For those who decided to kick off 2014 at the second incarnation of the sold out Let Them Eat Cake, which after last year’s massive success doubled in size, they were treated to what could quite possibly be the ultimate kick on at Werribee Mansion Park. Even as the temperamental skies refused to cooperate throughout the day, the rain fuelled the sea of poncho donning festivalgoers as they cut their best moves loose to the tunes of some of the most exciting international and local DJs.
The boutique festival spared no expense on aesthetics, creating a visual experience that was somewhere in between Alice in Wonderland and Strawberry Fields with its countless odes to the top hat and bamboo main stage. Even more, the festival’s layout was more than ideal, with its five stages somehow positioned close enough to one another that you could duck over and catch a few minutes of another set, but yet far away enough that there was zero of the dreaded sound bleed.
With the rain christening the grounds of Werribee Park, Brooklyn duo Wolf & Lamb not so subtly acknowledged the rapidly declining conditions by dropping Soul Clap’s edit of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, consequently sending the dampened crowd into a blissful rain dance. Next up was LTJ Bukem, who served up his innovative brand of drum and bass over at the Palace of Versailles stage. Bukem cemented his position on the drum and bass throne as he flirted with soul, jazz and reggae over the course of his hour-and-a-half set, incorporating classics such as Atlantis and Horizons as well as an assortment of tracks from his Good Looking Records labelmates.
While at most day festivals you would be more than lucky to catch anything over an hour from a main stage artist, Cake set itself apart by giving its three headliners generous two hour slots and boy, did the extra time make a difference. Irish duo Bicep spun everything from Italo-disco to Chicago house as they successfully dug deep into their vinyl collection to get the main stage moving. Even as Bicep enraptured me with their boisterous beats, I couldn’t help but drift over to check out part time neuroscientist/part time producer Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points and his eclectic sounds.
Drawing on influences from jazz to house, Shepherd delivered pure groove music that was a dream at this point in the day. Back at the main stage, Brit James Holden made the most of his two hours, putting on an exhibition in deep, dark experimental techno. Easily one of the most talked about headliners ahead of the festival, Holden delivered the most entrancing musical journey of the day. However, for those looking to let loose to a few old favourites, Cyril Hahn’s remix-heavy set provided an outlet for punters to unleash their inner weakness for R&B classics like Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body and Destiny’s Child’s Say My Name.
As the sun finally set on the festival, the day’s main attraction DJ Koze proved his mastery on the decks as he meticulously built upon melodic house, all the while lighting up the steadily clearing sky. While Koze largely shied away from 2013’s Amagdala stylings, he had no problem keeping the crowd on their toes as he closed out the night.
As festivalgoers made their way back into the real world of 2014, it was apparent that with its stellar lineup, postcard worthy location and carefree atmosphere, it wouldn’t be surprising if Let Them Eat Cake is a New Year’s Day staple for years to come.
BY LAUREN GILL
Loved: People using trash bags as ponchos.
Hated: Sporadic weather.
Drank: G&T.
