Words by Christopher Kevin Au
Earlier this year, the chums over at A Current Affair aired a story titled ‘Bali Bogan Backlash’ – ironically enough, to their audience comprised almost entirely of bogans.
You know the core A Current Affair viewer. The sort of people who think that Pauline Hanson has some ‘valid’ points, who treat Tracey Grimshaw’s opinion on dodgy landlords like the irrefutable gospel, who think that blackface is okay because apparently it’s just the reverse of 2004 comedy White Chicks starring the Wayans brothers, and that was a five-star hoot! Perfect, irrefutable logic! Considering these qualities of the standard ACA viewer, it’s funny that they aired the fine journalistic gem that was ‘Bali Bogan Backlash’ – a story about the island’s reputation as a haven for hard-working Aussies to let off a little steam by getting severely buckled for little coin.
Travelling throughout the island, there are still hallmarks that herald Bali’s bogan magnetism: Endless stalls flogging Bintang singlets with navy trimming, bars openly advertising the screening times for all footy codes at the front door, and shirts that have ‘Sponsored By Centrelink’ proudly stamped on the torso. Still, with its brilliant summers and beachside abodes, Bali has also been able to lure in a more ‘refined’ audience over the years. Hip boutiques selling designer swimwear line the streets of Seminyak, while rustic cafes serve acai bowls named after affluent suburbs in Sydney’s east. The island’s grandiose resorts are filled with social media influencers taking postcard-worthy Instagram posts while sexy house music pumps gently in the background, the perfect soundtrack for some tasteful poolside fingerbanging during sunset. There’s even a restaurant called Mykonos, which gives you the Greek island experience in Indonesia, without the hefty flight prices and countless woo-girls.
Some Balinese businesses have caught wind of the island’s two main crowd pools. A stall across the road from our hotel appeals to both by selling Bintang dreamcatchers for $19, a perfect accessory for the free-spirited travel blogger who just wants to get severely trolleyed on Tuesday evening. We all know one, especially one who wears funny sunglasses and flared pants with tribal patterns printed on them #wanderlust #bohemianchic. Others, like Potato Head Beach Club, have managed to transcend Bali’s dominant stereotypes to curate an audience of their own. Standing smack-bang on Seminyak beach since 2010, the venue offers a slick club experience without the pretentiousness, also becoming one of the leading hubs for South-East Asia’s current dance music and festival boom. Having hosted the Indonesian arms of world-class events like Ultra Music Festival and Boiler Room, Potato Head recently hosted their own two-day mini-festival, playfully titled Sunny Side Up.
The festival experience at Sunny Side Up is quite different from what you experience in Australia. Here’s an obvious starter: The front section of the dancefloor is a bloody swimming pool, so anyone wanting to get within high-five distance of the performers has to be submerged in waist-deep water. The option of going for a cheeky dip and practising your backstroke technique while EDM blasts over the speakers is a huge plus, and adds another novel element to the festival. There’s even marine bouncers bobbing around the waters which is a nice, responsible touch.
Also, unlike Australian festivals, pass-outs are definitely a thing. We were staying at Potato Head’s new adjoining Katamama Hotel, so we went back to the hotel room for some sneaky siestas during the intermissions, returning to the festival fully charged up for the headliners. How good is sleeping? The ability to leave a festival to freshen up, change your outfit into something more extra, or drop a log in something which isn’t a damp port-a-loo makes it infinitely more enjoyable. This is the sort of thing that Australians would literally kill a fellow human being for at a multi-day festival. Beware, though – the lychee iced teas at Katamama Hotel are dangerously addictive and I nearly got stuck in the restaurant drinking 17 of these in a row.
Other notable things at Potato Head: A food menu that includes corn on the cob and ice cream sandwiches. Snap-neck table service serving cocktails with lovely names like Bali Sea Breeze that roll eloquently off the tongue. Security guards who are actually smiling instead of looking like you kidnapped their childhood pet. An open-air layout with cushioned seating, a spacious dancefloor, and an upscale Indonesian restaurant on the second level serving crispy-skinned duck with green mango and red chilli radish. When I die, bury me under a generous pile of green mango and red chilli radish.
With all these amenities on deck, you could almost forget that there’s music on offer, except that they’ve flown in some of the world’s biggest names in hip-hop and dance for Sunny Side Up. On headline duties we have Big Sean, the Detroit emcee who’s steadily climbed his into the same conversations with today’s top-tier rappers. Sean even brought his mum along to Indonesia and took her to a Balinese monkey temple before Sunny Side Up. We love it when hip-hop stars are responsible and love their mothers.
Big Sean opens with his own single ‘Moves’ before delving into some choice G.O.O.D Music cuts, with ‘Mercy’ and ‘I Don’t Like’ causing chaos on the dancefloor. Have you ever seen a mosh pit in a swimming pool? I have, it’s during ‘Clique’ and it’s pure poetry in motion. Imagine seeing Slayer at this venue, it has always been my dream to participate in an aquatic circle pit and get elbowed in the forehead. Sean seems to be enjoying the splashing punters in the front row, with gyrating butt-cheeks slapping the water during Nicki Minaj collabo ‘Dance (A$$)’ and a warm response for his thunderous guest verse on Drake’s ‘All Me.’ Sean then yells ‘Lil bitch’ repeatedly (which is charming) before closing off with his own certified bangers ‘IDFWU’ and ‘Blessings.’
Bouncing around the stage in Air Max 90s, British singer Charli XCX is a furious ball of contagious energy with some of the shiniest pop prowess in recent memory. She is seriously working the stage from every angle, and I would probably overdose on Red Bull before engaging in this much strenuous physical activity. Charli played a crucial role in irresistible anthems like Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ and Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’ – both of which she performs tonight – while ‘Break The Rules’ unleashes our inner pimply-faced teenager with its high-school rebel spirit. Can we be 15 years old and wear studded belts again?
Even her more down-tempo single ‘Boys’ induces a hypnotic sway, while Rita Ora duet ‘Doing It’ is our favourite moment, thanks to its undeniable hook that feels like a vacation on record. Also, ten gold stars to Charli for stage diving into the pool at the end of her set. I hope she didn’t have her mobile phone in her denim shorts pocket. A Charli XCX set is pure, unadulterated fun, and when you’re watching her at a beach club lined with palm trees, the carefree factor increases by tenfold. There is no time to think about Donald Trump’s presidency or Sydney’s unaffordable housing market – all your worries subside.
If Charli XCX gets 10 gold stars for jumping into the pool, than Snakehips get at least six gold medals for honouring the Indonesian crowd by dropping ‘Dat Stick’ by the country’s unlikely breakout rapper, Rich Chigga. For all the Australians in the audience, Snakehips’ expansive set also includes Flume and Hermitude, while their Tory Lanez collaboration ‘Dimelo’ has us very excited for the R&B crooner’s upcoming tour Down Under. Shifting effortlessly between hip-hop, house and all the electronic spots in between, Snakehips have seemingly perfected the party set, and conclude with a solid medley from New York hip-hop greats Fat Joe, M.O.P. and 50 Cent. Standing fucking ovation, I hope they saw me leaning back during ‘Lean Back’ and almost falling into the swimming pool.
Bali is a beautiful island with rich heritage, gorgeous scenery and orange skies littered with kites being flown from the shoreline. With Sunny Side Up, Bali is also priming itself as one of the world’s premium locations for music festivals, with a geographic advantage that douses the entire experience in zesty, tropical fun. For Sydneysiders like us – whose partying continues to be heavily regulated – an event like Sunny Side Up feels like freedom, with world-class acts that would sit proudly on any of Australia’s mega-festivals. While we’re back Down Under for now, we’ll keep on sipping on those lychee iced teas until our next vacation back to the neighbouring tropical paradise.
