Groovin’ the Moo was definitely an experience I didn’t expect. My best friend and I flew down to stay two nights in Townsville to prepare for Groovin’. However, neither of us had flown to Townsville, didn’t know of the
cost, location or fashion trends for the festival. It was all very new and different. The trip cost us about $500 all up, which seemed fairly expensive but it was paid for and there was no going back. Staying at the Oaks was incredible, anyone that wants a deluxe stay for a reasonable price that is your place to go! Additionally, finding out at check-in that all Groovin’ the Moo singer were staying on the top two floors! Laying back on the first night watching friends and doing university assignments knowing we had bands like Flume and Temper Trap
tomorrow was an amazing feeling. 
 
We rose early in the morning, wearing high shorts and a top, sunglasses, a small bag and vans. Consuming an amazing breakfast and coffee at one of many of the amazing Brunch places along our street; we were ready to start the day. It was only a 200m walk, we did get slightly lost but the Townsville community was amazing with advice and help. We arrived at the Groovin’ grounds after a 20m bus ride around midday to see Allison Wonderland. Followed by Frightened Rabbit, Flume, The Kooks, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Pez, Tame Impala and Temper Trap. The atmosphere was amazing, the people, the stages, the space and the music. Fashion wasn’t a highly acknowledged theme besides the onesies of cows, lions and many other animals. 

Flume was definitely the highlight! It was amazing, the loudness, the raving, the fist pumping and everyone getting along. Our horror reaction of the money at the start turning into utter happiness by the end, just less than $500 is definitely worth the value and we now know many tricks and tips to keep it approximately $370. 

Tips: 

1. Organize that you are definitely going (dates are announced on Groovin’s page), book flights and acommodation now, ASAP, right this second. 
 -  Early flights to Townsville are approximately $80 compared to our $159 and this goes the same with accommodation. 
2. Go with more friends, it’ll definitely make it cheaper also.

I’ve said it before in relation to other festivals that this would be the year of that festival but I was dead wrong. 2013 is the year of Warped Tour! Coming back from the dead, the Vans Warped Tour has been revived
in Australia this year for the first time since 2002. Organised by Warped top dog Kevin Lyman and assisted by the magical being that is Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah, the pair have been hand-crafting a festival
especially tailored for Australian music lovers while still retaining that classic DIY Warped Tour spirit.  

Warped tour is a punk rocker’s dream festival, while it’s starting to get flooded with post hardcore and pop-punk bands Warped will always keeps its punk roots. The bands that play the festival are generally artists who remember what it was like to be young and getting your ribs broken by the stage barrier. They know what’s its like to mosh and get lost in the music. Basically the bands that play Warped are bands that came to watch the “old” punk bands. Warped is a festival for music fans and it’s not unusual to find the singers that you so revere standing around watching the other acts play too. While the Australian leg of the Vans Warped tour is much smaller and shorter than its American counter part it is obvious that it will be able to work its way up to the standard of bands and music that the American tour has. While it’s a shame that it has been over 11 years since the last Warped Tour, it is exceptionally exciting to be welcoming it back to Australia. As an avid music fan, a lover of post hardcore and punk music, it has always been a dream of mine to fly to America and spend a few days at Warped Tour. If all goes well I’ll be able to visit Warped in my own country for many years to come and I won’t need to spend all that money flying to America.

Here is what Twitter had to say about Warped.

Like Jessie J taught us, "it's not about the money." And the Beatles taught us "money can't buy love." And Notorious B.I.G taught us that "true pimp niggas spend no dough on the booty." Er... the point is ticket prices are going up and up, (along with the rest of the economy) but you can't put a price on the experience of a great festival.  

The Woodford Folk Festival has been running at its current location of Woodfordia on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for 27 years. It takes place over six nights from December 27 to January 1st. It is an event of international standing with more than 2000 performers and 438 events, which are programmed featuring local, national and international guests.

 Within the festival village you can find 35 performance venue and the festival streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, stalls, bars, street theatre and parades. The campgrounds are filled with beautiful trees, butterfly walks, ponds and wildlife.

 The festival appeals to a diverse audience, welcoming people of all ages and nationalities each year. The event is only possible with the help of an army of volunteers whose numbers are now in excess of 2300.

 I have not personally been an attendee of Woodford however I have many friends who go each year. One of my friends attends as a part of a fiddle band. She is normally very busy doing her own gigs and hosting sessions. However when not performing she spent her days just watching gigs and catching up with friends. The highlight of her week was spending New Year's Eve and New Years Day with her friends and band members.  

Essential items for surviving Woodford are: 
If you are a musician your instrument! This seems so obvious but even for those who aren’t performing it
is always advised to take a guitar, ukele or some form of musical instrument to rock out with your friends and meet new people when camping. 

Continuing with the obvious, if you are staying for all six days or even only a few you will need camping gear!  
Such as tents, mossie spray, sleeping bags etc.

