Writing a review about a New Years eve festival in late January was definitely not the plan, but Beyond the City, while being an incredible festival, turned out to be a breeding ground for the latest covid variant, Omicon. After two days of marinating in the near 40 degree heat, I felt a tickle that I knew would be nothing else but the spicy cough. Social media trends involving Rasputin confirmed I was one of hundreds who caught COVID at Beyond the City. But BTC was not alone in the spread, it seems every Christmas and New Years event lead to majority of Victorians being positive or in isolation. 

The Backbeat team were otherwise unscathed and I am pleased to report I am back to full health. But enough about the pandemic and more about the music!!! Untitled Group introduced Beyond the Valley (BTV) in 2014 and it has grown to be one of the biggest music festivals of the summer. BTV was hit by the lockdown restrictions like many others, but in 2021 made the pivot from their usual location at Lardner Park, Gippsland to Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne for the reimagined ‘Beyond the City’. Camping was out, acts were primarily Aussie and everybody was checked in.

You know I am all about the live bands and indie arts, so I parked myself at the main stage in the bowl of Sidney Myer. For those who preferred producers and DJ sets - the dance domain or Dr Dans stage were the place to be. 

As I wandered down into the bowl, I was impressed to see Sycco was already gathering a crowd under the shadow of the stage. It was early in the day, and the heat had punters eyeing off any patch of shade they could find. Sycco was a fun and fresh start to the day and her pop-indie vocals hit the spot. ‘Dribble’ and ‘Past Life’ were my favourites and she hit every beat perfectly. 

Following up was Eves Karydas, an artist who I thought I didn't know…..but then sung along to every word. She was accompanied by a live band and wore her own beautiful baby blue fender for a couple of tracks. An extra layer to her performance of graphics filled the gargantuan LED wall draping the back of the stage. Eves has been releasing music since 2009, leading up to her hits ‘Complicated’ and ‘Further than the planes fly’ with the latter boasting over 18 million streams on Spotify alone. Eves lacked in some stage presence and relied on backing tracks more than I like to see in a live artist, but I think in a smaller venue she would be able to connect with her audience more and truely shine.

ALLDAY bounded onto stage and sang….nothing we could hear. His mic cut out. He attempted to sing along with crackles of his lyrics dropping in but it wasn't working. A second mic presented the same problem. His frustration was evident as he ran across the stage to find a solution. He lost his entire first song to tech issues, but he didn’t let that stop him. He stormed back onto the stage with a working mic calling out “Melbourne!! LETS GO!”. ALLDAY gave the feeling of a classic festival, the energy was high, everyone was in the moment - he was a stand out performance of the day. Backed by drums, keys and synth who were played by his partner and artist in her own right, Memphis and local indie pop legend, Japanese Wallpaper. The set included new tune ‘Eyes on the prize’ and classics like ‘Wonder Drug’.

RUNNING TOUCH was due to play next, but a last minute cancellation meant he was replaced by a DJ set from PartyBoi69. I get the ick simply writing that name out, it reminds me of hotmail addresses people made when they were 15. While I appreciated the quick work from the organisers to replace this set, it was a very different vibe in comparison to the other artists of the day on main stage. The DJ decks look impotent on concrete landscape and most of the crowd used the opportunity to have a break and get a drink. 

Thankfully one of my favourite live artists was up next, Mallrat. Her DJ and partner in crime, Denim got the crowd pumped, playing bangers like ‘Gimme More’ by Britney Spears. Opening track was ‘Nobody’s Home’ and it was disappointing to hear, or should I say, not hear her sing. The music drowned her out - which was even more shattering as I know her brilliant vocals from previous sets I have seen. Between every set she was seen running over to the on stage audio tech - this was a theme of the day and from discussion with production teams afterwards, it seems that the in ear playback for artists were plagued by issues all day. I am unsure if the playback issues were related to the vocals and impacted her energy and overall performance, but it was not her best day. My expectations of her set were sadly not met on this occasion, she lined up fan favourites ‘Better’, ‘Are you high?’, ‘Groceries’ and of course, ‘Charlie’. Highlight of her set was ALLDAY joining for his verse of their smash hit, UFO but Mallrat didn't bring her usual revelry and spark to Beyond the City. 

