Summersalt Ferstival

Catani Gardens, St. Kilda

Once again, as summer is drawing to a close and the last vestiges of daylight savings ebbing away, the hugely popular Summersalt festival is once again back to grace the beautiful bay of St. Kilda.

This year sees a Coastal vibe with Ziggy Alberts, Matt Corby and James Bay on the bill. Representing the girls are the lovely Mia Wray , Kita Alexander and Thelma Plum, rounding out a diverse and enjoyable line up.

The day kicks off with the girls setting the tone for what is to be a beautiful day in St. Kilda. The sun is shining, people are dancing and the crowd is soaking up every moment of the tunes that are being provided.  Thelma Plum has such a powerful voice that people can hear her from streets away, local residents pulling up lawn chairs in front yards and on balconies to listen to her belt out tunes.

As environmentalist and ocean lover Ziggy Alberts plays his set, people are up and dancing to the folk- pop vibe that he is playing. He is laid back, authentic and such a chilled performer that people can’t help but fall in love. There is something about Ziggy that is both fun, cheeky and so surf-coast laid back that his music and vibe are just fun to watch.

As the afternoon progresses, the crowd has more than doubled in size to witness Matt Corby’s jazz- influenced styling. He is energetic, charismatic and above all, he just appears to be having a really good time. This kind of infectious energy is really pleasant to witness, and Matt has an incredibly powerful voice that commands attention.

As the sun sets, the crowd are pleasantly drunk, in a friendly way and having the time of their lives. Dancing, arms raised in abandon, forging new friendships, its all what the Summerset concert series is all about – great times and good music.

For the final act, UK musician James Bay the crowd are crushed in against the barriers, the sun finally sunken low beyond the horizon and a few stars are peeking out of the night sky. James is welcomed to the stage with a huge uproar of applause, clearly the draw card of the event.

James Bay is a delight to witness and the highlight of the festival. With few words and just a cheeky grin he captures the attention of the audience. Everyone is up dancing, the GA area is crammed tighter than a tin of sardines and it’s good vibes all round.

Just before closing the set with his usual Elvis Presley cover, an enthusiastic fan calls out for an Alicia Keys song instead, so James obliges with ‘ I Ain’t Got You’ before bringing it home with ‘ Hold Back The River’

As the crowd spills out onto the St.Kilda streets, having experienced another successful Summersalt event, and as they disperse into the night everyone can agree that this has been another fantastic addition to the summer festival season.

Words by Amanda Lee Starkey

Behind the Lens Lucas Packett