South West Life

The Margaret River Pro delivered the nailbiting finish everyone expected and the sport had only just started to recede when the MASS festival kicked in.  Conceived as an extension to the Margaret River Pro, to encompass the whole surf lifestyle, this was a big step and we were all eager to see what it delivered.

So did it deliver what we guessed?  Pretty much.  The bill was great and there were lots of young, excited kids at the front of stage by the end of the evening.  The bar did a roaring trade.  There were a bunch of volunteers doing environmental stuff, and loving it.  The security guys were sharp, they spent the whole event completely on their toes and as a result, the rest of us enjoyed the night safely and the cops had a little time off.

The bands seemed to have a good enough time, though local starters Frankly played to only a handful.  They worked hard enough and vocalist Michelle noted that they’d been playing together for a short time, and to be there at all is still a great outcome.  They grooved along happily, ranging from cool Jazz sounds through some rock inputs to some very Ska moments when they finished the set with “Wasted”.  King George from Freo had the idea, they clearly bought their own following and played to a dedicated band of loyal fans.  The rest of the acts generated bigger and bigger audiences, with the faithful bouncing near the barriers and the licenced enclosure humming along with a mellow feel.  The punters were drinking plenty, but all the action seemed to be at the band side of the enclosure, and the musicians themselves seemed to understand with more than one nod to the addicted who were making the show viable for so many others.

Stall holders seemed a little less excited by the day, much of the crowd were young and they had come to see the sport and the music, not to avail themselves of the fashion.  The stalls did slower business than they had hoped, but that may be a measure of the first year syndrome too, no one knew what to expect and the patrons hadn’t come prepared.  Will we see a bigger turnout and more cultural and educational input next time? It seems like a fair bet.

The crowd themselves seemed happy, while I expected most of them to be sunburned and just chilling from a few days of watching the surfing, I spoke to lots of people who had come down just for the MASS festival, and said they’d probably stay over and see some surfing tomorrow.  Tanita was an example, down from North Beach, she thought she’d see the surfing on Sunday, but the big ambition for the night was to see Gyroscope play, and for her it was worth the trip just to do that.  However you look at it they all added something to the week in Margaret River, and while ticket sales were slower than Sunset Events might have hoped, it was great fun for me, and a big night for what is still a little town.

The MASS festival is looking to turn a simple sports event (OK, a major source of points for the world title), into a whole cultural experience.  Festivals like this take time to grow into what they eventually become, and I’m guessing that next year will grow and change.  I’m putting money on us being back to cover it in 2011.