Darlings of the Australian music scene, Spacey Jane were next to bless the stage and this group always make me smile. Their warmth and authentic approach to music has led to a solid fan base with it blooming into new corners with every new release. By this time of the day, the grass was packed and any idea of social distancing was long gone. Without a doubt they had the biggest crowd and screams of the day so far. Spacey Jane songs have a strange kind of rhythm that makes you question what song it is until it’s right in the chorus. I was pleased to hear ‘Lots of nothing’, ‘Good Grief’, and ‘Feeding the Family’. Frontman, Caleb commented last time they had been no the same stage was 9 months earlier in March 2021. Caleb has cool composure, but Peppa has a special place in my heart as a bassist and all out boss babe. Her dance moves and smile had me grinning and I people calling out “I just love her!”.

I just love Spacey Jane. 

Overall it had been a solid Day 1 at BTC, but theres performances, and then there's PNAU. Forget everything you knew because this was the show of the day. The art, the dancing, the sound, the graphics….everything was not only next level, an entire league above the other acts. PNAU have been touring for years and their experience on an international level allowed them to utilise every inch of space on the stage bringing a sensory overload (in the best way). ‘Solid Gold’ was the first song and accurately described their set. Old favourite ‘Wild Strawberries’ was screamed as the infectious energy flowed across the bowl. Lead singer, Nick wasn’t satisfied there, yelling to what I assume was his support team “Turn it up! Turn it f*cking up Jimmy!!!”. 

Watching PNAU was a flashback to highschool, driving down the beach and summer days as they played ‘Embrace’ before finishing on a high with a powerhouse rendition of Chameleon. I want to give a special shout out to WooHah who setup LED screens not only on stage but lighting up to the edges of the seating. They had installed strip LED across the beams above, reflecting the colours of the lights. It was the best festival lighting I have ever seen.

DAY 2 - NYE

ALICE IVY was the first artist I was in to see on the second and final day of Beyond the City. It was New Years Eve and the buzz of brushing off 2021 had everyone dressed in their finest festivals sets. Alice Ivy aka Annika Schmarsel is an electronic producer and musician who has fast become one of the artists I will automatically playlist. Her 2020 album ‘Don’t Sleep’ is on heavy rotation with ‘Ticket to Heaven’ being one of my favourite releases in recent history. Alice Ivy shows are known for fun, dancing and a few jokes scattered in between. This day was no different. She was supported by the same drummer as earlier act KYE and he was a standout. I had seen him play at Ability Fest and was in awe of his talent. I was sad to see Alice Ivy playing so early in the day as she didn’t get the crowd I think she deserved, but I know she was playing back to back festivals on New Years Eve.

North-East Arnhem Land locals, King Stingray were next to play and brought their best work. Disappointingly the tech issues from the day before appeared to continue, with the drummer pulling out his in ear monitors and there was difficulty hearing guitars. I was however loving the strong vocals and all around positive vibes they brought out from the crowd. 

In a stark contrast to King Stingray, Jaguar Jonze boldly entered the bowl looking ready to take down anyone who came in her way, with her recent hit “Who Died and Made You King?”. She rocked a matching leather black and yellow set with pigtails. It reminded me of bumblebee from transformers, but better. Introducing a yet to be released song “Cut”, she easily had the crowd singing along to the chorus. It was a set that sounded excellent, well choreographed and left the crowd wanting more.

Next in line, Boo Seeka will forever hold a soft spot in my heart after he came onto with a full bottle of red wine. He screamed and jumped out, matching those eager waiting for his arrival. His excitement was evident as he shared “You guys are f*cking legends!”. Boo appeared as one of the more experienced artists, adapting to small changes during the performance and following the lead of what the crowd wanted. This kind of interaction is not something that is taught, it’s natural, like breathing.

