The festival was held on a big property belonging to a rich hippie property guy. There were plenty of eccentric details dotting around the place like a double decker bus, spotlit windmills and a big fountain.
There is a bar that looks like the hotel in Twin Peaks, complete with weird shit like this. We were committed to not spending a dollar over the entire weekend, so this was our first and last visit to the bar.
We were there to work in Raph's amazing Beatbox kitchen, which Ed has extensive experience in and I have a stint at Golden Plains under my belt, which I neglected to blog, due to my sometimes faltering faith in the blogging medium.
Basically, we work pretty long shifts with Raph and a few others, serving up gourmet take-away food, like fries with home-made relish and free range chicken schnitzel wraps. But aside from all that, it's all about the banter. This is Mike, a hard working, hard playing fellow, who worked with us on the late shift.
Here's Mike after the late shift had finished, holding up a beer bong for an english chap who kept on telling us someone had given him some good acid. This was all going on next to our campsite, so we figured, what the hey.
There's the other Mike, an intelligent, friendly, politically aware chap, giving the english fellow the beer bong. I'm guessing this was at about 4:30am. I was actually considering having one because it would be funny, but upon nipping to the tent to get my camera, I came to my senses.
Mike entertained us for some time with his friendly ways. He had the warm lucidity of a young man who is beyond 'wasted'. Ed was unleashing some of his driest, most arch-eyebrowed observations on record, reducing the original Mike and I to tears on several occasions.
Ed wasn't looking so hot the next day. We thought we had a repeat of the Ned Kelly incident on our hands for a while there, but he came through beautifully in the van, using the negative energy in his favour.
Oh yes, the UV Race. Before our shift started, we saw Georgia and co. perform their midday set. Georgia amped up with a couple of Vodka Cruisers, her latest performance enhancing drug of choice.
A small but enthusiastic crowd gathered for what was to be the set of the festival.
Marcus was decked out in a kaftan made from a Thomas the Tank Engine doona cover, while Al was dressed as Harriet, though with an additional 'KD Lang' stomach tattoo for good measure. Georgia was dressed as a friendly shearer, as per usual.
Brendan came along and had a boogie to the UV's sparkling set. Later on, a cowboy-hatted man camping next door confided to us that the handsome lead singer of Eddy Current was in fact present at the festival, if we didn't know. We thanked him for the hot goss.
Truly the best set I have seen these guys play. They are awesome!
This was our view most of the time; people milling about, waiting for their food. It was up to me to remember who had been waiting the longest for fries, a task I failed at dismally for the most part.
Some of the customers were dressed up in crazy get-ups and I took to taking their portraits.
Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos of the masses of just nice, normal looking customers, so my documentation is askew.
Indeed.
A fellow worker from the bar, I believe.
We had nicknames for everyone: the dude, uke the ukelele player, cougar town, Warnie, etc. This is the Sherrif, who I think was the guy running the whole festival.
Warnie
Here's Ed with some guys in amazing cardboard stormtrooper outfits. This one's for you, Milo!
The dude and his hobbit friend stormed the stage during the Ooga Booga's set, for an impromptu and inappropriate duet, which was sort of awesomely funny if you know the dude.
Marcus made an appearance as Jesus during the same set, shortly before we retired to bed early, knackered.
The next morning, we were in high spirits and the banter was running hot.
A fresh batch of Mushrooms were cooked up for the in-demand 'shroom burgers, which had morphed into 'shroom wraps.
Ed, cutting the cheese(classic banter).
Young Ambrose has grown into quite the gangly rocker. It was good to hear his band play, and to find he is just as good at blues harmonica as he is at frontside ollies! Raph thinks I have a crush on Ambrose. I sort of do. I can tell Ambrose is kind of weirded out by how friendly I am to him.
Ed and I, mid banter.
Freya, our very capable off-sider in the van.
The whole festival was all carbon neutral and run on bio diesel and all that. Here's some kids making costumes out of cardboard boxes, fancy that!
It was actually really fun and memorable. And tiring!
A tired but happy Raph with Ari, upon returning back to home base. Another successful mission!
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