Monday, December 12, 2016

Meredith Music Festival 2016 review

Making her entrance wearing a giant vulva on her head, Peaches rocked the crowd as she did the foundations of gender norms and expectations at Meredith Music Festival.
                 

The Canadian electronic music artist put on a wild, over-the-top, politically charged performance on Saturday night.

The sexually explicit show could be passed off as smutty titillation but her message means she is no novelty act.

Gender-bending, bondage-clad back-up dancers simulated sex acts as she sang about female objectification, vaginoplasty and sexual freedom.

It cumulated with her climbing inside a massive inflatable condom as she sang Dick in Air: "We've been shaking our tits for years, so let's switch positions. No inhibitions."

The music at this year's Meredith – held at a farm between Geelong and Ballarat since 1991 – was varied but almost always good.

On Friday night, Prince collaborator and percussionist Sheila E had the crowd in a frenzy as she belted out the late purple one's hits. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Kelela were also standouts of the night.

Over in the camping grounds, four friends – some in sailor hats – were rowing to an imaginary location in a inflatable boat on top of a Kombi van.

Just before close on Sunday afternoon, as always, was the Meredith Gift – also known as the world's greatest nude footrace – which sees festival-goers compete in a naked sprint.

Special guest MC comedian Judith Lucy asked competitors to do yoga poses before each heat, including the downward dog, to cheers from the crowd.

There were disappointingly no tumbles this year, but there was some blood and a girl with a strap-on who skipped and waved pom poms as she made her way around the track. She came last, but all agreed she was the winner.