SUMMER is more than two-thirds of the way through but the music festival season is far from over.
In fact, nowadays the festival cycle seems to spin all year round.
So without further ado here are five approaching festivals that are all close(ish) to the south-west and well worth checking out.
Port Fairy Folk Festival (March 9-12)
IF you haven't been to a Folkie yet, then what's wrong with you? You've had 35 years. The festival's longevity is testament to a successful formula - more than one hundred acts covering more musical genres than you can poke a bazouki at. The nine stages within the arena and the eight outside will host everything from alt-country (Ahab, Lanie Lane) to great singer-songwriters (Adam Cohen, Archie Roach), from Celtic (Battlefield Band, Claymore) to blues (Blue Heat, Harry Manx), from rock (Blackwood Jack) to roots (Carus Thompson, John Butler), from American folk (Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen) to pop (Clare Bowditch, Eagle & The Worm), from fusion-rock (Watussi) to musicomedy (Tripod). There's even Japanese-infused blues (George Kamikawa & Noriko Tadano) and a Finnish band playing Celtic tunes (Frigg). The added bonus is that Port Fairy's a pretty good place for a festival.
Golden Plains (March 10-12)
THE baby sister of the Meredith Music Festival, Golden Plains turns six this year and has started to develop its own personality and eccentricities. Slightly more exclusive than Meredith (9000 punters compared to 12,000), Golden Plains is easier to navigate and feels even cruisier than Meredith (if that's even possible). Some of the best features are strangely dressed and super-friendly punters, the fact it's one of the last BYO festivals around, the great festival food, and ample camping spaces. But its mostly about the music and Golden Plains has again assembled a mix of revered veterans (Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, Roky Erickson, Urge Overkill, The Celibate Rifles), alt heroes (Bon Iver, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Roots Manuva), the buzz-worthy (Wild Flag, Canyons, First Aid Kit), and your new favourite band that you haven't heard of yet. Even when the weather does ridiculous things, it's still amazing fun and it all happens on a farm just west of Meredith.
Boogie (April 6-8)
IF the 9000 people of Golden Plains is exclusive by festival standards, then Boogie is only one step up from "invite only". With only 1000 tickets (and that's more than ever before), Boogie is like the biggest weekend-long party you've ever been to. Like Golden Plains, it's now in its sixth year, it's BYO (there are a few alcohol-free zones), the camping is half the fun, and it happens on a working farm. Located near Tallarook (an hour north of Melbourne), it has a vibe all its own and a line-up that matches. Where else could you see iconic Aussie singer James Reyne alongside ramshackle garage rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard, or My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James share a bill with all-girl Accadacca tribute act AC/DSHE, or country royalty Justin Townes Earle playing on the same stage as the Neu!-meets-Television-meets-Wire sounds of Baptism Of Uzi?
Soundwave (March 2 in Melbourne)
IF camping festivals aren't your thing and you prefer your music to be of the heavier variety, the travelling Soundwave Festival is right for you. It's like the Big Day Out for the metal set, and even takes place at an old BDO haunt - the Melbourne showgrounds. With almost 100 bands across multiple stages, the event covers as many sub-genres of metal and punk as you can think of. From nu-metal (Limp Bizkit) to grunge (Bush), from shock rock (Marilyn Manson) to thrash (Trivium), from old-school hardcore (Bad Religion) to prog-metal (Mastodon), from math metal (Meshuggah) to emo (Angels & Airwaves), from pop-punk (Unwritten Law) to hair metal (Steel Panther), the event is a one-stop shop for brutal riffs, pounding beats and throat-shredding vocals. And if the Melbourne Soundwave's too crowded for you, you can always head to the Adelaide one on March 3. Or both.
Groovin' The Moo (May 5 in Bendigo)
BEGINNING as a two-venue event in 2005, Groovin' The Moo has grown into the premier travelling festival that doesn't just stick to the capital cities. It also has the dubious honour of being one of the biggest outdoor festivals held in the last month of autumn. Bendigo, Maitland, Townsville, Canberra and Bunbury will host the event, which has gone from being an all-Australian affair to this year boasting its largest international line-up ever. Public Enemy, Kaiser Chiefs and Mutemath head the overseas acts, while the rest of the bill is a Triple J-approved roster of top Aussie acts, including Bluejuice, 360, San Cisco, Parkway Drive, Matt Corby, Hilltop Hoods, The Getaway Plan and Hermitude. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday (February 14).
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