Far Out Fest @ Armadale District Hall
w/ Yomi Ship, Superego, Triangle Fight, Tobias, Sunny Flowers, Command A Panda, Vacuum Dreamers, Scott Aitken and the Deloreans.
Saturday, May 1, 2021
Perth’s all-ages live music scene took a COVID-19-sized-beating through 2020/21, however, the great news is that festivals like last weekend’s Far Out Fest are proving without a doubt that the music and arts scene has survived and is alive and well.
Far Out Fest, part of the two-week-long Armadale Arts Festival, kicked off at 5pm with Scott Aitken and the Deloreans. Unfortunately playing this early in the festival, there wasn’t enough of a crowd to give them the reception they deserved, however, the punters still showed their appreciation for a solid performance.
Next to the stage, post-indie darlings, Vacuum Dreamers served up a well-received set. The growing crowd now included some younger children and teens, with the event clearly living up to its “all ages” classification.
Command a Panda tipped their hat to the inclusion, apologising in advance for the song dropping the “f-bomb.” Charismatic lead singer Matt (Giant Panda hat firmly on his head) called to the seated crowd to come forward but not even Bring It could lure anyone to bridge the gap between the risers and the stage.
Jake DrGreen England was MC for the night, and he hilariously and competently stitched the acts together, including the next act, the rapper aptly named Sunny Flowers. Her strong fan base was the first to come to the edge of the stage with their encouragement spurring the two-piece act on and giving support for the more confessional songs.
Hip-hop wunderkind, Tobias followed, taking control of the stage and the crowd from the first moment. As s seasoned dynamic performer, he warmly captivated the crowd with his stellar show.
Art-rock group Triangle Fight brought real energy to the stage in a set of blistering prog-rock bangers.
Superego followed and anyone who hadn’t seen the six-piece hip-hop act before were in for a treat. Riveting from beginning to end – they were the perfect act to bring the first part of the festival to a close. Fortunately, there was a 30 minute break for everyone to settle down before the headliners Yomi Ship took us on a very different journey.
Yomi Ship, having originally hailed from Armadale, were coming full circle, returning to the area for this festival. Described as an immersive collaborative experience, there was a buzz beforehand, wondering how it would all work and come together. But work it did – with the band playing Voyage to the Pyramids of Yonaguni, accompanied by psychedelic visuals by Roly Skender of Frankensound fame, along with dancers from Explosive Dance & Theatre Co. There was much discussion after the set, with the audience working out their own interpretation of what it was all about. Regardless, it was an experience that will stay with them long after the event. Hopefully the City of Armadale will host another Far Out Fest next year!
LINDA DUNJEY
Photos by Linda Dunjey
