An idiot’s guide to spending Falls Festival at Marion Bay
If you’re like any person with half a brain, you’ve probably seen the phenomenal Falls Festival line up year after year and have considered forking...
If you’re like any person with half a brain, you’ve probably seen the phenomenal Falls Festival line up year after year and have considered forking out the cash to spend a few days camping with smelly friends and noisy neighbours all to see some of your favourite bands play. It might be hard to believe that there is no better way to bring in a new year than all of that, but trust me – there isn’t.
This year I managed to snag a ticket to the Marion Bay leg of Falls, and it turned out to be worlds different to the Lorne event I went to last year, which most people are familiar with. Of course, I had never travelled to Tasmania and didn’t realise the weather was so vastly different to Victoria, leading me to under-pack spare socks, jocks and waterproof gear.
While it was a brilliant time, in hindsight I definitely could have used some advice before making the trip to Tassie. So, with some memories made and some lessons learned, here’s an idiot’s guide to having the best time at Falls Festival in Marion Bay.
What To Bring
Sleeping
Firstly, you will want something to sleep in and on, obviously – a tent, sleeping mat and sleeping bag will normally do. A good tent will generally keep you, your belongings (and potentially your one night stand) dry – but only if you remember to zip up the door when you crash into bed. A hard lesson learned.
You may also need a set of noise reducing ear buds to drown out the sounds of your remarkably awake neighbours talking shit at 5am.
Food
If you’ve spent all your cash on your ticket and can’t afford to live exclusively off food trucks, you will definitely need to bring some snacks, so stop in at the Woolworths in Sorell and stock up on meals that will hopefully not make you feel terrible for the three days. My recommendations?
- Canned, non perishable items such as beans and corn
- Muesli bars
- 4kgs of humus
- Bread
- Fresh carrots, apples, bananas etc.
- Weetbix and long life milk
- Doritos
- Seriously, bring as much humus as you can
Don’t worry too much if you run out of food during the festival, though, as there are definitely an abundance of food trucks ready to cater to your every drunken desire. Try one or all of the seven different flavoured deep-fried potato sticks, perhaps.
Clothes
Bring clothes that will keep you dry and warm, ’cause you are almost certainly going to get rained on, at least for a little while. The weather is often amazing, but there are always going to be times you’ll be glad you grabbed that extra layer. Whilst wearing your brand new bush-doof-esque attire will look great on the way to the festival, it probably won’t look particularly good once you’ve been pulled into a pool of mud. My suggestions are:
- A waterproof jacket
- Two pairs of boots to rotate through
- 3 pairs of socks for every day you are camping
- 4 shirts (2 of which you definitely will not wear)
- 3 bottoms, which may or may not match the 2 shirts that you will wear
- A hat, the bigger the better
- 1 pair of speed dealer sunnies
- 1 pair of less-funny sunglasses
Things to do
Visit the Beach
One of the main attractions of the Marion Bay location is the beach that’s a mere 20 minute walk from the main campsite if you follow the correct path – rest assured folks that there is NO shortcut, so don’t even try.
It’s something you can’t find at most festies and definitely worth the walk for some fresh air in the morning. Be warned though, on the walk to the beach you will encounter:
- A person complaining about how long the walk is.
- A guy that insisted on bringing his surfboard.
- Mud. So much fucking mud.
- Thongs that had their pluggas busted and were left for dead on the footpath.
- One pair of abandoned moccasins.
See the acts
Going to a music festival and not going to see any of the acts is generally deemed pointless by most people, and you will probably be called a fuckwit. The main stage is a fantastic place to start if you’re unsure, sporting most of the headliners, and one of the benefits of the Marion location is a good view even if you don’t fancy wading into the pit. Take a picnic rug and sit on the hill and watch from a distance – you’ll get a comfy spot, and be able to pop to the bar to your heart’s content.
Convince the people around you in the mosh pit that you don’t know who is playing
If you do make your way in among the hardcore fans at the front, here’s a bit of entertainment I discovered. It will never not be funny to talk about how you can’t believe that you’re finally getting to see your favourite band AC/DC play during BROODS’ set. Trust me.
Enjoy yourself
Chances are you’ve decided to go interstate to see some awesome bands play and camp with some of your favourite people, so bloody enjoy yourself! Don’t take yourself too seriously, look after everyone, get dirty, hit the beach in your undies, do a shoey or three – and have some bloody fun.
For more of an idea of what you’re in for, check out some of Steph’s shots from the 2016/2017 Falls Festival at Marion Bay: