[Review] Good Things Festival @ Centennial Park, Sydney 07/12/2024
Waking up on festival morning is the closest we get to feeling like a child again on Christmas morning. You jump out of bed, pull back the curtains and see….rain? Wait no, this isn’t how the day it meant to begin.
It’s summer in Australia!
A storm impacts the beginning of the day as patrons are told to seek shelter until 2pm. Dampening spirits (and bodies) momentarily as we stood under any trees we could find in the neighboring field. However, when the skies began to clear, so too did the mood and Centennial Park came alive.
The lineup for Good Things Festival 2024 had something for everyone, from old-school punk fans to metalcore maniacs. Bowling for Soup didn’t let the earlier rain dampen their spirits—or anyone else’s. They brought their usual charm to the main stage, cracking jokes between songs and delivering pop-punk bangers with infectious energy. Their set included High School Never Ends and the iconic 1985, with a delightful detour into their Phineas and Ferb theme song for the millennials in the crowd.
I wandered over to the side stages to catch Aussie legends The Butterfly Effect, and wow, did they deliver. From the moment they opened with Worlds on Fire, the gloomy skies felt like the perfect backdrop for their atmospheric tunes. Their setlist was a treat, featuring One Second of Insanity and Reach, chosen by fans in a poll earlier that week. Clint Boge was all smiles, his voice as powerful and emotive as ever, dedicating the final track to us all, Always spending the outro screaming into fans faces on the barrier.
On the adjoining stage, Alpha Wolf wasted no time grabbing attention, launching straight into Haunter with their trademark Aussie metalcore fire. This band is young, hungry, and relentless, pouring every ounce of energy into their performances every single time I’ve seen them. Their setlist was a whirlwind, featuring bangers like Sub-Zero, Sucks 2 Suck, and Pretty Boy, each one delivered with precision and a heap of crowd interaction. They closed with the fan-favorite Akudama, leaving the crowd amped up and further cementing their status as one of Australia’s most exciting heavy acts. Which we already knew!
The nostalgic highlight of the day came courtesy of The Living End, who reminded everyone why they’re legends of Aussie rock. The set was a masterclass in singalong anthems, with West End Riot and All Torn Down getting the crowd moving, while Roll On and White Noise kept the energy high.
But it was their closer, Prisoner of Society, that created the best fun. Frontman Chris Cheney asked if this could very well be the biggest singalong of the festival as they ripped in to the 1998 classic. Thousands of voices belted out the iconic chorus in unison, making the rain-soaked grass and muddy shoes irrelevant for a few magical minutes.
When Northlane hit the stage, the timing was perfect—Carbonized kicked off their set just as the sun decided to peek through the clouds to redden our skin. Their set leaned heavily into newer material, with Welcome to the Industry and Afterimage.
We were treated to well-loved tracks like Bloodline and Talking Heads, and Marcus Bridge’s soaring incredible vocal range was really on show. The mix of aggression and melody was almost a metaphor as the sky cleared, adding an almost cinematic backdrop to their performance. They closed with Clockwork, wrapping up a tight and focused set. We last saw Northlane here for Knotfest in March 2023, but the people still wanted more!
Dragon brought a refreshing change of pace to the day, serving up timeless classics with an infectious joy that had us completely hooked. Their set was a perfect mix of nostalgia and feel-good energy, with hits like Young Years and O Zambezi transporting everyone to a sunnier place.
It was a Saturday afternoon at the local bowlo with your aunt who will let you have a little wine cooler, as the last three songs were the pinnacle of their performance. April Sun in Cuba and Are You Old Enough had everyone swaying and singing, capping things off with Rain, a fitting nod to the day.
Their radiant smiles on stage and tight delivery reminded us why these songs have endured. They knew they were out of place today, but the fans singing and smiling back did not make them feel so!
Back on the mainstage Jet delivered a big performance filled with their signature swagger and hit after hit. From the explosive opener Last Chance to the gritty Cold Hard Bitch, the band had the crowd eating out of their hands. Their stage show could use some work. It felt very stripped back and simple. They’re currently on the road with The Killers, perhaps thats where the production lays.
Nostalgia hit hard with the heartfelt Look What You’ve Done, while Are You Gonna Be My Girl turned the field into one massive dance party, even as far back as the Jack Daniels bar where I was watching from!
As I returned to the side stages, Sleeping With Sirens, drew one of the day’s biggest crowds with a mix of anthemic post-hardcore. Opening with Break Me Down and Kick Me, the band had fans screaming every word. A tender cover of Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls took some by surprise but got the nonfans singing along. It was the closing tracks If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn and If You Can’t Hang that took the singing up a notch.
