latifa Tee was able to seamlessly transition between songs and remixes, never dropping the ball. The bass was punching and the vibes on stage were high.
Beyond the main stage there were some exciting experiences open to patrons, a photo pod with a spinning arm to get all of the best angles, our tribune of drag queens melting in the sun, and a silent disco in the corner. The silent disco ran throughout the entire event and was a particularly interesting example of Sweet Relief’s goal for inclusivity. Employing a backpack that strapped a bass speaker to your body, the best tagline for this disco would be “Music you can feel.” At first you may see the pack as a mere extension of the headphones, but this is not the case. It thoroughly enhances the experience and exemplifies the novelty of the silent disco itself. The best thing about a silent disco is how individual the experience is, well, what’s more individual than heavy bass pumping straight into your spine? There other valuable aspect of these backpack speakers is they provide access for those with hearing impairments. Taking the focus away from the direct input to the ears, the opportunity to feel and experience the music alongside others in a new way is an invaluable one. These considerations throughout the festival were what truly set it apart and bolster its appeal in more ways than the music itself.
Another great step for access were the Auslan Interpreters who performed throughout every musical act and intermission. The two interpreters would swap every now and then, having to be on stage from the time Latifa Tee started her set, until Groove Armada had spun his last track. The true vibe keepers of the day, they maintained their sunny disposition throughout, against the beating sun, the energetic stage noise and the potential fatigue.
After Latifa Tee’s set, the Poof Doof crew put on some killer drag performances and drew the crowd down to the main stage. It should be noted Poof Doof Pride Patrol and Yo Mafia! were instrumental to the day's success, without them the energy between sets would have dwindled significantly. More specifically Jimi the Kween was a wonderful personality to maintain the excitement for the day. This is a massive positive for the programming team and demonstrates they’ve got a good vision for the festival.
However, by the time 2:40 rolled around and Nina Las Vegas was hitting the stage, the crowd was still a shallow pool. Not every festival needs to be packed to the brim, however energy is contagious and almost 3 hours into the festival there seemed to be a blanket over its potential. The intention of the festival, the artists performing, and the audience in attendance at this point seemed mismatched. Where was the draw to participate in the event for Latifa Tee and for Nina Las Vegas, when they were playing in an empty mosh pit? Why weren’t the crowds there to support them? I approached a few patrons to gauge their thoughts around the festival and the general perspective seemed to be, the festival was too spaced out and the acts they wanted to see weren’t playing until later in the day. Sweet Relief is a great festival, although the overall cohesion may need some work. There should be a reason for crowds to see the smaller artists. Whether that be scheduling them around larger acts, or reducing the length of the festival, it would create more significant audiences for lesser known performers.
Toward the end of Nina Las Vegas’ set a greater portion of the crowd from around the festival had congregated by the main stage. Nina performed her hour set with infectious energy. Her tracks were primarily devised with EDM hits and distinct drum stems. The performance was full of personality, with the artist often cutting the music to call out some sort of question or affirmation. As Nina Las Vegas’ remix of Low by Flo Rida hit the crowd did in fact get low, contorting to stay within the shade of the sound gazebo. The sun was a significant deterrent for dancing, however as the evening arrived and the sky stained itself hues of orange and pink the crowd eventually dispersed from the shady blessing that was the sound desk.
Four hours into Sweet Relief, and by the time Cut Copy had graced the stage, the festival itself finally found its stride. With the slow trickle of guests eventually creating a sea of faces for the psychedelic dance music. Cut Copy was a hit with their vibe riddled music, lulling the crowd into a trance. This is what we were aiming for, with the crowds now lost in the music, the festival blossomed with energy. Fuelled by vodka redbulls and nicotine, there was a surge of dancing and jumping to the beat, perfectly orchestrated by the presence on stage. After the music died down, everyone's eyes were perfectly pointed toward the festival's next event - a best dressed competition hosted by Jimi the Kween and Osher Günsberg. The variety of participants ranged from the glitter embellished fits, to a pugalicious romper. The highlight of the competition however, was the undeniable victory from Brisbane’s Barbie Batman. The competition wasn’t even close, let's be real! As Batman won his cheeky vacation (while throwing his pink batarangs from the stage) the stage was prepped for the next artist, New Zealand’s Ladyhawke.
The new wave rock artist was a distinct point of difference in the day’s lineup, as Ladyhawke was the only live instrumental group of the day. As dusk turned to dark, the tones of guitars and synths overwhelmed the crowd. The show was electric and engaging, and fans of the singer-songwriter's work pushed themselves against the front barriers. With voices echoing Ladyhawkes chorus’ it was clear that the artist had been slotted in at the right time. After pulling out a lyric bible, Pip joked “Lyrics are hard y’know. Sometimes you forget!” As the set came to a close, the audience was hit with two iconic tracks. The first being “Embrace” a track co-written with Australian house band Pnau, the second being “My Delirium” one of Ladyhawke’s iconic tracks.
The Avalanches were up next and brought a grandiose level of spectacle, projecting stage wide visuals across the LED screens. They were infectious with their chill vibes as they bounced along to their remixes and fiddled with dials and switches on a secluded riser. Injecting some comedy into their show Tony Di Blasi spun their Theremin about, wailing it all over. You couldn’t help but be amused by the antics, and the collaborative synergy of the duo onstage. Robbie Chater remained a consistent and engaging presence throughout the performance, focusing on their craft as well as the audience. The pair played a collection of their hits, “Because I’m Me” being a particularly funky and trance inducing track. Classics weren’t off of the list however, with a remix of “I want to break free” hitting that theatrical sweet spot. The Avalanches brought the house down, and by the end of their set, the pungent smell of sweat and vape filled the air. Left with cricks in their necks, everyone was pretty well worn down from the groove.
Speaking of - Groove Armada the grand finale for Sweet Relief was raring to go after an intermission from Yo Mafia! Striking when the iron was hot, the tracks laid down by Groove Armada hit hard, with thicc bass lines and beats that forced a jive. Regardless of where you were across the festival grounds you could feel the music in your chest. It was heavy. It was evident the day had snowballed with regard to the crowd; everyone was all in by the end. Sweet Relief was coming to a close, however there didn’t seem to be a push to leave. The patrons were transfixed in a moment. This is a good festival, it has a wonderful energy around it, this year displayed some excellent artists, and the push for inclusivity is incredibly valuable. It’s a festival that is bolstered by its variety of artists, and its blending of arts industries. I want to see Sweet Relief be strengthened by the response to this year and become one of the major players in the lineup of yearly events. It belongs amongst Good Things, Bigsound, and Blues Fest. The future of this event looks promising and it’s going to be exciting watching it develop over the coming years.
