Voodoo Experience 2010 (Day Two)

Day two of the festival is sort of a wash. The line up features some better known names like Florence & The Machine, Drake, Jakob Dylan and Die Antwoord, not to mention Ozzy Osbourne as the headliner, but none of these acts are of particular interest.

Florence & The Machine’s set is very well attended. Florence has an incredible voice and she is absolutely able to handle the large stage she’s performing on. The audience is captivated by her freeness on stage; the way she floats around the space is entrancing. She is a wonderful performer who is certainly making a splash in the States, if the crowd at Voodoo Fest is any indication.

Another act that’s extremely crowded is Die Antwoord, a phenomenon that’s a little harder to understand. The performers seem a bit crude, a bit unfinished. Usually this is something that one can work with, enjoy even - a deviation from the polished album. With Die Antwoord, it doesn’t really work, it just sounds off; it almost makes the studio stuff sound unreal.

Originally a solo project that morphed into a full band, New Orleans natives MyNameIsJohnMichael hold their own against both Die Antwoord and Florence & The Machine. Their set is vigorously cheered. They seem to be the epitome of New Orleans Indie Rock, that indie pop sound that is influenced by, and includes, horns. The sound becomes an incredibly uplifting one, it nearly soars with what sounds like optimism.

Drake draws what looks to be the biggest crowd of the day (outside of Ozzy Osbourne of course). Not being a particular fan of hip-hop, the appeal of such acts is a bit lost; the people watching, however, are enthralled. He certainly knows how to captivate his audience through a call and response, and catchy songs. The light show behind him is also pretty amazing.

The highlight of the night is slightly unexpected: Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and Boots Riley (The Coup) with Street Sweeper Social Club, a more hip-hop based and politically inspired (if you can imagine) version of Rage. Riley opens the set by declaring: “We’re more than a band, we are a motherfucking social club and you are all a part of it!’ after, of course, coming onstage to the Imperial Motif from Star Wars. Their entrance is epic, as is their sound and the whole experience of watching them. Street Sweeper Social Club brings you into a politically active, angry world where you actually want to get up and do something. Each member of the band takes complete control of the stage; you can feel the energy washing out, covering the audience. Riley’s powerful vocals dare you to get up out of your apathy and listen, while Morello’s insane guitar skills shake your brain until you sit up and pay attention. As an end to the set, Morello explains: ‘We are here to feed the poor, fight the power, and rock the fuck out!’ And rock the fuck out they certainly do.

As an end to Day Two, Ozzy Osbourne plays the main stage. The crowd is overpowering; not only are there aged viewers, but there’s one kid with a Mohawk headbanging like an old pro on his parent’s shoulders. People scream and rock out. Ozzy appears to be an old, overweight man who is only slightly aware of where he is… though he does seem to love every single second of being on stage doing whatever it is he’s doing. He comes out yelling ‘Let the Madness begin!’, and begin it certainly does. The experience of seeing an idol like this is an unconditionally good thing.