Winter’s premier festival Splendour In The Grass has come and gone for 2009. Weren’t there? Well you missed out didn’t you! So what were the highs? The surprises? The low lights? Just keep reading and I’ll give you my two cents.

Manchester Orchestra
Leader Cheetah
Yves Klein Blue
Miami Horror
You Am I
Paul Dempsey
Bob Evans
more more more…

I’ve been loving Manchester Orchestra’s latest album Mean Everything To Nothing so I made sure I was in nice and early to catch their set. Walking in right when they kicked off radio fav I’ve Got Friends was very cool. Great crowd and all singing at the top of their voice. I thought they were a little flat though. They spent way too long tuning guitars between songs… but hey, better to be in than out.

Leader Cheetah kicked off over at the GW McLennan Tent with a smallish crowd that built as their set went on. They were superb. The Sunspot Letters album has been hailed by critics as one of the years must haves and their live set backed that up. Their only set back was a broken bass string on Mark Harding’s acoustic but they soldiered on. Lead guitarist Dan Pash, sporting some pretty fancy head gear in the shape of industrial strength ear phones due to his hearing not being all that great, sang beautiful harmonies and his playing was a real highlight. Dan Crannitch’s lead vocals though are sublime. His voice is like no other and amazes me every time I hear it.

Yves Klein Blue from BrisVegas have just released their debut album Ragged Ecstatic and have been building a loyal local and now national following via some great support from JJJ. They have played Splendour before but today they have a slightly latter spot with a packed Supertop watching on. Lead singer Michael Tomlinson stepped right up to the big stage today. He’s got plenty to learn obviously but if today’s effort is anything to go by, Yves Klein Blue are on their way. Check out this crowd reaction when they played Polka.

At the Mix Up tent Miami Horror kicked off for their debut performance at Splendour. Channeling all that’s best of the 80’s, Miami Horror as a full band should be added on you things to see before you die list. With drums, bass, keys, guitar and a lead vocalist who seriously has some of the best dance chops I’ve seen from someone with a guitar in their hands (ok maybe Prince takes that cake). Showcasing tracks from their Bravado EP and some new songs from their forthcoming album, Miami Horror are amazing live. Don’t walk… run to their next show.

I love You Am I. They can do no wrong in my eyes. Tim Rogers hit’s the stage looking like he’s just stepped off the set of a David Lynch film wearing Mexican poncho and hat. He needs to get into acting because the last few times I’ve seen him he’s talking to the crowd in character of something or other. It’s always entertaining. They played an amazing set as usual. Jack Ladder (real name Tim Rogers) joined his name sake on stage which was a very cool moment. Tim (that’s the You Am I one) needs to stop playing the “I don’t know why we’re here, we’re old fuckers” line. We know why you’re there Tim, because You Am I are one of the best bands ever, that’s why. Highlight = Cathy’s Clown. WOW.

Not too many artists get to play Splendour back to back . Paul Dempsey was there last year on his own, this year he’s brought a new band with him and some new songs that make up his forthcoming debut solo album, The Something For Kate front man had the feeling of a proud father showcasing these new songs. Kicking off with the first single Out the Airlock, he must have loved hearing the sing-a-long that went with it. New song Bats is fantastic. His vocal range just blows me away with Paul seesawing into falsetto through the chorus. New single Ramona Was A Waitress was also greeted with plenty of cheers, as was SFK classic Say Something. But it was the surprise inclusion of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean that had the crowd going berserk. Check out a snippet below.

For 4.30pm in the afternoon at the GW McLennan tent, a big crowd is already forming for Bob Evans. His third album Goodnight Bull Creek has been getting rave reviews for the last few months so it’s no wonder people are getting here early. Bob and his band played one of the highlight sets of the festival for my liking. They fed off the crowd and it just built and built. Bob kept on stepping up the intensity and the crowd kept responding. The finale We’re A Mess went into Beatles’ Taxman as well as Oasis’ How Does It Feel… very cool. Bob then jumped into the crowd, guitar and all, only to find there was no way of getting back up there. He had to do a fast sprint around to the back of the stage to take his applause from a rapturous crowd. It was a great moment and the crowd loved it. Highlight songs were Nowhere Without You (a song that should have been a smash hit), Pasha Bulker, a couple of impromptu bars of The Presets One (hilarious!) and of course, what’s become Bob’s signature tune, Don’t You Think It’s Time. Check out the crowd sing-a-long below.

With a slight overlap (don’t you hate that), I managed to get in about half of Doves set. I’m a big fan of these guys and I reckon their latest album Kingdom of Rust is the best of their career (yep even better than Lost Souls). I’ve seen them three times live but it’s been a while between drinks. Tonight they seem a little flat but the longer the set goes the more energetic they get. Winter Hill is my favorite from the album and live it doesn’t disappoint. Cedar Room is as moving as always and Black & White Town was a real highlight.

Things I missed… heaps. The Living End doing their best Jane’s Addiction (with Phil from Grinspoon I hear), Powderfinger’s impromptu one song performance of a new song so they could record the crowd and use on their forthcoming album, Happy Mondays, I heard they were pretty ordinary anyway, The Specials, I saw the other half of The Specials at Blues Fest in April, not sure if this was any different.

Here’s a few other random pics…

Flaming Lips gear stacked back stage. Everything is orange… or is that tangerine?

I took the opportunity to hand a few stickers to let everyone know a new Arctic Monkeys have a new album out (Humbug). I got sick of it so I asked this dude to just wear them for me and walk around.