Review: Good Things @ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
TISM performing at the Melbourne leg of Good Things 2022. Image: Tyler Jenke
Review: Good Things festival at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, 2nd December, 2022.
The last time the Good Things festival took over Australia, the world was very different, unaware of what would happen just months after December of 2019. Now, after three long years, the beloved heavy festival is back for its long-awaited third edition.
Announcing its lineup in June, the festival scored some major drawcards thanks to the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Deftones, NOFX, and a reformed TISM, playing their first shows in 18 years (not 19, as seems to be spouted at every turn). A stellar lineup for its myriad fans, the countdown to Good Things was a long one.
A diehard TISM fan, I made the decision to follow my first festival around the country, planning to head along to the Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane legs of the festival to see one of my all-time favourite bands. Though I’ll admit the occurrence of some recent secret warmup shows somewhat negated the necessity, the experience truly kicked off on Friday, 2nd December at Flemington Racecourse when Good Things launched its 2022 edition in Melbourne.
Kicking off the day with the recently-added Adelaide duo Teenage Joans, the pair launched proceedings with a powerful set full of youthful pop-punk anthems, cementing themselves as true future stars of the genre.
On a personal level though, one of the most-awaited acts of the day was a reformed Kisschasy, appearing live for the first time since 2015 to play their 2005 debut, United Paper People, in full. A moment to treasure for all alt-rock diehards, the set wasn’t one rooted in nostalgia, but rather a chance for all those who were there back in the day, or have since discovers the true Aussie classic, to show their appreciation in the live setting once again.
Iconic cuts like ‘This Bed’, ‘The Shake’, ‘Face Without A Name’, and ‘Do-Do’s And Woah-Oh’s’ helped to prove why Kisschasy are still favourites, and hopefully planted the seed that a full-blown return isn’t just preferred but officially demanded.
Swedish punks Millencolin found themselves tearing up the main stages as part of their long-awaited return, before homegrown heroes the Cosmic Psychos gave fans a true education in blue-collar pub-rock. Many a tinnie was a sunk in anticipation of the beloved group’s stellar set.
German electronic hardcore outfit Electric Callboy undeniably garnered one of the biggest crowds of the early afternoon, with legions of fans gathering to witness their genre-defying, costume-changing brilliance. Immediately, the audience demographic switched entirely as a swap-out took place to make way for the return of Italian metal outfit Lacuna Coil, whose set featured their enduring cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’.
Again, the local talent was on full display as recent additions You Am I fished out a set full of classic tracks. An unpopular opinion from me may be that You Am I did feel like an odd fit for a festival such as this, but given their fervent fanbase and ever-impressive performances, it’s hard to argue with the quality they showcased.
Florida outfit Sleeping With Sirens helped to underline one of the day’s biggest issues, with relatively poor sound throughout the majority of the venue doing a disservice to many of the bands on offer. Though fine at some points, Sleeping With Sirens’ musical makeup was undeniably worse for wear as a result, resulting in one of a few sound-related issues for the day.
Back on the main stage, the great TISM made their festival return, with reflective silver suits and towering inflatable headwear pairing their early-‘00s outfits with their iconic Big Day Out costumes. Boating the same set as their previous shows, the group were in fine form, backed by a group of tradies on stage (the target of Ron Hitler-Barassi’s ‘That’s Why I Became A Tradie’ diatribe) who eventually emerged from smoko to knock up a misspelt ‘TISN’ sign.
In addition to throwing the sign into the crowd at the end and belting ‘signed’ tennis balls into the audience during ‘Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me’, it was sight to behold. To sum it up succinctly though, I’ll defer to my wife, whose first time experiencing the band was met with the phrase, “I was left with more questions than answers after seeing them”.
Californian punks NOFX appeared on the main stages next, with frontman Fat Mike confidently asserting the group’s status as “the best band of the day”. Though billed to play the entirety of 1994’s Punk In Drublic album, a noted reluctance saw a surprising actual performance of the record paired by a handful of other classics in a typically brilliant, though spotty (as is standard) set from the beloved (and soon-to-be defunct) punk icons.
Fellow Californians the Deftones took over the main stage next to showcase their ethereal metal stylings. Again, I present myself as a large Deftones fan, though a band such as this requires near-perfect sound for their music to truly be effective, especially when it comes to frontman Chino Moreno’s voice. Though the group were indeed exceptional, they again were another victim of the festival’s poor sound, though what they lacked in the fortitude of speakers, they made up for in fury and enthusiasm.
Perhaps unsurprisingly though, one of the day’s biggest highlights was that of Regurgitator. The beloved Aussie icons, tucked away on the side stage, commanded their faithful audience with one of the most enthusiastic, energetic, and mesmerising sets of the entire festival. Pairing iconic hits (who can ever go past the sheer brilliance of the vulgar ‘I Will Lick Your Arsehole’?) with exceptional performance style and stellar musicianship, they also featured possibly the best sound of the day, and were arguably winners of the entire festival (or at least out of those I was able to witness).
Closing out the day was English pop-metalcore legends Bring Me The Horizon. A far cry from their early deathcore days, the Sheffield outfit’s amazing rise to fame throughout the pop world was well received by their myriad fans, with intricate stage production and powerful performances helping accompany a set leaning heavily on recent albums. Again, though consummate professionals in their craft, they too were another band marred by poor sound – something of a tragic oversight for the festival’s headline band.
Despite the poor sound in many cases, the first leg of the 2022 edition of Good Things felt like a widespread success, and undeniably shows the Australian music scene that this is a festival whose return has been hotly-anticipated for an incredibly long time now.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s wrap-up on the Sydney leg of the festival.
This review is part of a series of articles on the 2022 edition of Good Things. For reviews of the Sydney and Brisbane legs, click the appropriate links.
