Welcome to Joyland!

For over a decade now I’d always wanted to go to a music festival. Ever since I lived in Germany and saw the arrays of photos from some of my favourite bloggers come festival season—Carrie, Jenn and Linda and Caro, to name a few—I’d had a deep sense of missing out. The euphoria of being with your friends, moving from stage to stage to catch your favourite performers and camping sporadically during the event—I wanted to experience all that! However, for years, I felt like I didn’t have anyone who would go with me—and so, I let dreams remain dreams. There were a couple times that I almost went—like when I applied for a job at Rock am Ring and got it (but it clashed with my uni schedule) and when I almost bought tickets to We The Fest 2015 because Passion Pit was going to show (but didn’t end up doing so).

You know, they say that music festivals are a thing for your 20s. But what about people like me who’s never had a chance to go? Was I supposed to feel like I just squandered my youth? I refuse to accept that. Gosh, it felt like I waited for it to happen for so long. Last weekend, though, it all finally felt absolutely worth it as we went to Joyland Bali for my first festival experience. And it was the best weekend ever!

For over a decade now I’d always wanted to go to a music festival. Ever since I lived in Germany and saw the arrays of photos from some of my favourite bloggers come festival season—Carrie, Jenn and Linda and Caro, to name a few—I’d had a deep sense of missing out. The euphoria of being with your friends, moving from stage to stage to catch your favourite performers and camping sporadically during the event—I wanted to experience all that! However, for years, I felt like I didn’t have anyone who would go with me—and so, I let dreams remain dreams. There were a couple times that I almost went—like when I applied for a job at Rock am Ring and got it (but it clashed with my uni schedule) and when I almost bought tickets to We The Fest 2015 because Passion Pit was going to show (but didn’t end up doing so).

You know, they say that music festivals are a thing for your 20s. But what about people like me who’s never had a chance to go? Was I supposed to feel like I just squandered my youth? I refuse to accept that. Gosh, it felt like I waited for it to happen for so long. Last weekend, though, it all finally felt absolutely worth it as we went to Joyland Bali for my first festival experience. And it was the best weekend ever!

Day 1: Easing into the Sound

As someone who barely understands the Indonesian music scene, let alone its indie section, I don’t really have anyone to expect on the first day of the festival. I only knew that my friend Nugi, the bassist of Reality Club, would be playing pretty early in the day. Unfortunately, since we landed pretty close to the start of the festival, we didn’t end up making it to see them play. That pretty much left me clueless for the rest of the day. Thankfully, I’ve got Agung.

Unlike me, Agung is a festival veteran. He knows his way around local musicians and I look to him for guidance on what to expect and wear for the occasion. All I needed to do was stick by him and he will drag me from stage to stage, introducing me to all kinds of musicians I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

The first performance we saw was that of Ali‘s, which is one of Agung’s favourites of the moment. We recently made a Spotify Blend playlist, through which Agung indirectly introduced me to one of their songs: Dance, Habibi—which I rather enjoy. Their music is pretty chill, inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms and perfect to accompany the sunset. Some of their music is even purely instrumental—which I will later learn is something Agung tends to look for in a musician.

Later that night, we also discovered a new flavour through a UK-based band called Black Country, New Road. I love their diverse set of musical instruments, as well as how they alternate in doing the vocals in songs. I felt like May Kershaw’s voice was similar to Regina Spektor’s and it really drew me in. Their songs sound a lot like lively ballads, which seems perfect to accompany a musical number. There’s something Broadway or West End about them.

Day 1: Easing into the Sound

As someone who barely understands the Indonesian music scene, let alone its indie section, I don’t really have anyone to expect on the first day of the festival. I only knew that my friend Nugi, the bassist of Reality Club, would be playing pretty early in the day. Unfortunately, since we landed pretty close to the start of the festival, we didn’t end up making it to see them play. That pretty much left me clueless for the rest of the day. Thankfully, I’ve got Agung.

Unlike me, Agung is a festival veteran. He knows his way around local musicians and I look to him for guidance on what to expect and wear for the occasion. All I needed to do was stick by him and he will drag me from stage to stage, introducing me to all kinds of musicians I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

The first performance we saw was that of Ali‘s, which is one of Agung’s favourites of the moment. We recently made a Spotify Blend playlist, through which Agung indirectly introduced me to one of their songs: Dance, Habibi—which I rather enjoy. Their music is pretty chill, inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms and perfect to accompany the sunset. Some of their music is even purely instrumental—which I will later learn is something Agung tends to look for in a musician.

