The Seventeenth Annual Meredith

2007

2007 poster

OK! 2007.

Well, the weather was fine… not too hot, bit of drizzle Saturday morning. 2007 was a Meredith in full glory, without negative impact from the atmospheric conditions.

We love those ones. Nobody remembers them! But we love them.

Also loved was Noota’s artwork. Noota created the animal artwork (and all manner of decorations and signage across the site) from 1992 until this one.

Thank you Noota for giving so many Merediths their distinctive identity and playfulness.

The first Meredith Sky Show happened above the Amphitheatre on the Saturday night.

This consisted of many dramatic lighting effects but also several massive lasers, so powerful we had to get clearance from the Aviation Authority to ensure they didn’t interfere with planes.

Daft Punk didn’t play Meredith, though they were in Melbourne that weekend, which led to persistent and widespread rumours/belief that we’d managed to book them in. Despite Aunty stating quite clearly several times that that was never on the cards.

Perhaps the highlight of the whole weekend was a ‘Special Solo Performance’ by Andrew W.K.

Known for full blown party rock, he appeared on stage Sat arvo in trademark white tee and jeans, very, very slowly moving robotically across the stage.

After what seemed like an hour, he made it to a keyboard and started making tiny noises with long pauses between them. Eventually this became a drum beat, then a riff then a jam then some songs.

 I’m not sure any one performer has galvanised and energised a Meredith crowd like Andrew did that day, there was something almost innocently beautiful about it, but he had the whole place going insane. Crazy fun.

Check out the end:

Meredith’s not just a concert, it’s a festival. Get down the front.

There was an overhaul of the recycling system this year which saw a sorting station built on site, which sorted through every rubbish bag and divided the contents into the appropriate recycling stream. From this point on, every single thing that came out of a food stall was recyclable.

And Uncle Doug built a hundred more composting loos.

The Community Tucker tent took their service to a new level – roaming the campgrounds offering Breakfast in Bed.

Hot egg and/or bacon rolls and cold drinks were passed through tent flaps after a system of one grunt for ‘yes’ was established.

Winner.

The world’s finest human Angus Sampson was the “MC” for the Sunday and called The Gift.

By then, everyone was thinking left‑handed anyway, so his stream of consciousness obtusisms hit their target.

And he name-checked Martin Kent. I think. Sometimes a chuckle is more telling than a belly laugh.

Other notable performances came from a new act called Crystal Castles who needed a little reassuring that the crowd would dig them (they loved them), Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Little Red, The Black Lips, Hoodoo Gurus, Gossip.

Gossip - live at The Meredith Music Festival 2007

Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and Sarah Blasko. Muscles was scheduled to play Saturday Night but that evening became extremely unwell and had to cancel his performance (almost definitely unrelated to Daft Punk’s Melbourne show, so I’m told).

DJ Indra played extra long to plug the hole and the whole place had a ball.

Overall 2007 was a fine, fine year. No real dramas weather-wise and a good ambience on the ground and in the air. Which was a nice change after the furnacial conditions of the year prior.

Wonder what sort of weather the next year might bring?

Who Played?

Gossip Little Red The Black Lips Gotye Andrew W.K Clutch Cut Copy Art Brut Eddy Current Suppression Ring Crystal Castles Dr Dog Junior Reid Ned Collette Band Amanda Palmer Lady Strangelove Sarah Blasko DJ MuGen King Brothers The Smallgoods The Galvatrons Paris Wells and Thief ROOT! Combo La Revelacion Black Pony Express Ooh-ee Richie 1250 The Devastations Paul Williamson Hammond Combo Hoodoo Gurus Andee Frost Midnight Juggernauts City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band Special Guest MC: Angus Sampson Gift Mistresses: The Town Bikes
Poster
Playing Times
Website

Meredith 2007 Photo Gallery

What Was Said

Here is some of What Was Said about The Seventeenth Annual Meredith:

Faster Louder – Meredith Music Festival – by Sarah Anne

Music Australia Guide – Gossip Girl Loses Control – by Andrew Wallace

In The Mix – Meredith Music Festival @ Meredith, Victoria (10/12/07) – by Belinda Healy

ABC Victoria – Meredith Music Festival 2007 – by Jarrod Watt

The Dwarf – Meredith Music Festival – by Marmalade Puddle

Beat – Review: Meredith Music Festival – by Chris Girdler

db – Review: Meredith Music Festival – by Narelle Walker

InPress – Review: Meredith Music Festival – by Adrian May, Bryget Chrysfield and Cookie Lee

The Age – No End In Sight For Annual Festival’s Loyal Merrymakers – by Daniel Ziffer

The Sunday Age – Surfing A Sea Of Song In Meredith’s 17th Summer – by John Bailey

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