For years i’ve envied other cities around the world that hosted the All Tomorrows Parties festival. Created 10 years ago by an english chap named Barry Hogan he describes the festival as,

"…kind of like an anti-festival. We want to have drinks at reasonable prices, decent bands playing a lot of sets, free programs and brochures, no sponsorship. We don’t have a merch rate for bands, parking is free, we treat people with respect, as you’d like to be treated. You know who I’m talking about, those out there who like to milk it to people. The way forward is to keep it boutique.

But also we want to try to make the line-ups different than everything else. If you look at the line-ups of those summer festivals–good God, Jack Johnson! Who wants to see him? I don’t even think Jack Johnson wants to see himself. "

What also makes it different is that the line-up is curated by a band or particular artist. Fittingly Australia’s first All Tomorrow’s Parties had Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds choosing the bands and performing.

True to other versions of the festival, the Sydney venue wasn’t your typical festival location either – it was on Cockatoo island in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Pretty bloody special.

I wasn’t familiar with most of the artists on the bill, but that didn’t stop it being my favourite festival experience in years.

An amazing venue, lots of space, well organised, no long queues, Nick Cave and most importantly – no aggro drugged up shirtless munters!

Here’s hoping ATP becomes an annual fixture on the festival circuit.

Loads more ATP Sydney photos in the gallery.

Read more from:

• Andrew P. Street at Time Out Sydney
• Sean at A Reminder
• Bernard Zuel at the SMH
• Anne Helena at Mess and Noise
• Wayne at Oceans Never Listen