Pandemonium is a new music festival in Australia launched this year hosting a diverse range of rock and alternative rock bands. Unfortunately, it was not immune to rising costs which has recently caused numerous music festivals to be cancelled. This unfortunately impacted the lineup being reduced from 13 to 6 acts. Despite facing an uphill battle with speculative and negative media, and a data breach to ticket holders requesting refunds, the festival pushed through to its first event in Melbourne.
The festival kicked off in Carribean Gardens on the east side of Melbourne. The location is well known for the local weekend markets. The venue is a large grassy field on a gentle slope nestled among an industrial estate and businesses. Whilst the location has limited accessibility to public transport, parking was easy to find and the festival hosted shuttle buses and Uber/taxi pickup locations to transport festival goers.
People trickled into the festival on a mild, but sunny autumn afternoon. It was the perfect afternoon to enjoy drinks from the bar and a variety of food from the food trucks on offer. The crowd atmosphere was generally relaxed and happy, but some with mixed reactions about the numerous lineup changes.
The full lineup for Pandemonium Festival 2024 was:
Aimee Francis Set Time 2:10 pm – 2:40 pm
Cosmic Psychos Set Time 3:00 Pm – 3:40 pm
Wolfmother Set Time 4:00 pm – 4:20 pm
Wheatus Set Time 5:00 pm – 5:40 pm
The Psychedelic Furs Set Time 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm
Blondie Set Time 7:20 pm – 8:30 pm
Alice Cooper Set Time 9:10 pm – 10:20 pm
Unfortunately, Palaye Royale could not make it to the festival due to personal circumstances, so Melbourne local singer/songwriter Aimee Francis stepped in with her band, The Midnight Hours and admirably kicked off the event with a bang. She delivered her short 30-minute set, a cohesive blend of high-energy rock and soulful country that would have left a favourable impression on new listeners.
It hard to believe that punk band Cosmic Psychos have been around for more than 40 years. They are icons of the Australian music scene. They brought their raw, no-frills, in-your-face, punk rock to the crowd. They added a dose of Aussie humour remarking “I hate to tell you, but one day you’re going to die and be put into an air fryer” before launching into “Down in the Ditch”.
The crowd began to gather as Sydney’s three-piece rock band, Wolfmother took to the stage. Frontman/guitarist Andrew Stockdale made attempts to get everyone energised, but the primarily Gen-x crowd seemed happy to sit on their rugs and camp chairs with a beverage in hand and soak up the autumn sun. They delivered a tight and energetic set including their hits “Woman” and “The Joker and the Thief”.
U.S. band Wheatus pleasantly surprised everyone by delivering a fun and entertaining performance. Initially doing a quick soundcheck with a reprised version of their hit “Teenage Dirtbag”, their set tipped their hat to Australian music including a cover of AC/DC’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation”, also acknowledging their time spent living in Australia on the success of “Teenage Dirtbag”. Their six-minute rendition of the hit song had the crowd dancing and singing along.
As the sun began to set, the temperature dropped considerably to a very chilling evening. It didn’t stop The Psychedelic Furs from delivering their post-punk new wave-style music. Frontman Richard Butler had a moment where he struggled to hear himself in his in-ears at the start of “The Ghost in You”, but nonetheless delivered a concise show including “Love My Way” “Pretty in Pink” “President Gas” It was great to see long time collaborator and Guns N Roses guitarist Richard Fortus carrying guitar and electric cello duties.
Blondie, aka Debbie Harry, is a pop icon. It’s incredible that she is still touring after 50 years in the music business. She had a dynamic band and colourful pop art visuals representing her style. Decked out in a bright green suit, she performed with a cool, carefree attitude, including all the hits spanning her career “Hanging on the Telephone”, “Call Me”, “Heart Of Glass”, and a cover of The Paragon’s “The Tide is High”.
Alice Cooper is the music shock rock icon, and his shows are well known for being incredibly theatrical and over-the-top. With his band of rock musicians, they took the audience on both a musical and visual journey that was thoroughly entertaining. Alice Cooper bursts through a backdrop in “Welcome to the Show”, throwing his cane out to the audience in “No More Mr Nice Guy”. Alice has a giant python wrapped around him whilst he sang “Snakebite”, and a giant Frankenstein figure walking the stage during “Feed My Frankenstein”. Alice of course, gets the guillotine during “I Love the Dead”.
With a world-class rock band consisting of Ryan Roxie, Nita Strauss, Tommy Henriksen, and Glen Sobel, they openly showcased their musical chops and strutted on the stage whilst playing with absolute precision. Alice gave them plenty of moments to shine, such as extended solos in “Under My Wheels” and an instrumental “Black Widow Jam”.
It was the perfect hard rock extravaganza to conclude the festival.
Setlist:
1.Lock Me Up
2. Welcome to the Show
3. No More Mr. Nice Guy
4. I’m Eighteen
5. Under My Wheels
6. Billion Dollar Babies
7. Hey Stoopid
8. Department of Youth
9. Snakebite
10. Feed My Frankenstein
11. Poison
12. Black Widow Jam
13. Ballad of Dwight Fry
14. Killer (band only)
15. I Love the Dead (band only)
16. Elected
Encore:
17. School’s Out (With “Another Brick In the Wall )
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Darren Chan is a talented and creative photographer with a passion for capturing life’s special moments through the lens of his camera. With over a decade of experience in the photography industry, Darren has honed his skills in various genres of photography, including weddings, portraits, landscapes, and commercial photography. Over the years, Darren has developed his unique style, which is characterised by his ability to capture the essence of his subjects and their surroundings.
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