Later that night, we also discovered a new flavour through a UK-based band called Black Country, New Road. I love their diverse set of musical instruments, as well as how they alternate in doing the vocals in songs. I felt like May Kershaw’s voice was similar to Regina Spektor’s and it really drew me in. Their songs sound a lot like lively ballads, which seems perfect to accompany a musical number. There’s something Broadway or West End about them.

We also managed to catch Crumb and M.I.A for a little bit. Crumb was pretty nice, I guess, although I’m sorry to say it didn’t really make an impression on me. M.I.A, on the other hand, is undoubtedly not to my taste. Agung seems to like it a lot, though, since he kept dancing even as we walked away from the stage. Her stage display was the absolute best, what with a foray of plants and a giant papîer-machée tiger in the background.

Aside from musical performances, you can also check out their film screenings and stand-up comedy corner. The festival ground itself is really fun to explore. They really put a lot of time and care to the details of the event—the set, collaterals and merch designs are absolutely perfect! According to Agung, Joyland is well-known as a family-friendly festival—which is something I didn’t know was possible—, with a lot of activities for children and a designated area for alcoholic beverages and cigarettes. The space was also wide enough for everyone to move around without feeling too crowded. And the fact that it is located by the sea is just a major plus 😉 We also love the food and beverages being sold at the event—a tad expensive, but worth the price and still kept us well under budget.

Day 2: Finding Resonance

Things started to heat up on the second day—both literally and figuratively. We spent the day in Ubud—which was over an hour to reach and another hour to get back from. (More on this later!) It was really hell to ride in the searing heat, so we made a stop at the hotel first to cool down. This caused us to miss Dried Cassava at 3PM, which is one of the only bands that we both knew—although only a couple songs. We ended up arriving at the site at around 5.30PM, just as Andien was wrapping up. Again, I didn’t really know who else to watch so I left it for Agung to drag me from stage to stage (lol).

Agung’s first performer to watch was playing at 7PM, so we had a little bit of time to kill. Since the heat was still pounding at us at full force, we decided to hang out at the White Peacock corner for a little while. It is an indoor corner for art workshops, children’s activities, interactive booths and tarot reading. We ended up visiting Whiteboard Journal‘s booth and wrote out our local musical heroes on a wall for free stickers. I also bought a t-shirt to commemorate my first festival ever and got a voucher for free workshops, which I never ended up using.

Agung‘s t-shirt // thrifted skirt // Goethe Institute tote bag // unbranded sandals //
photos of me by Agung

We also managed to catch Crumb and M.I.A for a little bit. Crumb was pretty nice, I guess, although I’m sorry to say it didn’t really make an impression on me. M.I.A, on the other hand, is undoubtedly not to my taste. Agung seems to like it a lot, though, since he kept dancing even as we walked away from the stage. Her stage display was the absolute best, what with a foray of plants and a giant papîer-machée tiger in the background.

Aside from musical performances, you can also check out their film screenings and stand-up comedy corner. The festival ground itself is really fun to explore. They really put a lot of time and care to the details of the event—the set, collaterals and merch designs are absolutely perfect! According to Agung, Joyland is well-known as a family-friendly festival—which is something I didn’t know was possible—, with a lot of activities for children and a designated area for alcoholic beverages and cigarettes. The space was also wide enough for everyone to move around without feeling too crowded. And the fact that it is located by the sea is just a major plus 😉 We also love the food and beverages being sold at the event—a tad expensive, but worth the price and still kept us well under budget.

Day 2: Finding Resonance

Things started to heat up on the second day—both literally and figuratively. We spent the day in Ubud—which was over an hour to reach and another hour to get back from. (More on this later!) It was really hell to ride in the searing heat, so we made a stop at the hotel first to cool down. This caused us to miss Dried Cassava at 3PM, which is one of the only bands that we both knew—although only a couple songs. We ended up arriving at the site at around 5.30PM, just as Andien was wrapping up. Again, I didn’t really know who else to watch so I left it for Agung to drag me from stage to stage (lol).

Agung’s first performer to watch was playing at 7PM, so we had a little bit of time to kill. Since the heat was still pounding at us at full force, we decided to hang out at the White Peacock corner for a little while. It is an indoor corner for art workshops, children’s activities, interactive booths and tarot reading. We ended up visiting Whiteboard Journal‘s booth and wrote out our local musical heroes on a wall for free stickers. I also bought a t-shirt to commemorate my first festival ever and got a voucher for free workshops, which I never ended up using.

