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Queenscliff, you salty dog. You put on a sun-shiney day that had team Ruby Assembly lolling in the sun on banana lounges and doing some serious badonka-donk dancing to fine music at the festival. QMF was in full swing on Saturday morning, with parking around the quaint seaside town at ‘Collins Street after 5’ levels of ninja sneakiness. I always think that people are at their best at festivals – just check out the cheesers on the crowd around me above. It’s all about lounging, free-association to music, delicious gourmet snacking and the odd icy cider.

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First up was human beatbox extraordinaire and all-around pleasing handsome type Tom Thum. Accompanied by equally talented musician Jamie MacDowell, Thum is an auditory trickster. Not only does he execute percussion with precision from his throat, he also has an array of accents, sound effects and drumnbass sound effects to leave you wondering.
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Ruby Assembly sista Ellana using her iPhone to maximum effect while Tom and Jamie mix their own songs with hip hop classics such as Yo Diggity.

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Sun is shining, the weather is sweet. Makes you want to move, your dancing feet.

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Have hopscotch? Will jump. A highlight of the festival was Vanessa – a TAC project which is essentially an extremely jujjed up ex-Booze bus made for lovin’ you. Also with being able to breathalyze, Vanessa more invitingly offers festival punters banana lounges, beanbags, a photobooth, free water, spin-the-wheel, giant jenga, hopscotch, hoops and a rooftop chill zone with video games. Totally like the Barbie dream house come to life.
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I hear that the Mac Dad will make ya jump, jump. Wearing: Asos.

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The Brown Horn Orchestra mix hip-hop with dub and ska and a good shake of pop. A veritable wall of sound, this five-piece band had chops and energy, and buckets of sweat – just proving how hard they were working to please.

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Keyboards CAN be badass.

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Charmers Busby Marou offer countrified blues and roots for a new audience. Bearded, beatifically smiling and balladic – they had the grand Lighthouse Stage jam-packed.
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I cannot tell you how many photos I took of tub-thumping outfit Saskwatch, headed up by pocket rocket Nkechi Anele. This nine-piece powerhouse of sixties-styled funk and soul feels like a retro girl group for a modern Australia. You can’t take your eyes off Anele, who struts, pouts and gyrates her way through the Saskwatch set, singing her lungs out. And what lungs. Also, big props to her for her super short mini dress and socks combo.
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It seems that Saskwatch simply can’t go wrong – from their cover of ‘Kids’ through to their pumping horn section. Make tracks to see them next time they’re in your town.