The classic hallmarks come to define the festival were in full view – costumes,bare skin,increasingly inventive doofsticks and an overwhelming sense of freedom spread through the “Sup” all weekend,despite the oppressive heat.
Shade was at a premium,volunteers doused the crowd with sprinklers,and legionnaire caps,cowboy hats and broad brims had never been so in fashion.
Melbourne outfit Split System tried their hardest to rouse the crowd from its heat-induced slumber with the opening set,kicking the festival off with an airtight,high-energy assault of blistering punk-rock.
But the dancefloor remained mostly dormant for the first several acts of the day,with punters contently lounging on couches under the shade of the amphitheatre’s gum trees.
American indie group Wednesday almost captured the crowd’s full attention with an excellent set of country-infused alt-rock detailing the minutiae of life in North Carolina,creating one of the most gender-inclusive mosh pits in recent memory.
But in classic Golden Plains fashion,the true star of day one was an international big band.