SPIN OFF 2022 RECAP

A stacked line up? Check.
Adelaide Showgrounds? Check.
Sold out? Check.
Food trucks? Check.
Crazy art installations? Check.
Roaming shamans and The World’s Largest Doofstick? Check.

Yep, we’re back and better than ever.

Spin Off 2022 was Five Four Entertainment’s first major festival back since the COVID-19 pandemic and it has truly been a long time coming. After 3 years of delays, cancellations, and stops and starts, the thousands of people in attendance were bursting to see this love of music and community come together in full force.

Walking around the site was refreshing to say the least. Stacks of food trucks covering anyone’s personal preferences, boutique and vintage fashion stalls kept any punter festival-look ready, and the Ferris wheel was packed and spinning well into the night. Crazy art installations kept everyone engaged with mirror and distortion effects and wild alternate realities.

What everyone was truly there for though was the music and the rush towards the stage was immediate from the jump.

The day part of the festival saw Australian music’s modern-day heroes take the stage, including Teenage Joans, Beddy Rays, The Chats, G Flip and Genesis Owusu. What made this extra special was that international acts had finally hit Adelaide stages once again.

Canadian pop superstar Tate McRae and American-based Oliver Tree received massive reactions from the crowd upon their entry. After such a long time, this was a reminder that Spin Off was a festival back to full power.

With the night rolling in and a totally packed tent, Ball Park Music showcased a headline-worthy set most acts can only dream of achieving. They’re easily one of Australia’s best musical exports, hands down. One of the tightest performances of the night. The crowd was in full response for every song, jumping and dancing for She Only Loves Me When I’m There, screaming for Sad Rude Future Dude and swaying in blissful union for Cherub.

After they were done, it was hard to believe there were three more acts left. That was until Jack Harlow hit the stage.

Jack Harlow’s set was simply incredible, self-proclaiming that Spin Off was one of the best crowds he had ever played for. He was expertly weaving his flow between the tracks, including Australian references and engaging with the crowd all at once. Along with his stand-alone hits getting huge love, the reprise of his track INDUSTRY BABY with Lil Nas X genuinely brought the loudest crowd sing-along I have ever heard in my life. I watched Jack take a few steps back in disbelief on the screen. I shared the same disbelief from the back of the crowd.

I will never forget that set.

It was then back on to Australia’s best to show us how it’s done.

Spacey Jane switched up the energy of the room to a kicked-back party with your friends, and the crowd ate it up. Tight performances, huge stage presence and vocals all around with a really impressive light show gave the enormous crowd an almost spiritual uplift.

It was on Glass Animals to send this massive day home and they did not disappoint. The crowd gave all the energy they had left, dancing and screaming along to songs like Tangerine, The Other Side Of Paradise, and finishing with their smash hit Heat Waves to cap off a truly wonderful festival.

I get home wrecked, but happy and with plenty of stories to tell.

Spin Off 2022 was a complete success.

We did it, Adelaide. We’re back.

Words by Brad Rankin

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