Good Things Festival

Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne.

Friday, 2 December, 2022

Under clear blue Melbourne skies, fans of heavy music gathered with pent-up energy, ready to experience the first festival of its kind in our fine town since the dark times of Covid.

Kicking things off were To the Grave and Among the Restless as a constant steam of punters flowed in to the grounds and found the lay of the land.

Jinjer were the first of the International acts to hit the stage, there was  sense of anticipation for this Ukrainian band with captivating lead singer, Tatiana impressing the crowd with a high energy performance. Bringing to light  very real struggles being experienced by many in their home country was the main message the band wanted to portray during their captivating performance.

It is always a juggle to choose where to go next when there are so many amazing bands clashing throughout the day. Thornhill were proving why they are a band your mates tell you that you have to see. Millencolin were blasting out their fast-paced punk on the main stage with a very summer themed back drop behind them.

Sabaton were one of the surprise packets for the day. This Swedish heavy metal band who write about historical events had their battle gear on and the pyro firing off, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Meanwhile Electric Callboy brought distinctive 80s work-out fashion to the stage. They made their sweat bands work overtime as they belted out their electronicore set under the heat of the early afternoon summer sun.

In high contrast on the stage next door, Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil brought their contrasting duel female/male vocals and detailed face makeup to the party.  Japanese band One OK Rock  brought endless energy, busting out choreographed moves to a huge crowd on the main stage and were super fun to experience.

You Am I are one of those bands that can only be described as  timeless. They keep on keeping on with the same level of quality as always.Tim Rogers is like a glass of fine red wine, he just gets better with age, his safari suits more flamboyant as the years go by, his performance style always memorable.

The Amity Affliction were burning up stage two, bringing in a large crowd  eager to watch their set, with a solid fan base the band hailing from the small town of Gympie, Queensland sure know how to impress. Having recently released new single ” Show me Your God” the band were certainly captivating.

Gojira were another highly anticipated band for the day that did not disappoint. The French metal band would have to put their hand up as one of the tightest acts of the day. The whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy, with bodies being flung over the barrier in what was one of the most hectic mosh pits of the day.

The early evening started to cool things down when old school hard core metal fans headed over to out to witness Max Cavalera and Soulfly do their thing. Once again, no one was disappointed and fans thoroughly enjoyed seeing the band on stage, a trip down memory lane for most. It was awesome to see Max’s son Zyon smashing the drums for their set, performing like a seasoned professional.

Paledusk were a huge surprise with their guitarists doing 360 jump spin kicks. They will have won over many new fans with their memorable set and no doubt the band will have a heap of new Spotify followers after today’s impressive display. One thing about festivals is that you can go and see your favourite bands perform and then you can stumble across bands like Paledusk and be completely surprised.

Local legends Polaris were blistering in the late afternoon sun and kept crowds entertained as the heat slowly leaked out of the day and things began to mellow. No strangers to line ups and festivals like this, Polaris proved why they are such a popular band on the festival circuit. They never fail to put on a good show, and today’s festival was no exception.

As the sun began to set, Deftones hit the stage. Anticipation was high for this beloved hard rock band from California. Front-man Chino was in fine form as they played their way through a great selection from their catalogue. Fan favorites ‘Be quite and drive (far away)’ and ‘My own summer (shove it)’ went down a treat.

To close out the festival we had behemoths Bring Me The Horizon. This band from Sheffield know how to put on a show. The area infant of the main stages was absolutely packed and ready to go nuts. After an introduction video, the band kicked off ‘Can you feel my heart’ as a confetti cannon blasted heart shaped paper into the air. The visuals and stage design were stunning. The band are a well oiled machine. It was an epic way to end a massive day. A welcome return of a huge festival. Very Good Things!