It appears that this Future Music Festival in Adelaide there were a few things optional (mostly sunshine and shirts). Although the day didn’t provide the clear blue skies that Adelaidians are used to, the dancing was not hindered one bit!
Admittedly, I didn’t plan my day out thoroughly enough to catch every act, and how could you with six very different stages and such a great line up. This premier Australian electronic dance music festival delivered above and beyond my expectations in its first ever year at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
Pharrell Williams was a crowd favourite, pulling what seemed the greatest audience of the whole day. Sure, his set wasn’t very long, not completely live, and a backing track did the hard-yards for him, but with a fantastic selection of hit songs under the producer’s (much smaller in real life) belt it made for a brilliant show. The superstar even invited many party going girls onto the stage to enjoy the set, urging them to appreciate the music and put away their phones. Shout-out goes to the girl who didn’t obey and was removed from the stage while snapping a selfie.
Grammy award winning artists Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were another headlining act this year. Although I have never been a devoted fan to their music, I have been won over by their infectious and over-played hit songs that have raised them to the top of the charts again and again. Also, I do love a cheeky costume change and never say no to a back-up dancer or two. I’ve got to give it to them; the guys had the audience in complete awe and genuinely seemed to connect with every person, even the hip-hop-Grinch in me.
An honourable mention should be made to the following:
- The French kids on the block, Pheonix, for providing a much-needed alternate-rock edge to the day.
- Rudimental, for delivering their second year at Future Music effortlessly producing an energetic performance that had the mass gagging for more, mostly with their arms up in the air.
- Swedish DJ, Eric Prydz for gracing us with an EDM experience much more intense than his hit-single Call On Me, which the hardcore fans went crazy for!
The chaotic day finished up with electronic royalty Deadmau5 squeezing every last bit of energy I had out of me. The visuals of the EDM master’s performance were so mesmerising that not even a sprinkling of rain could move the crowd from the sights of the stage.
Future Music Festival is never a disappointment when it blesses Adelaide’s soil. However with that being said, I have only two suggestions for forthcoming years.
One: Sneak in a couple more pop-based electronic artists to keep top-ten lovers like me excited *coughFOXEScoughELLIEGOULDINGcoughLITTLEBOOTS*.
Two: Maybe don’t put two main stages right next to each other because at times the music between the artists sounded like a strange and not so awesome mash-up.
The estimated 22,000 plus festival audience may not be the classiest of Adelaide’s population, but everyone was there to have a great time. I think I even spotted a young gentleman who was enjoying himself too much to stop for a $5 bottle of water so he drank out of a puddle on the ground, which is a clear sign of dedication to the festivities. It was a solid year at Future Music Festival once again, and I dare you to find someone who will challenge that notion.