Dress Up Attack! Ned's first music festival

Noo and I went to our first music festival together on Saturday. It was awesome, in every sense of the word. Dress Up Attack was Noo's first festival ever. I, on the other hand, have been to heaps. Dress Up Attack, was a family music and arts event. A complete alcohol free zone (unlike the other festivals I've been too!). It was very 'inner west', if you know what I mean, Sydneysiders. Very inner city. Think Fitzroy if you're reading this from Melbourne. 

The gig started at 10am but as the day went on til 5pm, I figured Noo and I would start slow and make our way there by midday to enjoy a whole afternoon of shakin' our booties. Noo decided he wanted to catch the bus which I figured would add to the whole sense of adventure of the day.

It was warm in the sun, cool in the shade with a fair bit of breeze; a typical Sydney spring day which ended with a shower and a rainbow. The first day of spring in fact. 

Noo decided early he was dressing up as Superman. His grandparents had got him the suit last year which didn't fit then but was the perfect outfit for the day. Noo wore that thing from the moment he got up. 

I just chucked on my most colourful gear and thought I'd make fun of it all too. Although Noo wanted Wonder Woman to accompany him to his first festival he got Whacky Woman instead.

Noo wanted me to go as Wonder Woman, I could only manage
Whacky Woman

Whacky Woman and Superman (who never stands still!)

Whacky Woman but this is my usual get-up

Superman - My hero!
And the trusty trolley. Since ditching the stoller this is our mobile home.

We walked down to Circular Quay via my new favourite coffee shop, The Fine Food Shop, which is hidden in Kendall Lane in The Rocks. I've been past it so many times but only went in for the first time this week. I've already been back three times! I am in love.

This piccolo latte is from The Fine Food Store which is in The Rocks
which I happily promote for free because they make the
best piccolos ever. Even better than my favourite Don Campos.
They use Campos beans too. My drug of choice these days.

Mr Man on the bus to Marrickville. I so thought he'd get fidgety on the
long bus ride from the city to the gig but he was cool as.

When we finally reached the Addison Road Arts Centre in Marrickville I was feeling pretty anxious about the whole thing. For some reason I was freaking out internally about not having the car. We always drive everywhere. For some reason I feel safer with it. You need to lug so much crap around with a kid: change of clothes, shoes, food, snacks, water. You know what I mean. I only take the trolley out on our city adventures like when we do Darling Harbour or the Botanic Gardens - places walking distance from home. Or Harbour places like the Zoo or Cockatoo Island.

Anyway, turns out Noo was pretty nervous about everything too. We handed over our tickets and walked through a small corridor and boom! We were smack bang in the middle of the Spurs for Jesus gig. They sounded awesome but Noo was totally overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and kids and grown ups dressed as weird furry things. It was totally full on. Totally awesome. The kids and the parents were all super cool. Pretty much everyone dressed up. It was fantastic.

But Noo pulled my hand and dragged me out into the light, hoping for escape, only to be met by disco beats coming from the DJ tent and the sound of screaming children on the jumping castle. It was all a bit too much. I found a spare spot of grass and proceeded to lay out our blanket and food supplies but Noo stopped me half way and said "mum, I want to go home".

I was shocked! Noo is usually so confident and so into all things to do with rides and face painting and other kids. I think it was the noise. An enormous cacophony of competing sounds were annoying me somewhat but I wasn't frightened by them like poor Noo.

I mentioned Noo's reaction to another mum in the queue for some food and she said she had the same reaction from her kids when they first arrived. She joked how she remembered what it was like when she first turned up to a festival. I remarked that we, unlike the kids, had grog to help get into the atmosphere. Her response was "yeah, and the rest!".

There it was. I had the feeling, by the looks of the parents, this was my generation of ex party people who were now past doing it themselves but were really happy to be taking their kids to their first festival. I wondered how many of them were now like me: in recovery thanks to too many music festivals!!

Superman getting his jungle moves down

Deliciously salty and fatty corkscrew potato

Noo finally started to relax after he got his face painted.

Superman has an identity crisis and opts for a Batman face

He was very still. My superhero.

The finished work

We checked out TEDDY ROCK but Noo didn't like the noise so we left to the relative calm of the outdoor area.

'Punk/nu-wave Teddy band, TEDDY ROCK'

The DJ tent where Robbie Buck whipped
up a storm of get-down-and-boogie tunes

Fairy floss bigger than his head.
So much for giving up sugar!
He only ate half.

I tried to settle us down in a possie on the grass again but it wasn't long after Noo consumed half of his fairy floss that he was off. I tried so hard to get him to get into that dance tent but obviously he needed to figure it all out on his own...

My bub finally warms up to get in the disco tent

I don't like this music, mum

More disco tent

Jimmy Giggle from the ABC4Kids Giggle and Hoot show turned up to say hi to the kids. He didn't stay long. Noo got a high-5 after I pushed him over several times (god, I'm one of those parents!). Noo was stoked.

Jimmy Giggle turns up for about 20 minutes.
I don't blame him. He has to do that silly voice the whole time!

By about 4pm I was buggered. Noo got changed and we started the long public transport trip home.

The walk back to the bus stop dressed in his usual gear

Waiting for the train

Another great day of the Adventures of Noo and Me!

My kid rocks. I bet yours does too.

V.