Starting a new festival in an already saturated market can be a tricky business, but when that festival manages to secure a line up above and beyond anything on offer my interest was more than piqued. Couple that with a laid back, sustainable, arty bent in  beautiful settings along the East Coast and it was a definite recipe for success.

Now just to make you jealous I managed to get along to Harvest festival twice, first in Sydney and then in Brisbane, and both times I was mightily impressed with the vibe, I was definitely amongst a more mature crowd of genuine music lovers here, hooray!

Most importantly the music did not dissapoint, it's been years since I've heard a set as good as the one played by Death in Vegas and my body and mind found whole new places to re-connect.

Even though it's been a few years since TV on the Radio have played here they never fail to play the most solid of shows. With the sun beating down in full force during the Brisbane leg a lesser band may have lost punters to the confines of limited shade, but not these Brooklyn boys, they held the crowd firmly in front, dancing their butts off.

Mercury Rev and Mogwai both played the smaller windmill stage and their moody atmospheric sounds were sometimes at odds with the bright sunny weather at the time, however both bands managed to convey their brooding sonically driven sounds to an enraptured nicely relaxed crowd.

The National are clear favourites having paved their way less than a year ago with sold out shows all over the countryside, and it's safe to say having seen them numerous times that they are a well oiled machine of a live performance.

You know you hear these things like 'you have to see a Flaming Lips live show before you die' and you think 'yeah yeah... that's what they all say...' but really, nothing compares to the chaotic frenzy of pure unadulterated fun that wayne coyne and his counterparts unleash on their unsuspecting crowd. A contstant barrage of confetti and balloons (sometimes with Wayne inside them) assaults the crowd from the get go, and it never lets up.  Wayne Coyne's brilliance is evident in the rapturous faces of a crowd who never knew what a party was until Mr Coyne blasted them with everything in his extensive warped arsenal, do yourself a favour people!! Listen to what THEY say!!! GO AND SEE THE FLAMING LIPS LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE!!!! and find out what living is all about.

To cap off a sensational festival, with a lovely crowd Portishead made their abundantly welcome return after a 15 year abscence. I was super keen to see how their live show would translate, and was gobsmacked at the sound they produced, they didn't falter from the sound of their albums one little bit. The fact that they had graphics on video screens that included one Tony Abbott (leader of the Right wing party in Australia) with red lasers coming out of his eyes only endeared them to my heart and the hearts of my fellow festival companions even more...

Harvest was overall such a fantastic experience for me. Having been declared as a 'festival veteran' myself some years ago it was such a refreshing feeling to head along to a festival again that reminded me of the early fun festy days, when mobile phones and the internet were still just a flicker in the distance, and people went to these festivals to enjoy great tunes, great company and hopefully great weather.  Here's to hoping Harvest makes a very welcome return next year!