Agung‘s t-shirt // thrifted skirt // Goethe Institute tote bag // unbranded sandals //
photos of me by Agung

By the time 7PM rolled around, we made a beeline for the Lily Pad stage by the beach—it was the smallest stage, shaped like a shell right there on the sandy beach. This area, I believe, allowed for cigarettes and alcohol, since it mostly presented DJs and EDM-based artists—including our first performer of the day, Rub of Rub. It is an experimental Bandung-based band, dabbling in psychedelic, electronic disco and reggae dub progressive—don’t ask me, I really don’t know what that means. Agung really likes their sound and, I’ve got to say, I find the beat really nice to dance to. If I had to pick one song, I think Bersarang would be my favourite.

While the band’s performance and stage presence was great, I can’t say the same for their audience. There were a few people who were clearly drunk, shouting things to the band that may, at first, sound funny, but quickly turned into a disturbance for everyone else there as they repeated it incessantly. At that moment, I knew something wasn’t quite right.

The cutest daily one-time entry passes!

Two other artists captured our attention that night. First, there was Black Midi, which is a UK-based post-punk experimental rock band that we discovered through the festival. The battles between the guitar riffs and the drum beats were insane! It gets you on the edge of your seats entirely, wishing you could play as good music as them. Agung and I were blown away by how they could remember how to play each song, because it all sounds pretty sporadic—yet still pretty awesome to listen to.

The second one is a local band that I’ve heard about for years, but never took the time to try: Barasuara. This time I thought I should watch them live since, apparently, their main vocal/guitarist used to be the vocalist for my favourite (sadly, disbanded) band, The Trees and the Wild. Watching them live was the best decision—I was instantly entranced! Their stage presence and performance were truly phenomenal, second only to the main headliner.

By the time 7PM rolled around, we made a beeline for the Lily Pad stage by the beach—it was the smallest stage, shaped like a shell right there on the sandy beach. This area, I believe, allowed for cigarettes and alcohol, since it mostly presented DJs and EDM-based artists—including our first performer of the day, Rub of Rub. It is an experimental Bandung-based band, dabbling in psychedelic, electronic disco and reggae dub progressive—don’t ask me, I really don’t know what that means. Agung really likes their sound and, I’ve got to say, I find the beat really nice to dance to. If I had to pick one song, I think Bersarang would be my favourite.

While the band’s performance and stage presence was great, I can’t say the same for their audience. There were a few people who were clearly drunk, shouting things to the band that may, at first, sound funny, but quickly turned into a disturbance for everyone else there as they repeated it incessantly. At that moment, I knew something wasn’t quite right.

The cutest daily one-time entry passes!

Two other artists captured our attention that night. First, there was Black Midi, which is a UK-based post-punk experimental rock band that we discovered through the festival. The battles between the guitar riffs and the drum beats were insane! It gets you on the edge of your seats entirely, wishing you could play as good music as them. Agung and I were blown away by how they could remember how to play each song, because it all sounds pretty sporadic—yet still pretty awesome to listen to.

The second one is a local band that I’ve heard about for years, but never took the time to try: Barasuara. This time I thought I should watch them live since, apparently, their main vocal/guitarist used to be the vocalist for my favourite (sadly, disbanded) band, The Trees and the Wild. Watching them live was the best decision—I was instantly entranced! Their stage presence and performance were truly phenomenal, second only to the main headliner.

We were encouraged to bring tumblers and provided with refill stations
The general area forbid alcoholic beverages and cigarettes — and was kept clean AF!
We were encouraged to bring tumblers and provided with refill stations
The general area forbid alcoholic beverages and cigarettes — and was kept clean AF!

Day 3: A Reverberating Dream

Joyland really understand the philosophy of “saving the best for last,” because the third and last day was truly the very best day. For once, I had a lot of artists to watch, with the best and main headliner as the pièce de résistance. Also, for once, we were actually early to the festival despite having gone to two beaches during the day—all thanks to my mistaken memory of the day’s schedule. Since we had a little bit of time before our first performer of the day, we made a queue for the photobox and had one photo taken together with the festival’s template—which was rather cute.

The Adams was our first performer of the day. It was one of my most anticipated bands, since Agung and I used to dance together at the office to Masa-Masa back when we worked together. Agung also has become a long-time fan of them and I’m excited to discover more songs of theirs myself—especially after watching them live. Again, some of the audience’s behaviour was revolting—which turns out to be caused by people sneaking in alcoholic beverages with their tumblers and other means.

Hand-me-down t-shirt + plaid shirt // thrifted skirt // old boots + socks // photos of me by Agung

There were two other performers that got me intrigued before the main headliner. One is Chai, which is a Japanese girl group who strives to redefine the meaning of “kawaii” through experimental-pop-meets-disco-punk music. I really didn’t know what to expect; all I knew was that they have a different sound from usual J-Pop artists. Well, they were different all right! Unfortunately, I ended up not liking their music very much and, in fact, found their songs pretty infuriating. The other one was Hindia, which is a local artist I’m very familiar with and like well enough—despite knowing only two songs (lol). His stage presence was really great, to be honest, and his live performance adds that raw sound of his actual voice and emotions that sets it apart from his records. Definitely one artist worth seeing live.

