Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk: House Party Review

Bri D
Nov 23, 2024
5 min read

In another loss to the festival scene this year, Spilt Milk devastated (and kind of ticked off) fans earlier this year with their interesting announcement that the 2024 event would not be going ahead, another victim of the ongoing industry crisis. While they’re not the only event to have cancelled, either for now or forever, I admire the tenacity of Spilt Milk’s organisers. Yes, we couldn’t have an all-day event but we should at least have something, right?

So the team went home and begged their mother to let them throw House Party instead! Described by the team as a ‘wittle baby’ festival, House Party took place over two weekends, with two days in Perth and a day each in the Gold Coast and Newcastle. The event emulated a get-together with your friends, if your friends happened to include Aria award winners and British rock sensations.

With a full line-up including Artemas and Glass Animals, I’ll be focusing on the three Aussie artists that featured in this review of what happened at House Party 2024 at Kombumerri/Gold Coast on October 23rd, 2024.

The Event

House Party presents a bit of a dilemma. It’s born from an ongoing financial crisis, so money is an issue. And if you’re running a musical event, the main draw should be the music, right? So, while the festival set-up with simple – a few foodtrucks, a bar and the merch stand, plus an activation hub – the line-up was outstanding. With only five sets (plus an interim DJ) it’s clear that the priority was getting together a group of artists who were going to deliver a hell of a show.

This wasn’t an all-out rager, but it didn’t have to be. If you’re looking for a full festival experience, Spilt Milk is slated to return in 2025, and I’m sure it’ll be back with a bang next year. But the stripped back, music-oriented House Party is another great one-stage micro-festival, the sort of which has been becoming popular more recently as a compromise that means fans can stay connected with the festival experience even if a multi-day or two-stage event is a bit out of reach at the moment. Even when Spilt Milk comes back, I’d love to see House Party stay on for a more casual offering in the music scene that could even be adopted in a few more cities.

The Music

I won’t touch on Artemas and Glass Animals, other than to say that House Party snagged a few great international acts for this one. Instead, I’ll stick to the locals and it can’t get more local than DJ Bill Durry welcoming guests to the party with his bouncy house and dance beats. Durry would continue to pop up on the side of the stage throughout the event, keeping the party going between the five main acts. He not only curates a great set for himself, but he also entertains the crowd with his dance moves, prompting the audience to get involved as well. Even getting kicked off-stage didn’t stop his music; Durry continued to pop back on to remind us he was still on aux even as stage crew took over.

Our first main act of the day was Brisbane singer, Sycco. The recent recipient of the J Award for Australian Album of the Year, Sycco has been gearing up to take the award-winning album on tour next year. Her set at House Party served as a great way to preview what audiences were in store for then, with Swarm, Monkey Madness and The End showcasing Sycco’s range as a musician and ability to get a crowd excited. Sycco’s dreamy vocals and energetic sound were a sweet welcome to the afternoon crowd. Sycco was a winner as one of the opening acts, but not the only winner of the day at all… literally!

With the ARIAs taking place only the week before, it was great to see G Flip take out the prize for Song of the Year with The Worst Person Alive (Number 1 in our hearts, G!) and naturally this had to be the song G Flip ended their set with. Before we got there, though, G Flip gave us a kick-ass performance, showcasing their drumming talent which the crowd always froths for. Rough saw G joined at the front of the stage by the band to perform an epic drum trio, a special moment that each avid fan of the performer looks forward to in the set. G’s electric energy is incredible to witness live: they sing beautifully, belting powerful notes, while dashing around the stage and into the crowd. Songs like Gay 4 Me and Get Me Outta Here drove the audience wild and our sing along with G Flip’s cover of Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift might have secured a few votes for the song in this year’s Hottest 100.

Taking to the stage after G Flip was another ARIA winner, with Aussie icon Troye Sivan taking out three categories (Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, and Best Pop Release). Hot off the back of the Sweat tour with Charli XCX, Troye delivered a phenomenal performance featuring a crew of dancers and stunning choreography. Troye began with a dreamy rendition of Got Me Started. He had the audience sub in and sing for Ariana Grande during his performance of Dance To This, and Charli XCX for Talk Talk and 1999. And for STUD and Rush he delivered some sizzling hot dance moves with his group, delighting and exciting fans. Sivan cemented for newcomers why he’s as well-renowned as he is and why they should follow along for the ride.

The Finale

After the final act of the night, it was time to hit the food trucks and merch stands for those of us who had been pinned to the barricade all day. There didn’t seem to be a great rush to get out, with attendees revelling in the fresh air of the cool night. Some of us went to the nearby Broadwater playground while others waited for their lifts, sitting in the grass to relax and wait. The performers and crew were straight to work on pack-up to prepare for the Newcastle event on Sunday.

I’m excited to see Spilt Milk return next year, and wish the festival and its team the best for transitioning back into the all-day event. But I think there’s a place for these smaller, intimate and easy events. Micro-festivals in their first year or two are acting as a temporary replacement for bigger, more expensive shows. They’re given to audiences almost like a consolation prize – “Sorry we couldn’t give you the festival you deserve, but maybe this will make up for it,” is said in an apologetic tone by the few management groups that do give us that rather than leave us with nothing at all.

House Party wasn’t Spilt Milk and it shouldn’t have to be. It was its own, much needed, variety of music event. It reminded me of Gang of Youths’ festival A More Perfect Union. A one-stage evening show that delivers five-hours of high-quality music and offers flexibility in how that’s enjoyed. In future, I hope House Party can become the little sibling to Spilt Milk’s grander party. Stick around, join the fam. But if not, thanks for the invite this year!

My mum said you can come over again if you want!