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Doomben Racecourse - Sat Feb 29 After last year’s Future Music Festival (and Armin van Buuren tour debacles), we’re gathered here today at Doomben wondering if Brisbane will finally be treated fairly by the FMF experience; we enter hoping for the best, whilst being acutely aware of past disappointments.
Once an initial sound hiccup is dealt with, Elite Force is blinding at the Future Funk Stage, opening with some bass-heavy breaks before settling into a more progressive groove. His skill at the decks is ridiculously good; he’s certainly earning his money today. Unfortunately there’s only a skeleton audience here to enjoy it thanks to the Digweed clash. Though John Digweed got the stage he deserved, his dark, monotonous style deserves a later timeslot on the Main Stage – for many revellers the event has just started and Digweed’s brilliant craftsmanship is largely unappreciated. Nonetheless, Diggers produces a seamless performance of top-draw monotonous progressive with sumptuous grinding bass lines. Final track Dark & Long by Underworld is a treat. Vocalist Fredrik Saroea may have a splintered voice that cracks when he goes for falsettos, but that doesn’t prevent Datarock from giving their all to the densely-packed crowd at the Ten Pound Stage. With their trademark crowd participation, karaoke, and nerdy in-jokes about ET, few leave without smiling. Meanwhile at the Main Stage Roger Sanchez knows exactly how to score points with a crowd and does so beautifully with his selection of house today. Those hoping they would be spared from hearing another Daft Punk track getting dropped are in the minority when one does come pumping through the speakers. Markus Schulz stamps his authority as the world’s best progressive trance DJ with a set that has the crowd in the palm of his hand at the Famous Stage. Schulz lets rip with huge uplifting numbers including the Cosmic Gate Remix of Vincent De Moor’s Fly Away, ensuring people don’t forget his time on stage too quickly. Soon after on the Main Stage Sven Väth’s cutting-edge minimal progressive tech proves revealing to those unfamiliar with his sound, and what a privilege it is: Diggers and Vath at the same festival playing authentic techno as opposed to the usual predictable, festival-oriented slam. Alter Ego track Why Not?! is a surprise, and the incessant agitation of Supermayer’s Two Of Us is awesome. Meanwhile, Danish trio WhoMadeWho get a few hips shaking with set opener Out The Door over at the Ten Pound Stage. They win the crowd over by the end of their second song – a rocked-up version of Space For Rent. Although vocalist/bassist Tomas Høffding has to persevere minus one string, the band still impress with their new material. With most of the punters now heading over in anticipation of Chemical Brothers, Eddie Halliwell is commanding a reasonable contingent of die-hard fans as he closes the Famous Tent; the fans bringing chants of “Eddie!” with them. Though he’s knocking it out well, it’s not hard to imagine what he now thinks about the late timetable swap Meanwhile it’s at the Ten Pound Stage we are musing over The Black Ghosts; a tempting proposition on paper – ex-Simian vocalist Simon Lord matched with ex-Wiseguys producer Theo Keating – but their live show, in which Keating DJs and Lord throws in the odd vocal, is somewhat lacking. The crowd quickly dissipating, and nobody minds when they finish half an hour early. Back at the Main Stage Chemical Brothers intro regular James Holroyd quells the crowd with some deep, thought provoking sounds, and although the slot serves its purpose, it simultaneously seems pointless: almost like a degrading sideshow. Corner-stage placement and on-stage preparations for the Chemmies nullify any sense of presence he or his music has to offer. Nevertheless, Holroyd’s unobtrusive set leaves a distracted crowd attentive for the day’s drawcard act: it’s time for the Chemical Brothers. The crowd thickens to the brink of absurdity and hysteria ensues as the duo blow us away with an onslaught of light and sound. The set provides an immensely satisfying thatch-work of old and new tracks – in particular Star Guitar, Saturate, Do It Again, Block Rockin’ Beats, Hey Boy Hey Girl, and Under The Influence – and the visuals and sound levels are a delight to the senses. Brilliant performance. Fans leave feeling awestruck… and perhaps slightly disturbed by the massive, deranged clown-face image [I know I was – festival-hopping EH]. Unfortunately over at the Ten Pound Stage Chicks On Speed start fifteen minutes late, and deliver an absurdist set that includes a video of a woman pleasuring herself with a spike heel, two rocks bashed together to make ‘rock music’, and half of the twenty-odd audience members dancing ‘the vibrator’ on stage with them. It’s droll, but it’s no wonder that most people choose the Chemical Brothers instead. The sound and layout of Future Music 2008 are vastly improved from last year’s near debacle. With top-class acts, an eclectic mix of genres, and a silent disco to boot, the buzz at night’s end is all positive. It will be hard to top, but next year’s event can’t come soon enough. SCOTT HARMS, CHAD PARKHILL & TIM RETROT
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