Future Music Festival 2014 - RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane 01/03/014

Future Music Festival is one of Australia’s premier electronic music festivals and with this year’s blockbuster lineup, the day delivered Brisbane all the bang-for-their-buck beats and festival vibes punters hoped for.

You couldn’t have asked for festival weather more perfect than the cool breeze and beautiful sunshine of the day. Though it made waiting in a queue a less laborious prospect, the pre-allocated electronic bracelet system made festival entry as breezy as the weather. The only hiccup prior to entry was an embargo on bottles, empty or otherwise, which forced punters to fork out a ridiculous five dollars for water once inside.

DJs hit stages early in the day, Australians leading the way as The Stafford Brothers and Timmy Trumpet gave early risers a taste of local talent, though it wasn’t until the big names began their sets that attendees arrived en masse. The morning did the job of setting the summertime vibes that kept fans stoked for the rest of the day.

As more and more passed the heavy police presence out front and made their way into the luscious greens and browns of the RNA Showgrounds, it became apparent that the Knife Party Haunted House stage was set to be a winner. Massive names aside – it had beautifully efficient air-conditioning that would warm the hearts and cool the sweating, gyrating bodies of thousands of festival-goers.

The Haunted House however, proved to have another defining feature. As Adventure Club took the stage for an upbeat set of their heavy-hitting dubstep-electronica blend, fans were dazzled with an absolutely spectacular lighting display. The gloomy auditorium provided pristine conditions for lighting engineers to show off their skills.

Gallery: Future Music Festival 2014 – RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane 01/03/014

Photos by Rebecca Reid

All acts that graced the stage blew minds, but Knife Party unsurprisingly stood out as the most visually ridiculous. Only the Future Sound System tent provided a similar opportunity, but without the heaven-sent temperature control, it proved a swampy experience. Do yourself a favour and make a trip or three to the dark abyss of the Haunted House.

While toilet, food, and ATM facilities were more than adequate for the number attending, the food situation was as dire as we have all come to expect. Ten-dollar burgers and six-dollar dagwood dogs led more than a few to go without dinner.

Instead, those with eyes set on the main stage feasted upon the delights of Eric Prydz as he ushered in a particularly gorgeous Queensland sunset. The house master was incredibly well received, as all in attendance appreciated the rarity of his appearance in Australia – having cancelled previous tours Down Under due to a flying phobia.

The only blatant problems of the day resided in the timetabling. Chiefly, the switching of drum and bass superhero Sub Focus and popular trap favourite Baauer. Confusion fell when posters strewn throughout the venue indicated a swapping of set times, which according to the FMF app, never occurred. This led to more than a few understandably disgruntled fans missing out on some of the biggest names in their respective genres. Check your timetables closely, kids.

As the night drew to a close, punters were posed an almost impossible decision in picking a headliner with whom to end the day. Those who hit the main stage to witness the world-renowned live show of Deamau5 were treated to the delights of his latest EP and concluded their Future experience with Strobe – the ten minute masterpiece and accompanying visual spectacular that proved a highlight for a fair amount of Future-goers.

It’s almost impossible to get your head around how massive this year’s Future lineup is, but you needn’t worry. Despite a couple of hiccups and a few heartbreaking clashes, it still has all the requisite charm of one of Australia’s favourite summertime festivals. It’s just a little louder this year.

Future Music Festival 2014 comes to Sydney this Saturday — follow all the action at our special FMF 2014 Feed!