“Music, nature, nonsense, humanity at its most wonderful, wild times, excursions, incursions, retrospections, a retreat, a Rare Treat, a rare feat, a rare bird, Things Rarely Heard, music, nature, nonsense, wild times, etc, etc…”

— 'What Goes On' - Meredith

The 30th Meredith Music festival was a long, long time coming. Cancelled two years in a row, its return became a nirvana for hopeful newbies, regular attendees and the seasoned veterans foreshadowing their future. After the go-ahead was announced earlier this year, the energy of excitement was instantly palpable on social media. It was a redemption after a hard few years: a homecoming, an awakening.

Day 1

As cars rolled into the grounds like rows of ants, tents arose into form and couches populated the Sup like mushrooms in drizzly weather. The ecosystem of Meredith was sprung up around us like a time lapse, while the Welcome to Country with Uncle Barry and Meninyan grounded us on Wadawurrung land. Surprise Chef provided a warming, gentle soundtrack to the building of the temporary home going on around, with people criss-crossing the Sup - soaking in the premonitions of a magnificent weekend. Witnessing reunions between friends long separated by the absence of this special community was a reminder of how special Meredith really is.

For many, Erika De Casier was the first standout and the perfect introduction to a transcendent weekend. She graced the stage with an understated but powerful and sensual energy, soundtracking an air of excitement and hope that permeated the Sup.

And then there was Courtney Barnett. Melbourne’s triumph, the jewel in Australia’s indie rock crown on a global stage. For her to play he stage at the 30th Meredith seemed like a homecoming, a celebration. The crowd was transfixed and Courtney certainly didn't disappoint a soul from fiendish fans to passive onlookers, playing the hits and nothing but the hits; Avant Gardener, Elevator Operator, Depreston, Nameless Faceless, while wafts of jubilation, weed and nicotine blew up from the crowd.

Then Yothu Yindi, a stalwart of so-called Australian music, took to the stage. The history they carried was imbued in their performance with such might and beauty, it was almost unbelievable to see that they were there in front of us, in the flesh. The joy continued as the Sup was filled to the brim with its promise of ‘humanity at its most wonderful’.

After their year or two of mind-boggling global hit-making, Melbourne duo Shouse took to the stage with an entourage of friends. The modern day version of the iconic studio 54 scenesters, Shouse brought a choir to sing some of their viral party tracks - ‘Love Tonight’ and ‘Won’t Forget You’. Lining up at From the bar, I heard these songs and thought it was one of the interstitial DJs; it took me a moment to realise that there was a live band and these hits were their original songs.

At 2:20, Big Wett took us to a big climax. Off the back of huge national hype for her infectious live shows and track ‘Eat My Ass’ she was the epitome of late night fun, campy and sexy and provocative, breaking whatever ice was left between the people of the Sup.

Day 2

Those lucky enough to be awake and alert for the City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band were not disappointed. The group, who perform every year, are a reminder of the non-negotiable connection the Festival and organisers have with the local surrounding community. Soon after, Snowy Band continued Saturday’s music offerings with their distinct melancholy folk-tinged rock. Then the Sup was overwhelmed with a genre shift to turn to POOKIE - who brought a call to dance alongside her glistening, magnetic nu-R&B.

For many, Our Carlson was the standout of Meredith 30 -, a bombastic, outspoken, unignorable presence on the Sup stage, and who had splashed down in the Melbourne gig scene seemingly overnight. His set was a mixture of comedy, political activism, personal vulnerability and pantomime, at times reaching, slapstick levels of hilarity. The first thing he said to the crowd was ‘I hope all the men here are behaving themselves’, explaining ‘we’re the problem’, followed by huge cheers.

While playing hilarious, party-starter tracks laden with irony, self deprecation and self aggrandizing, he somehow covered feminism, chauvinism and, social justice, with a strong focus on disability awareness and justice. His repeated calls for fellow musicians to stop using strobe lighting, due to their exclusion of people with epilepsy and neurodivergence, were felt long after his set, as more hyped acts with fancy light shows went on as usual.

Nu Genea from Napoli was the epitome of European cool; chic, tasteful, the perfect mix of wild and refined. Some Italian friends of theirs in the crowd oozed the same je ne sais quoi.

Dry Cleaning was a long-awaited gift all the way from the UK. Playing songs off a recent album that sound tracked the years of many in the crowd, they were received with a sort of hushed reverence as they played their languid, moody, captivating post punk. As they started, the sun persisted, beating down, but as they introduced a track about ‘being from somewhere where the weather’s bad’, like clockwork the sun took its cue to leave, and clouds, like perfectly synchronised stage lights, appeared in the sky.

Sharon Van Etten has seemingly been at the top of her game for years, but somehow has reached another level of excellence with her recent album tour. She delivered a gleamingly polished performance of timeless indie rock anthems, with the energy of a pop star stadium show complete with choreographed dance moves and calculated poses. We all felt we were watching a seasoned professional, a performance beyond the mad-hatter party of Meredith; a friend next to me remarked ‘she’s so perfect… let us in!’.

As Saturday night reached its climax, we had the privilege of basking in Tkay Maidza’s presence; a force who has seemed to be at the peak of her career for years. Everything about her music, performance, presence, visuals and vocals is immaculate, and it comes from the confidence of knowing exactly how good you are. After long being not given her dues by the Australian music industry, she’s now being received in stadiums supporting the likes of Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa.

Perhaps Meredith was a more intimate, rag-tag stage than those she usually graces; I made it to the front barrier, sang all the words and felt almost undeserving; she seemed larger than us, brighter, bigger than anything could contain.

Day 3

The 30th Meredith Gift was a gift in every way. It could only be described as joyful and wonderful, with the winners and losers all uniformly talented, modest and community-minded. As the dust settled on the jostling limbs, a stirring of a mass exodus of the Sup started - just a movement, when a voice boomed, ‘Hi we’re Smooch and we’re headlining Meredith’. This was followed by the sounds of raucous, glamorous, punk rock, magnetising people back from their paths back to campsites. Smooch made it hard to go pack up and leave, which is exactly what a last act at a festival should do.

‘Music, nature, nonsense, wild times’… the 30th Meredith delivered on its promises. Above all the debauchery, the community shines through, a uniquely beautiful part of a beloved festival.

How life-affirming to return to the Sup after all these years.

Photography by Athina Uh Oh (@athinauhoh)

Article written by Tamara Reichman (@tamaraandthedreams)

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'Meredith 2022 Festival Review' / Tamara Reichman