One of the day’s most highly anticipated acts for me was the legendary Kerry King, and he did not disappoint. Backed by a metal supergroup featuring members of HellYeah, Machine Head, Death Angel, and Slayer, King delivered a set that was nothing short of ferocious. Opening with Diablo, he wasted no time in setting that outright metal tone we all know and love, and tracks like Where I Reign and Two Fists sounded fantastic live.
The highlight for many were the Slayer covers of Disciple and Raining Blood, which sent the crowd into overdrive. A bunch of metalheads who have been baking in the sun all day, needed Slayer. The set wrapped up with the single From Hell I Rise, sending the final punch to a brutal set. The band teased that they’d be back, and I can only hope it’s for a headline tour—this set was absolutely unreal, and I’m already counting down the days until I can see them again.
With Sum 41 unfortunately unable to perform, Electric Callboy stepped in to take their penultimate main stage slot and totally owned it. They came out swinging, igniting the crowd with their signature party anthems like Hypa Hypa and the crowd favorite MC Thunder II (Dancing Like a Ninja). Their performance was a whirlwind of energy, and they didn’t hold back, even throwing in a cover of Sum 41’s Still Waiting, as they asked the crowd to send love and big cheers to Deryck Whibley who is unwell with pneumonia.
The set had everything you’d want from Electric Callboy: over-the-top energy, catchy tunes, and a mix of hilarious moments with tracks like RATATATA and We Got the Moves. It was impossible not to join in the fun. Even with Frank Zummo filling in on drums for the entire show due to David-Karl Friedrich’s illness, the band delivered a flawless, high-energy performance that kept the crowd hyped from start to finish.
You could not have picked a better act to warm up for the headliner.
On the smaller stage, Highly Suspect provided a tough alternative. Their performance, highlighted by songs like Lydia and My Name Is Human, had the smaller crowd fully transfixed with its mix of grunge, rock fun. Tracks like Blue Eyed Devil and Plastic Boxes hit hard, while Run for Your Death (More Pills) and Pink Lullabye from their newer material had us all singing along.
It was the kind of set that made you pause and really feel the music, proving that Highly Suspect knows how to own a stage—no matter the size. It was a really difficult choice dragging myself away from the main stage but I’m not sure I would’ve done it for anyone but Highly Suspect.
After a sold out Australian and New Zealand tour in 2023, I think we’re becoming a special place for the MCID gang.
The night’s headliners, Korn, brought the festival to an unforgettable climax. Opening with Here to Stay and Dead Bodies Everywhere, they immediately took control of the stage, commanding the crowd in a way that only a headliner could. The barrage did not stop as Got the Life and ADIDAS had us all singing as loud as we possibly could.
Old school fans rejoiced when Hey Daddy was counted in. Even if there were a few confused faces but even the newer fans were taken care of with Start the Healing. There was a brief pause during Ball Tongue due to a medical emergency in the pit, but Korn handled it like pros, they left the stage and allowing the emergency crews to handle things without amping up the crowd, showing their professionalism as they resumed with the ominous sounds of hi hats that say only one thing, ‘are you ready!’ The parklands exploded during Blind as every nu metal, rock, punk, goth kid sung every word and every guitar part.
Jonathan Davis, adorned in an all red Adidas tracksuit and microphone to match, takes a moment to thank the crowd for coming out, while apologising on taking far too long to return since their last appearance at Download Festival in 2018.
We’re all here celebrating 30 years of KoRn. A band so etched into the hearts and history of this wonderful world of heavy music we call home. Jonathan appears back on stage with bagpipes, something we all dream of seeing counting in Shoots and Ladders with a sneaky rendition of Metallica’s One.
The end of their set was one for the ages. Hits like Twist, Make Me Bad and Yall Wanna Single made us never want the set to finish. As the final notes of Freak on a Leash ring out there are friends in arms, tired bodies giving whatever they had left and every member of the audience with a smile. Korn’s set was the epitome of festival royalty, leaving everyone grinning from ear to ear and cementing their place as one of the biggest heavyweights in the scene.
Despite the rocky start with rain and delays, Good Things Festival 2024 proved that live music thrives on resilience. From the first singalong to the last mosh pit, it was a day filled with connection, joy, and sheer passion. Sydney’s alternative music lovers showed that nothing could keep them away from their place of belonging. Rain or shine, it was a day to remember.
Until next year, Good Things. We’ll be back!
