Would this have to be the coolest Cool Summer Festival yet? A stellar line up attracted an enthusiastic crowd who were keen to soak up the sun (and a little rain), slopes and scenery. Chilling out with friends with a nice beer or glass of wine was the order of the day, or if you were a kid – sliding down the mountain with the compulsory accessory - a piece of cardboard.
Near perfect conditions on Saturday provided an idyllic backdrop to catch festival highlights including long time music industry stalwarts Nick Barker, The Killjoys and Mick Thomas. Later on at The General Stage, the soothing folksy vocals of Kim Richey were a highlight. Now enter The Re-Mains who wasted no time in pumping out floor filling tunes including a special duo with Nick Barker. These guys got the Genny rocking.
The early signs of Sunday morning indicated that we were going to be in for a repeat of Saturday’s glorious weather. As the crowd started to make their way to the Main Stage Big D (perhaps showing the signs of a little wear and tear from the big night before), The Tyson Hodges Trio made sure they were rewarded for the effort by taking us through a journey of rootsy guitar inspired tunes. Watching drummer Colin Thompson at work was a true highlight of the weekend and The Trio was such a hit that the crowd called for an encore (which they humbly obliged).
Adalita was next on and her dark, mellow material brought on a refreshing change of pace. Perhaps it inspired the thunderstorm that was to follow? Either way it was a real treat to hear some of her new material and to give us a rare preview as to how her new album is shaping up.
A wise executive decision was made to move the last two bands on the Big D Main Stage to the The Genny. The heavens opened up on a scale of grand proportions but it did not dampen the spirit of the crowd (except maybe for the kids who couldn’t use their cardboard slides anymore).
The quality and diverse range of acts ensured that there was something to suit everyone’s taste. With a reputation of providing three days of quality music, the festival is proving to be a winner on the summer events calendar. Here’s hoping for an even bigger Cool Summer Festival for 2011!
Check out photos from this year
right here. And if you have any you would like to share with us, please email to
info@coolsummerfestival.com.
