SUGAR MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHS

I've never been to a music festival before and so, when I won a ticket to attend SUGAR MOUNTAIN at Victorian College of the Arts (thanks to a Melbourne University Alumni competition) I was naturally excited, but also a little apprehensive thinking about how I was going to cope with the noise and movement, since both can trigger a vestibular migraine. Although the one day festival ran from 11.30 am to 11pm, I decided to arrive early and see as much as I could before the bulk of the crowd poured through the gates.

SUGAR MOUNTAIN was an extremely organized event and we all moved through the entrance quite quickly even though security officers were inspecting the inside of bags. 

Whilst I was waiting I met the very lovely Myriam Bleu, an experimental electronic music performer from Canada who had undertaken a Masters in Classical music, played guitar for years and found that experimentation allowed her to explore her creativity at a greater level. I also met a performer called Young TapZ from New Zealand. 

I didn't meet, but took a photo of Supergroup from London. Their minimalist, colorful works graced the entrance to the festival.

I left at around 3.15pm because I was thoroughly exhausted walking from one area to another - each stage was set up in different areas of VCA;  listening to music, eating my lunch, trying to find a vendor selling coffee and then attempting to locate a seat in the shade.

Much I what I heard I liked, however only survived the onslaught of electronic sounds by the fact that a female security officer gave me some small ear-plugs, which I used whilst listening to the high pitched sounds of Sui Zhen.

I really loved the band with the guy wearing fish-net stocking until the low base rumble was so loud  it felt like an earthquake had traversed my body, causing heart palpitations and I had to get away from their sounds as fast as I could.

I really wish the bands could have turned it down a notch or two. A four year old child walking alongside her tattoo covered mother seemed to express exactly what I was thinking as she had her hands placed over her ears. This all sounds like I didn't enjoy myself and yet I did. The attendees were pleasant, the crowd orderly, the security guards helpful. Here's some random photos of bands and people attending the festival who caught my eye. The only band name I remember was Weyes Blood - I took this photo before their performance.

And finally, a selfie in front of weird mirror distortion artwork.