The nostalgia industrial complex is real. As time marches on and the bands of the ’90s and 2000s become legacy acts, tours featuring those bands are at an all-time high. You need only look at the huge popularity – and memeability – of the American festival When We Were Young, which acknowledges the fact in its very name.
Good Things feels like the antipodean equivalent. The touring festival, established in 2018, is the successor to defunct heavy music festivals such as Soundwave, but there’s a stronger feeling of nostalgia, particularly this year. It isn’t just for the pop-punk, emo and metal types, either – there are surprising inclusions, such as new wave legends Devo and a slew of ’90s Australian acts including Eskimo Joe, Spiderbait and Jebediah.
There’s a palpable sense of giddy joy walking through the gates in Melbourne for the festival’s 2023 kickoff (December 1). Live band karaoke takes over a small stage, and the sound of someone putting their all into a rendition of Blink-182’s ‘Dammit’ reminds us where we are. A tattoo parlour is on hand for those who really want to remember the day.
Good Things’ line-up this year drew criticism for its lack of gender parity, with only seven of 31 acts including at least one non-male member. The Japanese all-female metalcore band Hanabie is the day’s most surprising and memorable set: their cutesy, self-described “Harajuku-core” aesthetic belies their aggressive musical style, with singer Yukina alternating between high-pitched clean vocals and guttural screaming. It’s an impressive performance and judging from the crowd’s rapt reaction, Hanabie might have walked away with a few new fans – more proof that diversifying line-ups pays off in multiple ways.
Another of those acts is Sydney pop-punk band Stand Atlantic. Dressed in matching neon green, the band gives an early energetic set, with leader Bonnie Fraser delivering strong vocals, excellent crowd interaction and impressive high kicks as she performs songs such as ‘Hate Me (Sometimes)’. When Fraser asks the crowd to put their arms around the person next to them, she adds, “if you’re allowed to – don’t be a fucking weirdo” – a reminder of the importance of making live music safer and more inclusive.
Issues with sound plague multiple acts throughout the day, beginning with Enter Shikari, who are muddied in the mix. Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara is inaudible when the band’s set kicks off, but it’s a glorious ride once the sound improves. Lazzara delivers his infamous mic swing through classic early-aughts emo tracks such as ‘Cute Without the E (Cut from the Team)’, ‘Liar (It Takes One to Know One)’ and ‘MakeDamnSure’. Unsurprisingly, it’s these tracks that get the biggest reactions and singalongs.
A sea of red energy domes greets Devo. Mark Mothersbaugh and co put on a hell of a performance, including a changing lighting rig and an array of matching outfits. Hearing ‘Whip It’ live is surreal, though ‘Mongoloid’ hasn’t aged as well – its subversive message is lost with the repeated use of the slur. Still, it’s a colourful and compelling set from the 50-year veterans, and a welcome change of pace.
Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst has had a makeover over the last few years, almost unrecognisable in a cowboy hat and wig. “We know why you’re here,” Durst says before opening with 1999’s ‘Break Stuff’. Whatever you think of Limp Bizkit’s music, the set is buckets of goofy fun, from ‘My Generation’ to ‘Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)’. Durst stops the set during ‘Faith’ to ensure the safety of a punter who is having a seizure before getting right back into it. They end by playing ‘Break Stuff’ for a second time.
It’s not just the crowd that’s feeling nostalgic – some of the performers are, too. Eskimo Joe’s Kav Temperley pays tribute to Icehouse with a rendition of ‘We Can Get Together’, while Tasmania’s Luca Brasi bring their triple j ‘Like A Version’ cover of the ’90s tearjerker ‘Iris’ to the live arena.
Both Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump of headliners Fall Out Boy share their childhood memories of going to gigs (or not going, in Wentz’s case: he’s still sore about missing out on Metallica, but Stump has fond memories of his first-ever show, Midnight Oil) before a medley including a stop-start piano version of ‘Beds Are Burning’ and Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.
Fall Out Boy’s career-spanning set is an absolute delight from start to finish: a huge animatronic talking dog, sea-themed stage, a gnarled old tree and flames shooting out of guitars are just a few of the high-production touches. New songs from latest album ‘So Much (for) Stardust’ sit alongside classics such as ‘Grand Theft Autumn (Where Is Your Boy)’, ‘Dance, Dance’ and ‘This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race’. Stump’s instantly recognisable voice sounds as clear as ever, and – that nostalgia again – the band close with ‘Saturday’, as they always have, with streamers raining down on the crowd.
Good Things’ size proves that these bands and genres are not the underground or niche offerings they once were. It may well end up being the summer festival to fill the gap left by Big Day Out – this year’s Melbourne edition is the perfect way to kick off the season.