My first overseas music festival and they definitely do it a little different to home.
One step in front of the of the other, striving towards the main entrance, overwhelmed at the amount of people and wondering how long you can hold until you reach the nearest Port-a-loo, cheapest plastic bottle of wine in one hand, excitement in the other and a purse lacking money but overflowing with Gopro’s and disposable cameras(to allow us to connect the dots of the day’s events which will surely have been forgotten),lip balm(because no one wants wind burn when swinging your hair around so much), rain coats(the typical tourist ones with a big ‘I Love Paris’ on the back that you would prior laugh at people for wearing are definitely the go)… you know the festival essentials. I have passed the first guard gladly handing over the wine I have dragged along with me on two trains and a shuttle bus earlier. But there it is the heavenly sign that holds high into the clouds and by the looks of it, it spells out the words L-O-L-L-A-P-A-L-O-O-Z-A. And that’s not just any sign, now that’s the sign of a good time, I’m sure of it!
Surrounded by floods of crowds and you soon notice the little differences to what your used to. One main difference…the clothes! Unfortunately, the weather turned just in time for the festival and we soon found ourselves looking forward to an overcast day with spotted showers. So here comes the differences, Aussies go all out for the perfect ‘indie’ outfit that will enhance their sunny, bohemian lifestyle portrayed on Instagram. Cold or not we will wear next to nothing with excessive amounts of glitter to attempt to stand out from the crowd and maybe even get a little smooch or a guy offering a shoulder ride in the mosh. Now the Europeans dress for comfort with their joggers and all important hoodie to complement their outfit. You can only imagine how easy it is to spot a fellow Aussie to get friendly with.
As far as festival prep goes never can I say I have pre-drinked in the gardens by The Louvre with the Eiffel tower in the background. Now that’s definitely not your usual bevy’s around a crowded table with plastic chairs in someone’s volunteered backyard.
They bring Paris to you without even having to step foot outside the festival and to be honest it was a better Paris to the one beyond the barricades, no smelly streets, scammers or creepy/rude locals to deal with…picture perfect! The grounds were fully equipped with a sparkling Eiffel tower, delicious food to help your cravings (or soak up some alcohol) and a bursting vibe like none other. There was one slight problem the toilet line went for days and was moving at the pace of growing grass. So, that’s where you must sort your priorities, more specifically how high on the list you decide to put your bursting bladder in comparison to a killer set you will most likely miss out on; that everyone will surely be raving about a day later.
The line-up of this two-day festival was enough to have you in awe! Skepta, Imagine Dragons, Glass Animals, The Weekend, London Grammar, Martin Solveig, Tom Odell, Alt J, Lana Del Rey, Dj Snake and Red Hot Chili Peppers …just to name a few. There was certainly no shortage of dancing like an idiot that’s for sure!
Which brings me to my next difference. People don’t really dance in day time. It’s as if the Parisians are too scared of being judged for letting loose or something??? I don’t know? But you’re lucky to get a sway out of them in an upbeat song. And then there’s me in la la land skipping and twirling attempting to gain a community of those willing to boogie in a space squishier than the middle seat of a car… I’m not going to lie I rounded up a decent amount of people. We definitely showed them how we do it in AUS, then we did it all again ready for another day!
This is the equation I came up with for the mornings bus ride ahead to Amsterdam
Hungover + Exhaustion – Sleep +/- Food + 5 hrs crammed on a bus = Torture (but good memories!)
Merci Beaucoup Lolla ill catch you next time!
Next stop Amsterdam
