Vanessa Lam
11 June 2015: It was clear skies as the sun beamed down on the crowds at the Groovin' the Moo (GTM) music festival held at the University of Canberra meadows on 3 May, featuring over 12 hours of live music across two stages.
Returning for its sixth year at the University, GTM featured over 25 artists including big national and international acts such as Hilltop Hoods, Ball Park Music, Wolfmother, Charli XCX, Peace, Broods, Tkay Maidza, RL Grime, Peaches, Northlane and DMA's.
Those who got in early kicked the day off by listening to Triple J Unearthed acts Boo Seeka, Montaigne and Canberra all-girl hip-hop duo Coda Conduct.
The first international act of the day, UK indie rock quartet Peace, wrote a love song about Australia just for this tour and serenaded the crowd with songs from their latest album Happy People, including 'Money', 'Lost On Me' and 'Gen Strange'.
The all-ages crowd erupted in cheers as Triple J Unearthed's Artist of the Year 2014, Meg Mac, took to the main stage dressed in black and gold. Her soulful vocals captivated the audience as she performed songs including 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' and 'Known Better'.
Over in the Moolin Rogue tent, Rolling Stone's 2015 Best Live Act of the Year Melbourne rockers The Delta Riggs hit the stage with a mix of old-school rock and psychedelic pop. Frontman Elliott Hammond asked the crowd "Canberra! Are you ready for some guitar?" as he climbed on top of the drum kit and jumped into the air.
The fashion choices of the day ranged from the classic cow onesie to 90s grunge revival to 70s boho chic, with punters sporting flower crowns, mixed prints, high waisted bell-bottoms, denim jackets and overalls. The most popular accessories of the day were Coachella-inspired bindis and metallic flash temporary tattoos.
The free water and market stalls selling ponchos, bracelets, onesies and wide brim hats helped festival-goers beat the sun's 22-degree heat. Meanwhile the Headspace tent gave people a place to relax, charge their phone, get some sunscreen or print out their Instagram photos from the day.
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Punters having fun at GTM. Photo: Michelle McAulay
As the afternoon neared, Sydneysiders hip-hop supergroup One Day and indie reggae rock band Sticky Fingers came together on stage for a fun collaboration of their song 'Gold Snafu'.
Dubbed one of the festival's favourites for the day, Sydney's The Preatures had crowds rocking with their songs 'Is This How You Feel?' and 'Better Than It Ever Could Be'. Front woman Isabella Manfredi was the spitting image of late Divinyls' songstress Chrissie Amphlett in a black pinafore and white blouse during the bands' impressive cover of 'Boys In Town'.
People took to the big top and danced along to nine-piece Melbourne band Saskwatch's up-beat pop tracks before the Moolin Rogue tent started overflowing for hip hop star A$AP Ferg who had travelled all the way from Harlem, New York. They were followed by Fremantle's San Cisco with their catchy indie-pop songs, who played their crowd-pleasing hit 'Awkward' and shared new songs from their latest album Gracetown including 'About You'.
Australia's youngest producer 11-year-old Rhys Toms AKA Black Summer made his stage debut at the festival in front of 10,000 people in the Moolin Rogue tent, having just been discovered on Triple J Unearthed. He took over from Triple J DJ Zan Rowe just before Carmada were set to take the stage and got the crowd jumping with his original track 'Toxic Nirvana'.
With the full moon rising in a deep blue and orange coloured sky, UK band You Me At Six rocked the crowd with their songs 'Room To Breathe' and 'Stay With Me'. Ball Park Music then added to the 90s revival by ending their set with a cover of the TV show Friends' theme song 'I'll Be There For You' by The Rembrandts.
Although the night was getting colder, Sydney locals Hermitude got everyone fired up before the UK's Charli XCX strutted on stage in a leopard print catsuit. With an all female band, she rocked out on a giant inflatable guitar and sang her collaborative hits including 'I Love It' and she lead the crowd in the sing-a-long of 'Fancy'. She closed the set on a high with her 2014 hit 'Boom Clap'.
Next-door Sydney's own Wolfmother took the stage with an animated image of a woman wearing a wolf headdress towering over them as they blasted out new songs from their latest album New Crown and crowd favourites 'Woman' and 'Joker and the Thief'.
Aussie hip hop legends Hilltop Hoods were the last act to hit the main stage and had the crowd going as if the night was never going to end. With a mix of old favourites and new hits, they closed the show with their triple platinum smash single 'Cosby Sweater'.
The night drew to an end with Sydney's Flight Facilities, dressed in aviation gear as they introduced themselves formally to the crowd with the airport lounge announcement: "Thank you for choosing to fly with Flight Facilities". Melbourne's Owl Eyes then joined them with her haunting vocals that got the crowd singing and dancing the rest of the night away. Half-way through their set they turned down the house lights and encouraged everyone to get their phones out to illuminate it. As they ended the night on a high with their 2014 hit 'Stand Still', festival-goers were left at a stand-still wanting more.
