After much anticipation, VANFEST, created by father and son team Grant and Matt Clifton, kicked off with a pre-festival event last night, Friday December 4, in Forbes NSW.
While enjoying a line-up of DJ’s including Kuren, GRMM and KILTER, thousands of festival goers who had travelled to Forbesespecially for VANFEST enjoyed the music, food and open plan setting as they were treated to a Red Bull stunt plane overhead.
Peking Duk were taken on a Joyride in the Red Bull stunt plane which entertained the crowd with flips, corkscrews and tricks in the sky that were not made for the faint hearted. Stacie Todd also overcame her fear of flying when she went on a Joytide in the Red Bull stunt plane over the VANFEST grounds.
International act Rudimental then took to the stage amidst chanting of their name coming from the excited audience. Performing a live set including an array of instruments and vocalists, the UK ‘Band of the Moment’ played for over an hour much to the delight of the crowd who were dancing and singing along with Rudimental’s famous hit songs and throwing their hands in the air to create heart silhouettes in the sky.
Australian duo Peking Duk closed off the night with an energy infused DJ set that left festival-goers begging for more. Surprise guest Illy joined them on stage to provide vocals for a track, in advance of his scheduled performance at tonight’s VANFEST festival.
The pre-festival event saw festival-goers head back to their campsites, conveniently located walking distance from the festival, excited for what is yet to come with tonight’s epic line-up including the multi-platinum selling John Butler Trio headlining alongside ARIA award winning Birds of Tokyo.
Joining them are ARIA award winning, platinum selling, hip-hop sensation Illy, whose lyrical smarts have cemented him as one of Australia’s most exciting artists; the continuously chart-topping, contradictory sounds of alt-dub-rock that are Sticky Fingers; ARIA chart toppers, six timesplatinum selling, record breaking Sheppard, back in Australia after performing at Lollapalooza (USA); Indie Rock / Americana artists Twin Fires; the electro-soul mixes of Bootleg Rascal and resident DJ Stacie Todd.
