The line-up included local acts Ngaiire, Milan and Band of Brothers, but it was the international acts that really pulled the crowd. Mos Def, Maxwell, Common and D’Angelo shared a total of 52 Grammy award nominations with the rest of the international acts, a line-up that impressed even Questlove.
No surprise, then, that virtually no-one applied for a refund when the local stage in Melbourne was canned 90 minutes before the Soulfest Melbourne gates were opened.
Luckily for us in Sydney this didn’t happen, and Ngaiire proved to be one of the standout acts, despite being allocated a meagre 20-minute slot.
However, Sydney had unwelcome surprises of its own. The crowd was informed 15 minutes before Mos Def was to hit the stage that he wasn’t going to be performing. Local band Miracle moved up from the local stage to replace Mos Def, and although they looked and sounded stoked, Mos Def’s shoes were far too big for them to fill, and the disappointment was tangible.
The low vibe didn’t pervade long; the weather and location were both too nice, and both Aloe Blacc and Common lifted spirits with solid performances. Common’s DJs provided a highlight with a DJ jam that had the crowd screaming for more, and Aloe Blacc satisfied with hits “Wake Me Up” and “I Need A Dollar”.
Punters certainly weren’t oblivious to the fluctuating sound quality they were subjected to throughout the day, which had a lot to do with 20-minute changeover periods. But it was only with the arrival of D’Angelo that the crowd began to make it known that they weren’t happy.
D’Angelo’s vocals were barely audible for the first half of his set and he was evidently frustrated, changing mics multiple times. It was a thrill to see Pino Paladino in action, but the bass was so overloaded that D’Angelo’s backing singers, who looked like they were doing a great job, were completely lost in the mix.
Anyone keeping up to date with D’Angelo’s latest moves was well aware that he wouldn’t be delivering the smooth R&B set we all secretly wanted to hear. He delivered a heavy set that sounded far more influenced by the likes of Prince than masters Sly & the Family Stone and Curtis Mayfield, who informed his albums Brown Sugar and Voodoo. When the sound finally improved a little, it became evident that he has definitely not lost the vocal prowess of his earlier years.
The smooth R&B set we hoped D’Angelo might deliver was delivered by Maxwell, who wrapped up the night with a stellar falsetto and tunes that had people grooving in the front row and lovers kissing on the grass.
Although the disappointments were many for such a pricey ticket, particularly in terms of the lack of support for local musicians, it was pretty special to have the opportunity to see artists who otherwise wouldn’t have come to Australia. Having said this, Soulfest can’t rely solely on its line-up to draw the punters. Greater sensitivity towards artists and patrons (and perhaps a new promoter) is imperative if Soulfest is to reach its full potential, or even reach 2015.
