australian rozie

Sydney, Summer, yeah. Had a great afternoon/evening at FFN this year. Interesting to note that Sydney Festival has got rid of the “young clubby people’s” stage. I have to admit it was probably a good thing. The crowds were still huge as always but with less young kids on the street getting smashed. We met up with Matt to see Seekae at the Hyde Park Fountain, the sun was beaming down, so most people observed them from afar in the shade. I observed Seekae were a bit Pivot inspired… I didn’t realise that we had seen them before when they supported Pivot at their secret gig at The Hopetoun last year. It was great to meet up with Brad & Danielle (and Kate a bit later) as well, good times in the Hyde Park.
Matt had organised with his posse to meet up in The Domain. We didn’t really intend to do the Domain after last year (where it was scarily jam-packed), we were going to check out the other stages and then go home if it got too hectic. Turned out to be a wonderful night because Andy & Co had settled into a nice area close to a fence where not too many people walked through. We got there about 7pm while a nice picnic spread was shared. I felt a bit bad that we had crashed their party after they had been there all day. We were spotted on the big screens in The Domain by Boris – how embarrassing (because Matt decided to stick his finger up and pull a face or something like that)!
Anyway, Robbie Buck hosted the event and introduced the Welcome Ceremony and the Black Arm Band. Sadly a lot people around me weren’t really getting into it. They did a rousing performance of Treaty at the end. Just before Al Green took the stage, there was a delightful hand shadow puppet performance by unusualist Raymond Crowe, that was projected onto the side of a building that everyone could see from the Domain. Finally the big man, Al Green appeared. Have to admit that I’m not a big fan, but really enjoyed sharing the spirit with 100,000 of my closest friends. His voice was great and loved most of the songs he sang, esp the Motown tribute, but the handing out of roses and the white gloves was rather cheesy. Then it ended and there were no fireworks – hmpf. We walked all the way home with the masses via the new Mexican burrito place & Pie Face on Oxford Street.
Check out lots of great pics from Festival First night here.