Name a better way to say sayonara to 2022 and hello 2023 than sinking your chompers into a three-day music, culture and arts festival amongst the Byron Bay hinterland… I’ll wait.
FALLS Festival, year after year, delivers an incredibly diverse lineup of musicians from across the globe and this year was no different. With headliners including Lil Nas X, Arctic Monkeys and Jamie XX, festival-goers were in for an absolute treat that definitely fell on the sweeter side.
If you didn't get a chance to make it or just want to remain in that festival bubble for a few extra days, we’re recapped our top performers from across the three-day fest. Here is day one…
Lil Nas X captured by Charlie Hardy. Falls Festival 2022/2023
LIL NAS X
Who better to bring in the New Year New Me energy than the fabulously fierce and oh so flexy sexy Lil Nas X. His production pulled out all the stops. Immaculate superstar behaviour. Joined on stage by nine backup dancers who absolutely ATE, Nas led the audience through a tale of genre-bending tracks. As the clock hit midnight, the countdown into 2023 brought with it the country-pop classic 'Old Town Road', which slowly morphed into his 'MONTERO' era and finished up at 'INDUSTRY BABY'. It was GIVING. A mindblowing performance by the highly acclaimed American rapper.
CHOOMBA
If there’s anyone who can get a raging party started, it’s DJ duo CHOOMBA. Bringing their filthy basslines down from the Gold Coast, the team packed out the Galaxy tent with punters ready to dance out all the angst collected across 2022. Their two-hour set maintained a heart-racing pulse, weaving in and out classic tracks from Eminem, Bob Sinclair and Diplo with their bonafide hits LuhLuh and White Mercedes.
A stellar way to kick off the three-day fest, IMO!
The Wiggles captured by Kurt Petersen. Falls Festival 2022/23
THE OG WIGGLES
Serenading a sea of millennials/gen Z’s absolutely (s)living out their childhood dreams, The OG Wiggles took their rightful place on the El Capitan stage as the sun set for the final time in 2022. And boy, did they deliver! The band passionately brought their sing-along classics 'Fruit Salad', 'Hot Potato' and "Big Red Car", which were eaten up with glee and matching dance moves amongst the crowd. Coming left of field, however, was their cover of The Chats’ banger 'Pub Feed' which couldn't have felt more right. Epic. Iconic. Something only The OG Wiggles could pull off.
DMA's captured by Charlie Hardy. Falls Festival 2022/23.
DMA’S
Aussie festival royalty, DMA’s, pulled their usual larger-than-life crowds at the El Capitan stage. With such an unassuming sound coming out of the Sydney-based band, their deep cuts and large sounds saw seas of friends swaying arm in arm while singing at the top of their lungs. Lead singer Tommy O’Dell’s vocals were crisp and clear, while he exercised perfect control and range throughout the set. Their Like a Version cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’ was a standout, with ‘In The Air’ and ‘Delete’ sending nostalgic shockwaves up and over the hill.
AMINÈ
In anticipation of Lil Nas X, US rapper Aminè, aka the absolute hit machine who brings us ‘REEL IT IN’, brought all the energy to the El Capitan stage. His 60-minute set started high, and stayed high. Jumping and pouncing across the podium, taking turns singing a verse, before pointing the mic at the audience who seamlessly filled in the lyrical gaps at the highest volume. The sea of bodies bounced up and down to the beat, creating a hypnotic cyclonic wave of hip-hop chaos of the best kind.
