Wickham Park, Newcastle
Saturday 09 November 2019
There was a weary vibe in Newcastle on Saturday as I wondered down the stretch of road where Hunter Street ends and Maitland Road begins. A place I spent over three years of my life commuting to and now six years later it feels backwards. Or maybe just stuck in time? The Wickham Park Hotel still holding down the fork of an otherwise dull block. Surrounded by kids who are younger than I was all those years ago, wearing clothes I can’t even imagine touching my skin then or ever. Yet we were all there for the same experience.
Music brought us together amongst the greenery of Wickham Park. A location I initially wasn’t so sure about as the host of This That Festival. The size of the event versus the circumference of the park was questionable. People sprawled up and down the streets around the park, finishing off their pre mixed drinks and bombarding the Wicko for a quick toilet stop before entering the festival. Condom wrappers tossed on the toilet floors suggested the girls weren’t just preparing their bladders for the long line that awaited them.
We followed the masses to a bursting cavity of bodies assuming it led inside the festival. There was no concept of lines, and signage if it existed was lacking but it was apparent no one really cared. Spirits were high, shirts were loud and the wall of police to the left didn’t seem to sway a soul. The Newcastle Herald even went as far as stating that “…year on year this crowd seems to be growing in maturity…”. From where I was standing, I’m not sure I agree. These kids had earnt their festival legs, but they were far from steady.
First stop, porta loo. Not at all surprised as to what was strewn across the floors this time. Second stop, beverage. My stomach appreciated the nice change from the usual sugar filled options as I sipped on my Smirnoff with Kombucha. Call it what you want but it was delicious. I didn’t however appreciate the bright red nature of my swanky Kombucha drink as I ended up wearing it many times. I admit one or two of the times may have been my own fault (kindly pointed out by my two friends who conveniently didn’t get a drop on them) but the ‘mature’ crowd proved incapable of seeing straight.
I was feeling ready to dance. LDRU were under the tent of the ‘That Stage’ and we shuffled our way in. It proved hard to see and the sound was so quiet that it all just felt a little meh. Our attention drifted and we found ourselves over at the ‘This Stage’ where Middle Kids were killing it with one of their few songs I actually know. It had to be either ‘Edge Of Reason’ or ‘On My Knees’. Hannah Joy’s voice projected over the crowd like rays of sunshine, spreading her own brand of joy far and wide until suddenly their set was over and everything felt a little darker as her voice vanished. We’d managed to somehow miss most of their set and found ourselves wandering once more.
We wandered all the way over to the chair ride where we spent the next chunk of time floating in the air, soaking in the atmosphere and each other. I’ve been to festivals alone and I can tell you that friends make the experience memorable. Without them a festival is insular and even though most of the crowd were like an inebriated troop of chimpanzees, they were evidently loyal. There were no stragglers left behind or shoulders left to burn.
Hermitude turned dusk to darkness amping up the mood with all of their favourites along with some newbie’s sprinkled in. Again, I’ve seen Hermitude a few times now and they’ve smashed it every time but this had to be the least exciting set from them. The sound just wasn’t cutting it. It felt flat and quiet and it impacted most of the acts on the day. Peking Duk suffered the same sound issues along with Slumberjack. Both with huge hits under their belts and yet the fireworks couldn’t even lift the dead energy. Golden Features was a highlight as the sound miraculously became larger and fuller with the night ending on a golden high.
There was a bit of That and a taste of This but together they didn’t quite form a whole. That being said, it was a fun filled day and one I’m sure we’ll see many more of.
Reviewer : Louie Smith
Photographer : Ben Hunt
