Living in the driest state in the world’s driest continent, at harvest time South Australians are often praying for rain. That is, unless you are holding a music festival that has drawn thousands of fans from all over the country.
Hosting more than 30 acts across two days in Adelaide, the government-sponsored Harvest Rock, couldn’t have had a worse start. On Saturday a biblical downpour and storms just a few hours after kickoff created chaos for thousands, who were asked to leave the event to seek shelter.
But it was when the storm stopped that the real trouble started. The music fired up and thousands of revellers tried to return, only to be met by large lines and bottlenecks. Genesis Owusu, one of the day’s major drawcards, played to a momentarily modest contingent as many scrambled to get back in to catch his set.
He was one of the lucky mid-arvo acts who didn’t get their set washed out entirely. Sydney’s Bag Raiders were unable to take the stage due to the downpour and opted for a bite at the nearby restaurant Africola (not the worst day out). The Aussie rockers Wolfmother were also washed out but later announced a surprise, late-night pub show down the road at the Metro Hotel.
Fresh after a year off in 2024 due to various problems that included failing to secure international headline acts, this was certainly a rocky start for the festival. But across the weekend the Strokes, the War on Drugs, Jelly Roll and Royel Otis were enough to pull the boutique festival, built around fine food, finer wine and eclectic music, out of the wet.
The Presets’ thumping beats had large crowds jumping around in the rain and mud in a set that, at times, seemed like a primeval celebration, while over on the main stage Vance Joy whipped out a ukulele and regaled the largely female audience.
The British-Sri Lankan rapper MIA provided a baggier alternative to the skinny-jean soundtrack coming to the main stage, whose big beats were shrouded in smoke machines and strobe lights. Her voicing of support for Trump went over as well as anyone might imagine with a wet crowd in Adelaide – but the gunshots of her anthem Paper Planes soon airbrushed her political sentiments out of the equation.
For many, though, Saturday was about two Australian exclusive shows: the Strokes and the War on Drugs. These two bands single-handedly saved the day; the latter’s calming, reverb-drenched indie rock was the perfect nerve-settler for organisers and revellers as the sun dipped below the horizon. The afternoon’s chaotic weather was soon a distant memory. They were simply sublime, showing Australian fans once again why they have garnered a cult following in the rock scene.
And while they were cordial, earnest and as personable as a band can be in front of almost 20,000 people, the New York rockers the Strokes were the opposite, letting their near-25-year catalogue of modern classics do the talking. Shrouded in darkness, backlit by a raft of neon lights, the shadowy five-piece fronted by Julian Casablancas put on a masterclass of noughties rock that leaned heavily on their first three releases.
Like most Strokes shows, the band were not there to make friends and chit chat, gloriously impersonable as ever as they reeled out hit after hit: Reptilia, The Modern Age, Juicebox, Someday and Last Nite were just a few of killer standouts of their set, which bookended day one and prevented the festival from becoming a soaking bust.
Day two’s crowd numbers were well below Saturday’s, with an eclectic program of soul and dance dominating the stages.
It’s only a matter of time before the crooner Ruel takes over the world but his gentle neosoul show in the afternoon made clear how inevitable it is. The Canadian native Lauren Spencer Smith was a standout with her empowering tales of love and heartbreak, while Sydney’s Royel Otis showed they are but one record away from being arena-bound in Australia, with their impassioned indie rock.
Over on the vine stage, Groove Armada seemingly failed to launch with a lacklustre DJ set, before Pnau found some much-needed bass in a euphoric, hit-filled performance.
The amount of belt buckles, boots and trucker hats increased by 300% for the headline acts Shaboozey and Jelly Roll on Sunday evening – a testament to the red wave of Americana and country fans who are growing by the day. Shaboozey’s megahit A Bar Song (Tipsy) went down easier than the drink and Jelly Roll earned even more fans by bringing out his fellow tattooed soul singer Teddy Swims, as well as throwing in covers of Keith Urban and the Angels to woo the crowd.
It had a literally slippery start – and, for some, it felt like two very different festivals. It’s safe to say that Harvest Rock is still finding its footing.