Other important products are: sunscreen, gumboots, frozen water bottle, hat, money to buy food (or you can bring your own), and your program so you can find your way around. 
The program for the next festival hasn’t yet be released. So stay tuned for the update.

The twittersphere's thoughts on Woodford! Bear in mind that the negative tweets were probably "Ah man, we didn't get our tickets to Woodford in time! Now where can we let our folk flag fly? #goodlordwoodford"

I lived in Woodford for a total of seven years while the Festival was in play. I worked in a convenience store for five of the years and Woodford Subway for two. So the amount of stories and different people I came across was unbelievable. While working in the convenience store, individuals were more or less buying supplies rather than telling me stories. Supplies that were brought were things like: 
- Deodorant 
- Snacks like chips, lollies, nuts 
- Biscuits        
- Soft drink        
- Large bottles of water        
- Ice cream        
- Torches       
- Batteries 
- Toilet paper       
- Soap 
However, while working at Subway. I experienced the various fashions and stories. It was witnessed the fashion and colors expanding and continued over the seven years. Colors definitely boomed over the years
particularly showing the reds, yellows, greens and blues, demonstrated in both pants and shirts. All customers were very dirty, from the lack of showers and were very keen for some good food and a large drink of water. Stories that were told were of the amazing music, the laughs and especially the late nights with fireworks, stalls and alcohol. One year it rained and stories were told of tents been knocked down and the grubbiness of feet and clothing. Woodford would definitely be an experience I would love to endure.

Australian festival have hugely increased in popularity over the last few year (exhibit A to the left).Woodford, Big Day Out and all the others are making a big impact on the Aussie music industry and providing heaps of music fans the opportunity to see our enormously talented local bands as well as world class musicians in their backyard. Keep doing your thang Australian music festivals!!

 The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Vampire Weekend, Grinspoon, 360, the Bloody Beetroots and Band of Horses, are only a few of the many wonderful bands who played BDO 2013. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Killers, two of the biggest bands in the world need no introduction and were definitely the biggest incentive to venture out into the summer heat and fight for a good view. Last year my brother and I received two tickets each, to Big Day Out 2013, for Christmas. Needless to say those tickets were the best present I have ever received. Not only would I be fulfilling an item on my bucket list (seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers
live) but also I would be doing it with my best friend.  
Like all proper music festivals, our day started early with us all running around, like crazy, to make sure we were properly prepared for the long and exciting day ahead. When preparing for a festival such as BDO there
are a few things you must have (not including the very important tickets): 

I cannot stress enough how important sunscreen is for a full day festival, especially one in the Australian sun! You do not want to return from a day of dancing, singing, screaming and just generally having fun as a bright red lobster. Believe me it is not sexy.     

Not being able to see the bands you paid almost $200 to see is not fun. Make sure your eyes are properly shielded so you aren’t squinting at your favourite bands and burning your retinas just for a glimpse of the guitarist. Not to mention sunglasses are the perfect accessories for any music festivals. Pop on a pair of Ray-bans and you’re immediately in the festival spirit. 

This seems incredibly obvious right? But it’s not. Parking is horrendously expensive (a friend of mine paid around $45 for all day parking) and should be budgeted for. Food is another expense that, in true festival spirit, will empty your wallet, not to mention the price of bottled water. And possibly the most important thing to keep in mind; money to buy festival shirts and memorabilia. 

 I know how important it is to get the right festival look, believe me I bought a whole new outfit specifically for BDO 2013, but no matter how good you look being unable to stand by the end of the day is not worth it. Wear a pair of joggers, tennis shoes, a pair of worn in Converse or anything with support to keep you upright and dancing through the entire day and night. 

I wish I had remembered to pack this last year. By the end of the day your feet will be killing you, your vocal chords will be raw and you will probably have begun to develop a headache. This pain is super easy to ignore as you dance and scream the lyrics to your favourite song but less so between the long breaks between bands.

To record all the amazing memories you’ll create, take thousands of photos of your favourite bands and film part of your favourite songs.  Lastly, but not least,

Also a fairly obvious thing to take; something to carry all your stuff in and that can easily stay on your body all day and won’t move around too much as you dance and jump. (For more information on what to bring and how to navigate the festival, please refer to our SURVIVAL GUIDE)

Once we had our essentials packed, we waited for our friends and our ride to arrive. We got a lift to the Gold Coast show grounds where we got dropped off a few hundred metres from the entrance and walked the rest of the way to avoid the massive amount of traffic trying to enter the show grounds car park. I’d highly recommend doing this because not only are you missing the traffic congestion but you also don’t have to pay for parking which is a massive bonus. 

You guys have been chirping away on twitter about BDO, heres what you thought. The negative comments might have been "Big Day Out tickets are HOW MUCH?!?! #bigpayout" but they might have been "everyone is at BDO without me :( #nextyear"