Noa Deane Performs On Stage In Front Of A Heaving Byron Bay Audience

The hype was real, but once again Volcom took over Byron Bay’s most notorious evening venue and produced a blur of memories worth trying to recall. 

There were giveaways, bands played, a skate ramp was ridden, art was created on boards, canvas and body, and people drank and perspired throughout.

Noa Deane, aka Blistar, took stage on Friday, switching between his left-handed Stratocaster and Jazzmaster. The appropriate axes for dense chords and noise – all of which were present in heavy doses. We’re not going to tip-toe around any Cobain references. It was all straight outta 1993. New addition, Beau Foster tapped the tubs in accompaniment.

A man wore a mask and a Holden jacket, while hippy-fringed cute girls (who probably aren’t opposed to excessive body hair) bumped between the front bar, smoking balcony and the internal main stage. Dude’s with bowl cuts and earrings sipped Summer Bright tins and followed closely.

It’s always a good sign for a band when a crowd’s active, and this crowd, was really moving – both nights in fact. People pushed, grasping at soaked vintage tees, semi-smiling, semi-gritting their teeth. The room stank and it was wonderful.

So who played besides Noa’s Blister? Drunk Mums, Pandamic, Crum and Squidlicker. A creative list of artist monikers you might say. 

Volcom really wanted to steal our weekends, stretching the whole affair across both nights. It really was enough to destroy half of the next week’s productivity. No doubt Bay Kebabs and The Byron Bay Bakery had their after hours wages covered. 

Take a swipe up top and see what you missed.