Gig Review: Good Things Festival, Melbourne

Live Review: Good Things Festival, Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Friday, December 1 2023

By BRENDAN DELAVERE

FORGET million dollar horse racing, champagne, suits and fancy hats, today Flemington is all about punk rock and heavy fucking metal! 

First up catching the tail end of Brits Enter Shikari, who powered through four songs in seven minutes, the entire crowd clapping for “Sorry You’re Not A Winner”.

Slaughter to Prevail/Pic: Brendan Delavere

The brutal onslaught of the Russian machine that is Slaughter To Prevail had the pit broken and bloody. A wall of death straight up left one bloke missing a few teeth and security kept busy catching crowd surfers. Alex Terrible, built like a brick shit house, produces inhuman sounds from the depths of his gullet, like the last thing you’d hear swimming in Lake Placid. Through  “Bonebreaker”, “Viking”, and “Baba Yaga”, the demon masked guitarists synchronized head banging as the pit unleashed hell.

One of two old school punk bands on the bill, Californians Pennywise hit the summer sun down at main stage, frontman Jim Lindberg playfully flipping off the crowd for “Fuck Authority”. Fletcher Dragge informs the audience he may be suffering from a case of corona, but that’s fine because “Lindsay McDougall is ready to fill in”, jumping in to replace him on punk classic “Bro Hymn”. A cover of Men At Work’s “Down Under” had the circle pit pumping. 

Sepultura/Pic: Brendan Delavere

Over at stage three, which this year is held in a permanently fixed undercover area, Brazilian thrash titans Sepultura are stomping their way through a decades-strong back catalogue. Touring on recent release Quadra, they give us “Isolation”, “Guardians Of Earth”, “Agony Of Death”, frontman Derrick Green a sweaty, stomping monster. New stuff aside, the crowd still froths on the old school death and thrash that made the Belo Horizonte four piece famous. “Refuse/Resist”, “Arise” and tribal thrash classic “Roots Bloody Roots” destroying the packed out tent.  

Another of the UK contingent, Sheffield metalcore heavy hitters While She Sleeps are set on having the record for most crowd surfers at Good Things, much to the security’s dismay. Circle pits and crowd surfing, frontman Lawrence Taylor calling for both during every song: “Anti Social”, “Self Hell”, “Systematic” Time will tell if they hold the record for most surfers over the barrier. Another British band, Welsh fellas Bullet For My Valentine, are back down under for their second Good Things appearance with the Melbourne crowd kicking it into top gear. Tracks like “4 Words”, and “Scream Aim Fire”, bring back memories of high school and listening to metal on an iPod classic. That’s nostalgia, live in front of me. 

After a bit of a hiatus involving bassist Tyler Richardson’s son being diagnosed with cancer, Tasmanian rockers Luca Brasi are back, albeit for a short time, but a rocking good one. Opening with the rollicking fun of “Aeroplane” filling the small stage five with huge amounts of love, the crowd singing back every word. “Clothes I Slept In” and the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” garner just as much love. Stage five has been nothing but a fan favorite all day.  

Then it’s a quick feed and a beer from the BBQ zone and lines for food and drinks are minimal, GT organisers really taking on board complaints from last year’s event. 

Behemoth/Pic: Brendan Delavere

The heaviest band on the bill, Polish extreme metallers Behemoth, brought their unholy hymns to Flemington, Opvs Contra Natvram featuring heavily in the set. With frontman Nergal smiling with evil intent, eyes scanning the tentful of punters, the setlist spanned the full 30 years of the band, with “Bartzabel”, “Conquer All”, “Chant For Eschaton” featuring – among others – and smoke filling the tent. Behemoth screamed into the void. 

While She Sleeps wanted the record for most crowd surfers, but nu metal’s greatest artists Limp Bizkit stole that record by a mile. The number of bodies streaming across the barrier during opener “Break Stuff” was immense, the band slowing down every bridge to give the crowd a chance to breathe. Partying like it’s “9 Teen 90 Nine”, Durst sneers from under his wide brimmed cowboy hat stalking the stage, checking out Fall Out Boy’s set up on the neighbouring stage. “Hot Dog”, “My Generation”, the theme from “Rawhide” rolling into “Rollin’”… A Dia de Los Muertos Stormtrooper clad Wes Borland led us through riff after riff of their two classic records – despite this being the Still Sucks album tour, no tracks featured from that record. 

Limp Bizkit/Pic: Brendan Delavere

Stopping midway through George Michael’s “Faith” to check on a punter who suffered a seizure, Bizkit very much do not want a repeat of 2001’s tour. Once more waiting for the crowd to calm down, the entirety of the festival was packed out for Limp Bizkit. “I know what you fuckers want!” Durst declares as they close out with an even heavier sounding “Break Stuff” than the opening version. Hectic. 

It’s no easy feat to headline after Limp Bizkit, and the crowd were rightly exhausted. It’s been a long hot day, the sun had finally set, this reviewer’s feet hurt. Fall Out Boy came bounding onto the stage in a burst of fireworks, “Love From The Other Side”, and tears falling from the emos on the barrier. 

Fall Out Boy/Pic: Brendan Delavere

If there was a national fire ban in place no one told FOB, Pete Wentz shooting flames from the end of his bass. Talk about fiery riffs! The older stuff garnering a screaming response, “A Little Less Sixteen Candles” and “This Ain’t A Scene…” get the crowd jumping, unlocking core memories from teen emo days. The stage backdrop was changing; first an underwater theme, then a large inflatable dog … what would be next? A grand piano arrives and a less than exciting medley of covers follows from Midnight Oil, Ozzy Osbourne, Journey … please leave the covers for karaoke night next time, guys. 

“Dance Dance”, “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” and last number of the festival, “Saturday”, rounded out the huge 24-song set. Another Good Things Festival done and dusted, time to rest these tired dancing feet.