Standing in a grassy field under a sun-drenched blue sky listening to incredible music with a beer in your hand; there’s no other way to spend the last day of Uni before mid semester break. Ten thousand youngsters spent their Friday dancing under the sun as Conception Day kicked off its 39th annual shindig, as Berline Abraham reports.
What started as a way to celebrate the opening of Sydney's Macquarie University; Conception Day has turned into an annual festival that draws all sorts of Sydneysiders into its mists. The line-up boasted some big names tailored to please a huge range of music lovers. Spread over six stages and rooms were bands like Grinspoon, Butterfingers and Art vs Science, as well as big name Aussie DJ’s like Ben Morris, John Glover and Pee Wee Ferris.
After a number of bands had the chance to prove their stuff, it was time to bring out the big guns. Butterfingers were the first of the headliners to take to the stage, playing to a screaming crowd as the sun went down. The losers who made a death circle appeared to miss the point of Aussie hip-hop, but everyone else seemed to catch on. They had a huge following of fans who cramped the stage well before the band came on blaring the group’s war cry, “Butterfingers, butter Butterfingers!”
The boys were surprisingly powerful on stage delivering their laid back sound with unexpected energy. Lead vocalist ‘Evil’ Eddie Jacobson used every last ounce of energy throwing himself around the stage for the entire performance and got the crowd even more riled up, which I didn’t think was possible. He smashed his sunnies on stage, and after giving them to bassist Dave Crane to wear for a while, threw them to an ecstatic topless guy in the front row. They played all their big hits, with ‘Figjam’ (Fuck I’m Good Just Ask Me) proving to be the crowd favourite.
Grinspoon - the main headline act didn’t draw as much of a crowd as Butterfingers, but they still had a good size horde to play to. They played all the favourites and had heaps of fans singing along to their entire set. Their set was solid and full of energy, which often dwindles when a band has been playing together for over a decade. The energy could be due to lead singer Phil Jamieson announcing in February that the band wouldn’t be recording another album for a long while. Savoring the moment Grinspoon played two encores that felt like a legitimate gift to the crowd, rather than a usual prearranged addition thrown on to many gigs these days.
A pleasant surprise at Conception Day was the unexpected number of high quality, little known bands that played earlier in the day. Cut Sic have an unusual sound that really seems to work. Mixing rock riffs with funky electro beats, they have managed to create a list of songs where the two sounds compliment each other perfectly, and yet every song is individual and has its own personality. Each member of Cut Sic had their own style, but the drummer stole the show with his inspiring energy and awesome rhythm. The lead singer sounds a bit like Craig Nicholls from The Vines when he screams, but has a really beautiful tone to balance it out when the lyrics are less roaring. With a gorgeous front-man and catchy songs, I’d say Cut Sic are a band to keep your eye on.
Next year's line-up should be interesting, with Conception Day turning the big 40 I envisage some huge names headed our way.
by Berline Abraham