Rain gives Stonefest a lift

By SIMON McGUNINESS
THE heavens opened and the rain cascaded over the hallowed University of Canberra’s rich green turf. But it did not dampen the spirit of the bright and happy festival-goers that attended Stonefest last Saturday. It became a festival of mud, music and poncho-fashion.
The University of Canberra’s students and wider community celebrated Stonefest’s 43rd birthday in style, in conditions that could have effectively made the event a disaster.
Stonefest’s official website states the core traditions as “loose partying, leftfield shenanigans and world class entertainment” and this year’s attendees were not disappointed. The festival’s rich heritage certainly contributes to that special Stonefest ‘vibe’. It’s something that has to be experienced firsthand to be truly understood.
As conversations soon became interrupted by the faint splattering of droplets of water, faces looked up towards the dimly lit sky and then back towards the stage were active environmentalist Xavier Rudd was performing his rendition of Let me be free.
In what truly was a magical moment, the rain started to pour heavily as Rudd’s voice grew and on-stage tempo increased.
Let me be now oh oh let me be cause
I want to be free now ow ow free to see now
I want to walk away ow ow let me feel my feet
Let me be free

As Rudd so charismatically embraced the rain, the sentiment was then shared within the hearts and minds of those there. Inhibitions were lost and limbs frayed about wildly as dancing became the order of the day.

Rudd believes his music is a gift from his ancestor’s and part of his journey is to share it and use it to connect with others. He says: “If they can feel that connection through my music, then I feel like I’ve truly given it my all.” He no doubt achieved this.

Many of Rudd’s songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as environmentalism and the rights of Aboriginal people. A few indigenous students even attracted a small crowd as they perfomed their own comical version of a rain dance.

Managing and programming director Anna Wallace believes the rain actually added to the event. “Before it rained everyone was sitting around enjoying the sun but afterwards everyone was up dancing and having a ball,” she said. “It really added to the atmosphere of the event.”

The University of Canberra ‘Ressies’ community were proudly wearing the coloured shirts of their respective tribes.

Forgetting about the rivalries of the past week’s Stoneweek activities, they walked arm in arm, drenched in rain.

The mingling of blue, red, yellow, black and purple Stoneweek shirts created a friendly natured environment. The swirling breeze forced many to cuddle up for warmth, once they grew tired from dancing.

Aaron Jones, who came all the way from Sydney to attend, particularly appreciated the ‘res’ rivalries.

“I haven’t experienced living in a college type atmosphere before and the chanting and good natured rivalry between each college definitely added to the atmosphere,” he said. “I’ll be back next year without a doubt”

For those needing a break from the rain, some migrated to the cover of the Silent Disco tent, a first at Stonefest. The Silent Disco is an interesting phenomenon. Those who venture in are given an earphone headset with which they can switch between the different DJ’s at their discretion.

This provided comical relief to some as observations range from gentle swaying, listening to the gentle rhythmic notions of Jack Johnson, to the wild, rebellious jumping encouraged by the anthems of Rage against the Machine.

It provides a forum to sing like no-one is listening and dance like no-one was watching.

“The Silent Party was a huge success and we’re definitely keen to bring it back next year,” Wallace said.

Once energy reserves became low and hunger kicked in there was a variety of stalls to cure your appetite. The smell of the familiar aromas associated with fast food outlets infiltrating one’s nostrils was a welcomed notion.
Unfortunately there needed a certain degree of skill to consume the food quickly enough for it not to get soggy.
Upon circulating the perimeter of the arena for food, the collective mass accumulated toward the main stage as headline acts Bliss n Eso and Pendulum closed out the night.
Wallace summed the crowd’s reaction the best: “Pendulum were truly stunning…they blew everyone away with their electrifying performance.”
Aaron Jones concurred: “I particularly liked how the line-up crescendoed from the gentle Xavier Rudd, to the hard-rocking Airbourne and Spiderbait, then hip hop masters Bliss N Eso and finally Pendulum!”
The light show associated with Pendulum was amazing. The brightly coloured strobe light piercing through the rain drops was a beautiful sight to see.
As the thousands of satisfied, yet gruesomely tired and muddy individuals departed the venue, the ground was littered with soggy food, discarded poncho’s, muddy footprints and happy memories.
In what was a wonderful way to cap off the last couple of weeks of the year, trying to observe a face that wasn’t smiling was like trying to find a needle in a haystack
As University Village resident and UC student Caitlyn Ryan said: “The worst thing about today is having to wait another whole year to do it again!”