Beyond The Valley’s inception suggests that competitors might have a challenger hot on its heels for the famed New Years eve entertainment slot.

In the saturated music festival market, how does an organiser’s vision come to fruition?

Firstly, great acts. Admittedly, a bit of luck, but also an attention to detail, and the desire to ensure your guests are well cared for even if there are 12,000 of them. BTV’s initial offering possessed all of these important traits with a fresh new approach.

Technical difficulties on the first day meant all main stage acts started roughly 40 minutes late, and as the crowd numbers swelled, all was instantly forgiven as Perth psych rockers Pond began. A face-melting rendition of ‘Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide’ ensued, before swooning the crowd with their trademark swinging riffs and blues-inspired rhythm.

A testament to the diverse taste of revellers, Kaytranada, Danny Brown and Hermitude’s differing ranges of hip-hop influences kept eyes firmly fixated on the main stage. They followed Aussie up-and-comers The Preatures and Ball Park Music, laying testament to what was a huge year for Australian music in general.

Hatian-born Canadian, Kaytranada showcased the kind ability that has seen the 22-year-old collaborate with French electronic all-rounder, Brodinski in recent times. The adoring crowd reacted to his ability to fuse dance and hip-hop seamlessly. This was the turning point of the evening, as revellers were now warmed up to party ’til sunrise where fan-favourite, Peking Duk, played the kind of club set that, albeit far more commercial, will be remembered as one of the most memorable of BTV 2014.

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The kind of trouble that plagued New Zealand’s BW Summer Festival in Gisborne, which saw law enforcement make 63 arrests while 83 party-goers were injured over the new years period, evaded BTV. While there is always going to be an element of boisterousness, the overwhelming majority remained well behaved, because it simply wasn’t the place to do it. This was a homely festival, seemingly with an unspoken ‘no dickheads’ policy.

The event staff were incredibly helpful when called upon, (particularly when they rescued my previously lost wallet, along with what looked like 50 more) while the event security, in my experience at least, went above and beyond to ensure things ran smoothly.

Bubble soccer and laser skirmish was available for punters to bump into, or shoot your mates/complete strangers, offering an alternative means of entertainment from the frenetic pace of the main stage. Despite the lack of interactive or educational stalls, so well received at Falls Festival with ‘The Village’, for instance, BTV’s simpler approach worked.

The scorching Victorian summer sun (which managed to impact my now-peeling face) was greatly helped by a constant sea breeze, but greater shade options, particularly around the conglomerate of food and drink vans, would have been welcomed, but it didn’t seem to bother many people, I may be nitpicking.

Long queues for showers throughout the morning hours were to be expected, but the usual groans from general camping folk remained in regards to the cleanliness general amenities. A 10,000+ pop-up tent city will do that, though.

For those fortunate enough to have snagged a ‘Lux Camping’ ticket, the dedicated stalls and bars were not to be missed. A 1920s style bar was complimented by a barbershop and bow tie retailer, for anyone wanting to transform their look over an infused tequila or two.

The VIP concourse, noticeably a major focus for organisers, also possessed a hangover spa area, a concierge desk, fully powered deluxe tents, security and mini bars. All this added to the usual VIP fare of private amenities and convenient access to the festival’s attractions.

Central Park, in an alternate location to Main Stage and Pavilion, showcased local aspiring DJs, was always lively. Closing at 9pm each night, it remained a popular destination for campers keen on a pit-stop or something more prolonged, with food and drink stalls within to ensure punters were well fuelled for the long night of dance ahead.

BTV’s laid-back community vibe was excellently portrayed by Husky performing in the early afternoon slots, before revellers were taken on a journey back in time with the intelligent deep house beats of Bakermat. The crowd responded brilliantly to his marquee hit, ‘One Day (Vandaag)’, while the lesser known ‘Ulzicht’, complete with trademark saxophone, looked to have won the Dutch producer a new legion of fans heading into the new year.

As the set came to an end the 23-year-old’s gleeful smile illuminated the stage, as he exclaimed his wholehearted pleasantries to the adoring crowd. A nice moment of true humility, something scarcely seen when artists hit the big time.

Rüfüs’s set to welcome the new year underlined the groups meteoric rise since forming in 2010, and the familiarly sharp production techniques were evident with the expectant crowd lying in wait for BTV’s pièce de résistance.

As midnight approached, there was some initial confusion as to when midnight struck. The Sydneysiders unknowingly played through, and while the countdown may have come a few minutes late, the ticker tape and fireworks set off raucous applause as 2015 was kicked off in style.

Golden Features followed, with ‘Tell Me’, ‘Factory’ and the filthy sounding ‘Guillotine’ ensured few would be leaving early. Following a similarly impressive showing at Splendour In The Grass in July, Australian Tom Stell can expect another busy year on the festival circuit if he so chooses.

For any revellers not back at their camp site, Dom Dolla & Vedran’s closing set in the Pavilion stage was a true highlight. The Melburnian duo paid homage to a brilliant variety of hits that have rocked nightspots from years gone by, sampling Dario G, Steve Angello, Axwell and Trentemoller to name a few.

Keen to observe the forthcoming sunrise among a spotty-clouded sky, a large section grabbed the nearest chair to soak in the scenery of Bass Strait, particularly the cliffs along Cape Woolamai – a poignant end to a few days detached from reality at Australia’s brand new fixture on the festival calendar.

Photos sourced from Beyond The Valley Facebook.

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