The line-up of Foreshore this year was outstanding, with class international and Australian acts spread across three stages, over twelve hours. Looking at the set list whilst standing in the long queue to enter Commonwealth Place, I was pretty happy with the set times for the day.

Making my way through security, they conducted an amazingly thorough bag search which included the security guards confiscating my sunscreen and papaw lip balm. This seemed a ridiculous enforcement of their no liquids policy to me, and to other annoyed punters that had prepared for a sunny day, leaving me sour.

Fortunately the first band, Fun Machine, lived up to their name and lifted my spirits with their crazy rainbow wings and fast paced lyrics. The female drummer and backing vocalist was a standout, keeping the beat and providing a nice contrasting sound to the two boys on guitars up front. They played their stand out track, Nintendo in the jungle, getting the crowd into the mood.

Looking around the crowd it seemed like the festival had been invaded by a teenage tangerine army with their uniforms of tiny shorts, bikini tops and crocheted singlets for the girls, and bare chests for the boys. There were some refreshing stylish feminine floral dresses and sharply dressed guys, but it was evident that everyone was here to let their hair down and have a good time, and on the most part, the audience was well behaved all day.

After Fun Machine, I skipped across to the Block Party Stage to watch local hip-hop act Omar Musa, Kodak and Rush perform an energised set. The declaration of, “I want good music, I like it, I love it,” summed up the feelings of the audience that had now grown in size to create a small mosh pit at the front of the stage. Their set included an impressive beat-box performance by Kodak from Western Creek, who was able to combine a popular ringtone, bass and beat at the same time. Keep an eye out for these boys, as their pure musical talent will ensure they go far in our national music industry.

Once Tiesto took to the stage in the huge Hi-Top Tent, the spaces between people quickly filled, with thousands of fans squeezing in to catch a glimpse of the world’s number one DJ and dance to his slick beats. Appearing alone on stage throughout his two hour set, he didn’t have much audience interaction other than a suave smile as he looked out at the mass of people clearly enjoying his tunes. Concentrating on blending the elements of his songs together, he seamlessly created perfect builds, breaks and drops, making it obvious why he’s still number one.

Miami Horror took to the Kicks Stage when dark storm clouds rolled in over Parliament House, thankfully they held up and Foreshore remained a dry affair. Dressed in a floral shirt with a suit jacket over the top, the lead singer Josh Moriarty looked like he had just come from a 1970’s work Christmas party, as they played well-known tracks such as Moon Theory and I look to you. Their live rendition of Sometimes was well executed and the audience sang along while their new single, Holidays fitted the day perfectly with the start of summer just a few days away.

Before I knew it, darkness had arrived and the Hi-Top tent looked incredible with rows of light fittings above the crowd flickering different colours to the beat of Afrojack. His set opened really strongly with well-known tracks like It’s Nasty Time, Barbara Streisand, Take Over Control and Day and Night.

Afrojack suffered technical difficulties but managed to keep music going while all his equipment was changed over by festival staff. The middle of his set the crowd waned a little, probably because of Cut Copy starting on the Kicks Stage, but maybe he pulled out all the popular songs too early, making the middle of his set rather bland. He finished with a new remix of Push me, which got the crowd back into the groove for a strong finish.

Australian band The Temper Trap finished the night on Kicks stage showcasing why they won two ARIAs this year. Their live sound was impeccable, utilising multiple drums and percussion to create the best sound on the day. This band had obviously been touring solidly and their set ran like a well-oiled machine. Playing their famous tracks Fader, Sweet Disposition and Love Lost to an adoring crowd, who sang along with every song. Lead singer Dougy Mandagi was the star of the set, with his voice on key and stage presence second to none. At one stage Mandagi picked up a big drum, which he drummed along to the beat with, pouring water onto it so it sprayed everywhere when being hit, creating an amazing visual spectacle.

It was clear that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed Temper Trap and were more than a little disappointed when the band finished 15 minutes early and didn’t come back for an encore, despite the masses chanting for ‘one more song’.

Foreshore certainly lived up to its reputation as Canberra’s premier music festival, and I am eagerly looking forward to see what Kicks have up their sleeves for 2011.

Photos by Chris Whitfield

…Social Photos