Tonight’s line up inspires copious amounts of all manner of hirsute expression in the crowd; in the form of natural beards and moustaches of all shapes and lengths, stick on moustaches, and fake beards on men and women alike. There is no prejudice as far as body hair is concerned, and all punters are wearing their facial hair with pride. Letting it all hang out, as are the bands. The Stiffys sing about stiffys, and use different adjectives to describe them in each song. Resplendent in matching sailor outfits, setting the theme for the evening as bands singing about ...

The Beards play to a hairy sold-out crowd in Melbeard as they tour promoting their new album. BEARDS!

You’ve left it a bit late, haven’t you? Well, never mind that; New Year’s Eve is imminent, and we’re bailing you out with an array of good-time options. With apologies to Darwin, we’ve got all the capitals covered (even Adelaide) in alphabetical order. Ranging from the free to the exorbitant (Jamiroquai/Pet Shop Boys for 200 bucks? Really?), from heavy to pop-tastic, our New Year’s Eve gig guide should keep you entertained, and well away from Richard Wilkins. The list below is by no means exhaustive, so if there’s anything missing feel free ...

(photo: Kristy Milliken) Last weekend marked the 21st anniversary of Meredith Music Festival and the start of another summer festival run. Headliner Total Lunar Eclipse did a no-show due to a cloud cover, but the cosmos aligned in other ways; Barbarion threw some flames, Grinderman bid us adieu and Freedia">Big Freedia… brought the ass (everywhere). Meredith [...]

Following its debut at Homebake , MAX EASTON took his “Trial by GIF” down the Hume to the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria over the weekend. Full report here and here . Photo by LEAH ROBERTSON . Returning to her Supernatural Amphitheatre with all the hallmarks of a good 21st (a premature break-up, profanity in the presence of minors and choreographed arse shaking) Meredith survived two nights of debauchery and the ensuing sounds of 9am Tai Chi to be sophomorically reviewed via animated gif. Mornings Master Song Tai Chi Dave Graney & The Lurid Yellow Mist Frank Fairfield Afternoons King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ...

Nick Cave has called time on Grinderman, the sleazy rock outfit formed with fellow Bad Seeds Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos in 2006. Cave announced the group would be disbanding after a typically brutal late night set at the Meredith Music Festival in rural Victoria on Saturday night (December 10). “That’s it for Grinderman,” he told the more than 12,000 festival-goers. “It’s over. See you in 10 years.” The band’s performance at Meredith capped off a whistle-stop tour that included shows in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and last weekend’s Homebake festival at the Domain ...

Wet weather fears proved unfounded as Meredith’s 21st birthday was ushered in with perfect blue skies and performances by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Cash Savage, Barbarion, Future of the Left and Ladyhawk. Words by DOUG WALLEN . Photos by LEAH ROBERTSON . Apart from a new wine bar and pergola ban , Meredith felt the same as ever in its mark-of-maturity 21st year. If anything, the Friday vibe was sedately happy: rabble-rousers seemed at an all-time low (even by Meredith’s “no dickhead” standards), and there were far fewer concept costumes than usual. Everyone just looked glad to witness a ...

For the first time in our collective histories, 'M+N' paired up with Aunty Meredith – the matriarch behind the Meredith and Golden Plains festivals in Victoria – for a 30-minute live forum chat last month. As promised, here are all your questions answered, plus a few curly ones Aunty didn’t get around to on the day. Photos by LEAH ROBERTSON and KRISTY MILLIKEN . The line-up The most important question of all: why no Archers Of Loaf for Golden Plains? Archers Of Loaf? Well, they stuck a needle in my backbone. Maybe one day, sorry. Will you ever get Jonathan Richman ...

After two relatively mild years, organisers of this weekend’s Meredith Music Festival are preparing for yet another wet’n’wild few days. With the seven-day Elders forecast predicting an 80-90 percent chance of rain over the festival’s three days (December 9-11), festival-goers have been reminded to bring gumboots, a couple “very good” waterproof coats, spare boots, a non-leaking tent, plenty of spare clothes, dry bedding and a tarp. About 20mm of rain is predicted on day one, and while that’s not a patch on the 50mm that greeted punters in 2008 , those three days of torrential downpour ...

The timetable for Meredith’s 21st has been revealed – and it’s more than four days out from the event, so you can actually start your planning in earnest. Kicking things off will be Victorian seven-piece King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who will open the Supernatural Amphitheatre at 4pm on December 9. (They’re also playing the M+N -curated Tote birthday gig this Friday.) Melbourne duo Oscar + Martin will play the coveted 11am slot on Saturday, which has seen performances by the likes of Eddy Current, My Disco and Snowman over the years, while Nick Cave’s Grinderman play ...

A lunar eclipse will take place at the Meredith Music Festival’s 21st birthday this year – and a bunch of bands will play as well. They include: the already announced Grinderman, the heavily rumoured Icehouse, Cut Copy, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Mudhoney, Gang Gang Dance, Explosions In The Sky, Ladyhawke, Splendour highlights Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, hardcore punk “supergroup” OFF!, Magic Dirt’s Adalita, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Oscar + Martin, Sugar Mountain headliners Virgo Four, Dave Graney and The Lurid Yellow Mist, Eagle & The Worm and the band that scared the beejesus out of everyone at Golden Plains Graveyard Train ...

Set times for this weekend’s Boogie festival have been announced. The now sold-out festival will take place at Bruzzy’s Farm in Tallarook, Victoria, from April 22-24. Kicking things off on Friday (April 22) will be Immigrant Union, the new country-ish outfit for Dandy Warhols drummer Brent DeBoer, who recently spoke to M+N about his group’s “legality” and their plans to put out an album in mid-2011. Other acts performing include Tony Joe White, Dan Kelly, Stonefield, Boomgates, Oh Mercy, The Laurels and a mysterious act called “Rogers, Kent, Hopkinson, Lane & Friends”. For the first time, M ...