Saving the best for last, we stayed at the main stage 30 minutes before the main headliner was scheduled to play—and it was pretty crowded already! Give it up for PHOENIX! Oh my God! This was the whole entire reason we even decided to buy tickets to Joyland. Although I’m technically a newbie in the Phoenix fanbase, I’ve been so in love with their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for a few years now—and it’s gotten me through a pretty rough time of my life. Watching them live exceeded all expectations and more! Their stage presence and performance was off the roof. Thomas Mars was such a treat to watch and listen to, as well as a sweetheart to the audience. He even went down to the crowd to greet at least a small portion of everyone! It was truly the best concert I’ve ever watched that I ugly cried by the end of it 😭

Day 3: A Reverberating Dream

Joyland really understand the philosophy of “saving the best for last,” because the third and last day was truly the very best day. For once, I had a lot of artists to watch, with the best and main headliner as the pièce de résistance. Also, for once, we were actually early to the festival despite having gone to two beaches during the day—all thanks to my mistaken memory of the day’s schedule. Since we had a little bit of time before our first performer of the day, we made a queue for the photobox and had one photo taken together with the festival’s template—which was rather cute.

The Adams was our first performer of the day. It was one of my most anticipated bands, since Agung and I used to dance together at the office to Masa-Masa back when we worked together. Agung also has become a long-time fan of them and I’m excited to discover more songs of theirs myself—especially after watching them live. Again, some of the audience’s behaviour was revolting—which turns out to be caused by people sneaking in alcoholic beverages with their tumblers and other means.

Hand-me-down t-shirt + plaid shirt // thrifted skirt // old boots + socks // photos of me by Agung

There were two other performers that got me intrigued before the main headliner. One is Chai, which is a Japanese girl group who strives to redefine the meaning of “kawaii” through experimental-pop-meets-disco-punk music. I really didn’t know what to expect; all I knew was that they have a different sound from usual J-Pop artists. Well, they were different all right! Unfortunately, I ended up not liking their music very much and, in fact, found their songs pretty infuriating. The other one was Hindia, which is a local artist I’m very familiar with and like well enough—despite knowing only two songs (lol). His stage presence was really great, to be honest, and his live performance adds that raw sound of his actual voice and emotions that sets it apart from his records. Definitely one artist worth seeing live.

Saving the best for last, we stayed at the main stage 30 minutes before the main headliner was scheduled to play—and it was pretty crowded already! Give it up for PHOENIX! Oh my God! This was the whole entire reason we even decided to buy tickets to Joyland. Although I’m technically a newbie in the Phoenix fanbase, I’ve been so in love with their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for a few years now—and it’s gotten me through a pretty rough time of my life. Watching them live exceeded all expectations and more! Their stage presence and performance was off the roof. Thomas Mars was such a treat to watch and listen to, as well as a sweetheart to the audience. He even went down to the crowd to greet at least a small portion of everyone! It was truly the best concert I’ve ever watched that I ugly cried by the end of it 😭

Afterword

Although I’ve always known I’d wanted to go to a festival my whole life, I never really understood why I wanted to. But now I get it. Music festivals offer that escapist experience of being cocooned in one place for a little while to enjoy music, devour food, have fun and simply be. I daresay it wouldn’t have been as fun to do alone. Heck, I’m not even sure how fun it would be if I had to go back to my usual home every night. Might break the spell, you know. Nevertheless, having Joyland in Bali as my first experience was truly the most perfect decision. It was such a pleasant experience. The place was kept in perfect order, everything was kept clean and nothing bad happened. Joyland has set the standards so high now, I cannot expect anything less anymore.

Thank you so much for such a beautiful time, Joyland!
I cannot wait to go back soon!

thanks for reading

Afterword

Although I’ve always known I’d wanted to go to a festival my whole life, I never really understood why I wanted to. But now I get it. Music festivals offer that escapist experience of being cocooned in one place for a little while to enjoy music, devour food, have fun and simply be. I daresay it wouldn’t have been as fun to do alone. Heck, I’m not even sure how fun it would be if I had to go back to my usual home every night. Might break the spell, you know. Nevertheless, having Joyland in Bali as my first experience was truly the most perfect decision. It was such a pleasant experience. The place was kept in perfect order, everything was kept clean and nothing bad happened. Joyland has set the standards so high now, I cannot expect anything less anymore.

Thank you so much for such a beautiful time, Joyland!
I cannot wait to go back soon!

thanks for reading