It’s the last Saturday of January 2023 and the weekend is set to be a scorcher. Triple J is having their Hottest 100 countdown on the airwaves, while over in sunny, coastal Wollongong, Dalton Park is hosting the chilled out alternative music festival Summersalt.
Hundreds of music lovers make their way into the park grounds, camping chairs in hand, finding the best spot for the day ahead. First on stage was folk-pop singer Alex the Astronaut. Accompanied by a drummer and bass player Alex helped set the lighthearted mood of the festival early on.
After a short break with the sun continuing to get even hotter, Aussie indie rockers Middle Kids took to the stage with some of the audience’s favourite indie hits like ‘Stacking Chairs’ & ‘Edge of Town’.
Next up the indie-rock continued with local boys The Rubens. ‘My Gun’ had everyone singing along, beer in hand. The band even trialed a new song live from their upcoming new album. The hugest response from the crowd was for the bands hit ‘Hoops’ which actually won the Tripe J Hottest 100 back in 2015.
Now the time had come that many eager fans in the audience were waiting for. City and Colour walked on stage braving the heat as Dallas Green explained that there is a blizzard back home in Canada right now. Dallas’s honey-dripped vocal tone set the afternoon and surroundings perfectly. A large crowd had gathered in the standing section to witness tracks like the acoustic driven ‘Sleeping Sickness’ and the heartfelt ‘Lover Come Back’.
Even more people had amassed down the front standing section as the second international artist was about to start. American singer-songwriter Ben Harper walked on stage to huge cheers from the crowd even accepting a flower crown from a fan that he wore during his first songs. A young fan vocally let Ben know he was also a guitarist then had his day made by receiving a signature guitar slide from the man himself. Ben’s music talent was shining brighter than the glowing sun as his soulful voice captivated us during ‘Diamonds on the Inside’. Unexpected covers of Memphis Minnie/Led Zeppelin’s ‘When The Leeve Breaks’ and Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ had the whole crowd in full voice.
As the sun was setting, it was almost time for the festivals headliner. The news had just broke that the Triple J Hottest 100 2022 winner Flume (ft. MAY-A) was revealed. So the timing could be more perfect as 2010 winners the beloved Angus and Julia Stone appeared to begin their set. The largest crowd of the day was down the front out of their seats to see the brother and sister duo. Angus was effortlessly cool throughout showcasing some of his own Dope tracks. While the adorable Julia’s vocals had the crowd swooning. Playing a cover of Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ was a welcome surprise from the folk siblings. ‘Big Jet Plane’ lifted everyone’s spirits before the ever-eager crowd chanted for an encore, and the duo closed their set with the mellow ‘Santa Monica Dream’.
Summersalt festival Wollongong was the picturesque coastal day that many have longed for. The mercury may have been pushing towards 40 but the crowds age was varied. A shared love of live music bringing many together for an unforgettable summer’s day of Australian and international artists.
(photos by Christian Ross)
