Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Dancing In The Sunshine

Last Saturday exemplified what north Queensland winters are all about and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the return of BE Social Fest, bringing some of Australian music’s biggest names to Mackay.

The festival was the chat of the town and excitement was high; it had been a while since Mackay’s last opportunity to dust off their best festival ‘fits and check out some live music.

The festival’s objective is to bring together a fun bunch of festival goers to enjoy each other's energy and just BE, and when paired with an epic line-up and Mackay’s tropical winter climate, it was looking to be one hell of a night.

It’s no secret that Mackay isn’t on every musician’s touring radar but, with the support of Mackay Regional Council, Mackay Tourism and triple j, BE Social delivered a line-up and an event that organisers hope will put Mackay on the Australian music map.

BE SOCIAL

It was the locals who delighted the eager early afternoon crowds first, with Mackay’s Ruby Sue and Rockhampton’s The Stone Apes kicking off proceedings in style.

The Stone Apes’ lead singer Jye Kennedy has a swagger that has been likened to that of Gang of Youths’ Dave Le'aupepe, and the band’s catchy indie rock and captivating stage presence suited the Mackay winter afternoon perfectly.

LO'99 graced the decks next, mixing original heaters with songs from friends like Dom Dolla and more.

A deep house remix of Pink Floyd’s The Wall echoed between the Main Stage and the rave-tailored Social Stage with punters who were looking for a boogie spoilt for choice.

There was a noticeable abundance of pink scattered throughout the hair and outfits of punters and Peach PRC joined the pink party when she took the stage next.

Possibly the most TikTok famous person to visit Mackay, the rising pop star had the crowd in her hand the whole set, singing along to her viral hits God Is A Freak, Josh and a cover of Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag.

Middle Kids have been providing heartfelt, energetic and catchy indie rock for years and their 2021 album Today We’re the Greatest was no exception.

No strangers to Mackay, they delivered a set of youth-defining hits spanning both albums with the crowd singing and bopping along to songs like R U 4 Me?, Never Start and Edge of Town.

It’s always a treat when electronic and hip-hop acts perform with live percussion and Thundamentals provided the goods.

Their set of Aussie hip-hop anthems brought the crowd’s hands to the air, traversing through classics like Sally, Smiles Don’t Lie and their cover of Matt Corby’s Brother.

As the sun set in the west, the crowd grew, gearing up for an evening of epic electronic music and endless boogieing.

KLP was next behind the decks on the Main Stage with local producer Clovr closing out the Social Stage at the same time so there was plenty of dancing to be done between the two stages.

Hermitude were next to the Main Stage and played a career spanning set that indulged fans old and new.

The duo’s style has varied over the years, but the quality of heaters has remained consistently high.

There were many shoutouts to their early fans as they played classics like HyperParadise, Speak of the Devil and Through the Roof.

Hermitude once again proved why they’re considered icons and pioneers of the industry with a huge set that definitely had the crowd feeling “The Buzz”.

Mashd N Kutcher closed out the excellent day with a DJ set brimming with bangers that, of course, included their Dan Andrews-featuring viral hit Get on the Beers.

Punters dispersed, making their way to either of two official after parties organised by the BE Social crew, bringing an end to a day that proved Mackay is hungrier than ever for live music and good times.

Middle Kids brought the energy to BE Social Fest on Saturday afternoon. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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