We were two girls. They were 25 bands spread over three rooms in the Exchange Hotel. Our task was to attend Essential Festival and live to tell the tale. But there was a complication. Student poverty dictated that we must brave Essential without the aid of glorious alcohol. It was going to be a long night.

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6.00pm – Cloud Control
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Cloud Control are probably one of my favourite bands right now and I was excited to see them live. As we ran down the stairs of Oxford Art Factory, the dulcet tones of “Death Cloud” were already floating up back to us. Oxford Arts has the uncanny ability to put me in a bad mood the moment that I step into it. Somehow though, the magic of Cloud Control was SO strong that it was able to counter the legions of douchebags who’d been drinking vodka redbulls since 3 in the afternoon.

The Clouds played a beautifully mesmerising set that had everyone in the crowd smiling, and occasionally, dancing. When at last I heard the familiar jingle-jangle guitar of my favourite song, “Buffalo Country”, I was very nearly in love with everyone in the room. Cloud Control recently signed a deal with Ivy League Records and are working on their debut album. If this set was anything to go by, the release is going to be something really special.

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6.30pm
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Cloud Control left the stage and the spell was broken. We suddenly realised we were stuck in Oxford Art Factory without the power of the Clouds to protect us and no band for 30mins. And so we did what any self-respecting individuals would do in a panic of that magnitude. We ran across the road to Brighton Bar…for water.

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7.00pm – The Holidays
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Half an hour later and we felt confident enough to head back to Oxford Arts. Unfortunately, The Holidays did not hold the same magic for me as Cloud Control. I can only speak for myself though, a quick glance around the room showed a crowd thoroughly enjoying themselves.

For me, The Holidays just sounded like any old ‘indie’ band trying to emulate some mediocre group from Merry Old England, like the Kooks or something similar. A few catchier numbers showed potential but could not hold our attention for long. We took some snaps and left, unable to stand the slurred cries of, “Play ‘Holiday’! Nahhh, play ‘Holiday’! NAAAH, PLAY ‘HOLIDAY!’” from some drunk guy behind us any longer.

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7.30pm – DZ
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On the other hand, DZ made Essential Festival TOTALLY worthwhile! I’d heard many good things about this Brisbane duo but had not yet had a chance to see them live. Suffice to say, expectations were high and they still completely surpassed them.

With the guitar and drum kit combo, you could perhaps liken them to The Mess Hall. In reality though, DZ are like nothing you’ve ever heard before. They have a ferocious energy mixed with a “don’t care” attitude, tearing through the upbeat set like men possessed. The sound was so unbelievably loud and abrasive that I’ve had a ringing in my ears for three days and don’t particularly mind. New favourite band? Yes indeed.

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7.50pm – Belles Will Ring
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We had to skip the last ten minutes of DZ to catch our favourite lo-fi psych rockers, Belles Will Ring, play next door at Spectrum. I’ve seen the Belles play so many times but am never disappointed. They treated the crowd to a lovely mix of old and new music, including all the favourites from Mood Patterns and a selection from Broader Than Broadway.

I am always blown away by the complexity of the melodies and harmonies in a Belles set, displayed most eloquently in “The Coldest Heart.” That song is an absolute masterpiece, it literally gives me the shivers. Too soon the Belles were announcing their goodbyes and we left Spectrum in quite a mellow and contemplative mood.
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