FESTIVAL: Splendour In The Grass 2010

To mourn is to let go of sadness and live through the death of something. Mourning need not only apply to the human race or animals, in fact it runs deeper into the finer the things in life. Is it possible to mourn music you ask? Yes.

Australia is set to put on quite possibly the finest 3 day winter festival based in Queensland late July.

Splendour In The Grass, one of Australia's most celebrated music festivals is set to commemorate its 10-year anniversary and the line up is a killer, a ripper, a real fine blend of what the world has to offer in a brief three days. That's the exciting part i guess.

International sensations such as The Pixies, Strokes, Ben Harper, LCD Soundsystem, Kate Nash, Foals, Passion Pit, Yeasayer and so many more will woo crowds who gather in masses. More great artists such as London band Mumford n Sons, Gold Frap, Horrorshow, Richard Ashcroft & The United Nations of Sound, Grizzly Bear add to the strong line up. Even our reggae dub soul kiwi lads from Fat Freddies Drop even got an invite to the party, the only kiwi act to make it to the bill, and rightly so too.

Here's where the tears of destruction set in and the mourning begins. With all these fantastic gigs hitting Ostraaaalia you'd think they'd want to make the most of good thing and tour beyond to small and beautiful places such as New Zealand. Not only does our country have to offer serene beauty, it's a place of peace and we're well known for the fact we like to party and we never do things by halves. Australia has such a great platter of talent to enter the country for those three days, but for them not to wonder on over to kiwi land is the peak of disappointment.

It's not all sad news though, as the nation waits with arms wide open to greet the likes of Passion Pit, Temper Trap, Florence n the Machine and Broken Social Scene in July and August. Those who have tickets will know indeed just how exciting this is.

Maybe it's our Prime Minister John Key and his need to divulge details about his vasectomy that put them off, or simply the lack of decent venues for all the musical big kids to head to? Let’s boycott the Rugby World Cup, build the stadiums and design them specifically for the musical talent that the big kids over seas deserve to play in. What a way to make the headlines?

I'd say our country would be far more blessed by gracing the presence of the Foals, Yeasayer and Kate Nash instead of those buff boys in their short shorts. I mean after all, The All Blacks might loose?

With music it's a win/win all day, everyday.

At the end of mourning, there is still a little sadness, but it is a wistful sadness that is tempered by the happy memories that we still possess. And we still have music. We'll just have to design a tighter winter festival and show them what we're really made of.

Visit the Splendour In The Grass Website for more info.

by Laura Drummond