Consistent stars of the 2021 music festival scene were next to shine. Lastlings drew in a massive crowd and sympathised with the hundreds of sweaty fans “You’re so f*cking hot Melbourne!”. Singer, Amy was draped in a kimono style wrap, a nod to their Japanese roots. The Queensland siblings played ‘False Reactions’ amongst fan favourites ‘Deja Vu’, ‘No Time’ and ‘I’ve Got You’. Amy looked at ease on stage, gliding across stage to ensure everyone was welcomed in. She was flanked by her brother playing synth/guitar and their drummer rocking a Ludwig kit. Despite seeing Lastlings a few times, they are ones I will continue to line up for.

Fellow Queenslanders Ball Park Music followed. I have heard of Ball Park Music for years, seen them on countless festival lineups but for a variety of reasons I had never seen them live …..I am kicking myself because these guys ROCKED. This set was a giant singing and dancing bonanza. It brought people out of the sanctuary of shade onto the grass as the sunset rolled in and the heat subsided. Their lead singer, Sam repped a AC/DC tee and gave a relaxed aura for a frontman. It made you feel like you were listening to your friends new song at a house party. The fans sang so loud it was hard to hear the band at times. After their set I downloaded every album and they say the perfect life does not exist… but watching Ball Park play comes pretty close.

Cosmo’s Midnight came onto stage and had a few seconds where people weren’t sure if they were the band or singer, or what? As a Cosmo’s Midnight fan, even I didn’t know what they looked like, but it didn’t matter what they looked like or what outfit they wore because no matter what, they were amazing and as soon as they started playing, everyone was joining in. Given the musical prowess displayed I was shocked to hear they were a new band and BTC was the first time they had played together.

Cosmos Midnight were supported by goddess, Sayah who wore a sparkling sky blue backless mini dress with matching elbow length gloves. Her hair was propped up in an Ariana Grande style pony and shimmer eyeshadow finished with a signature winged liner. Sayah didn’t only walk and dance across the stage, she lay with a certain sex appeal that got everybody heating up again. Biggest songs they performed were ‘Talk to me’ and ‘History’. As they farewelled I overheard someone in the crowd say “I can’t believe I had never heard of these guys before’, it’s a beautiful thing to know you were saw someones music taste beginning a new tangent.  

But oooh, I love you so, Lime Cordiale. Brilliantly talented brothers, Oli and Louis have curated an iconic sound that they referred to in jest as “bubblegum bullshit”. That bullshit had cheers commanding them out from backstage. The boys and their band started the show the only way they know how, shots! I was thankful to be at the front to watch the first few songs and mesmerised by the charisma that radiated from them.

It was a delivery of hit after hit after hit: ‘Dirt Cheap’, ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’, ‘Money’, ‘Screw Loose’ and ‘Robbery’ to name a few. There was a humour and warmth between the band that can be attributed to their family ties. They even had the cheek to steal the countdown from Hayden James, thousands screaming together 3….2….1….HAPPY NEW YEAR!

They played new tracks including ‘Apple Crumble’ from their new album, Cordi Elba, a collaboration with english musician and actor, Idris Elba. Their venture into new sounds is exciting to hear and look forward to seeing what these guys do in 2022.

Earlier, I said I love the main stage for the artists they usually host? Well, I may be old, I may have the wrong taste in music and many of you will probably disagree with me but….Hayden James was the wrong choice for main stage, especially when following up an artist like Lime Cordiale on New Years Eve. He immediately went to a beat that I can only describe as the classic “untz untz” you would hear from a club in the early hours of a Sunday. To his credit, Hayden James made a visually brilliant performance, but….. nothing that blew me away the way PNAU had the night before. He was hidden behind a DJ deck (I know, obviously) but its elevation created distance between the crowd which inhibited his ability to connect.

It was a heavy electronic/dance set, capitalising on pyrotechnics and confetti guns to wow the crowd. Hayden James was another who participated in the Virtual Day Party during lockdown, which was a weekend staple in my house but it did not have same vibe in person. I concede it had been a huge 2021, long day in the heat and the thought of my air conditioned house was calling me.

But yeah, well, you know, that’s just like, my opinion man.

Check out the full gallery by our legendary Photographer, Lauren Barry here!