A Collage Of Pure Joy

Sure Splendour In The Grass seems like a lifetime ago now but we’re still happily daydreaming about it here in the office in between pretending to know what we’re doing and managing a hangover.

Reminiscing I think they call it. A favourite past time of ours especially when it comes to relieving seeing our artists like Little Simz and IDLES completely outdo themselves. For this year’s Splendour In The Grass we handed a camera and a fluro vest to Alannah Walton and let her roam around the grass like a little spring chicken. Here’s her recap of one of our favourite weekends of the year, every year.

- Photos and words by Alannah Walton.

About a month ago, I was on a family holiday in Thailand. I was sitting pool-side with Dad. A nibble of a brownie and a few mango daiquiris later, I’m spitballing life ideas. All the things coming up. Do I like what I do? Do I like where I live? What are my passions? What the fuck am I doing..? so on and so on. After some chatting we were narrowing down the things that make me tick in life. Music, photography, and being stupid with friends. So I grabbed my bestie and Monster Children let us do just that. 

Notes from Day 1

First day fever kind of got the better of us. When I say kind of, it totally did. We arrived around 3pm, after a good pre drink. First stop, a full loop to get our bearings. One thing I love about Splendour, is the smorgasbord of people you find. We have real hippies, fake hippies, babies in prams, too many see through sequin skirts and crop tops, sober people having a wholesome weekend, and plenty of people off their heads. Quite beautiful. Also.. do young girls not feel the cold? Mental.

After a good run around accidentally drinking a few too many vodka red bulls, we throw on our fluro vests for the first time and headed into the pit.  070 Shake. Seriously. Can she get any hotter? After being mesmerised by her whole thing, trying to take some shots and nothing… Camera malfunction, right now.. unreal. 

After relentlessly pressing the shutter trying to figure it out, turns out it was just my first day fever. I’d finished the roll. Simple as that. Idiot. Luckily, Sol’s on the tools too, and he’s getting the shots. Which a lot of these will be. Note to self, stay clear of the red bulls tomorrow. 

We trotted our way over to Loyle Carner. Was it just me or could nobody hear him? Nontheless, still a hard vibe. I was on my way to watch The Grogan’s. I love them. Then the god damn Teepee Forest dragged me in for a quick boogie and I missed it. Ocean Alley, probably my favourite performance of the weekend. I hadn’t seen them yet, so it was my Core Aussie Moment. I got seriously stuck into some sing alongs. Arm in arm with a beautiful woman I’d just met. She had short hair and was covered head to toe in tats. If you’re reading this, you were fun. 

Randomly came across a tent with the put put golf set up. Got a hole in one. Had a lot of laughs with strangers. Sunshine! Heart to hearts with old friends. Sleazy chats from sweaty men, who were clearly Dad’s on their weekend off. That’s kind of a kick in the guts to humanity. Anyway. Ate the best lasagna of my life. Talked shit with Sol by the fire until 3am. Day 1 fun - check. Tomorrow, water. 

Notes from Day 2

A slow morning. Started late afternoon with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Those guys are unreal. The crowd was throwing themselves up against the metal hard. Almost too hungover to handle it, but so epic. 

Stayed put in the Amphitheatre for Sam Fender & The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. So good. She’s a bloody rockstar. Arlo Parks. Wow. Little Simz. Shit, she made my Splendour. True fucking star. 

Somehow pretty sober found myself in my favourite corner again for a couple hours, the Teepee Forest.

Last but not least. Back for the lasagna. Water.

Notes from Day 3

The morning I realised I don’t have as much juice as I thought I did. Especially when the heavy rain came in. I bailed, and went to bed at 6pm.

Overall, epic weekend. So many smiles and boogies. Shot amazing people. Had a ball. Thank you Splendour and and thank you MC.

- Alannah