Torrential rain bucketed down the night before the festival turning Byron Bay parkland's into a mud filled swamp. Punters trudged through ankles deep in wellies excited about the three days of music festivities to come. Splendour in the Grass 2013 marked the debut appearance of the electronic wristband. Which although was effective for preventing fake bracelets did seem to increase the time spent in line.

The first highlight of the Friday was Brisbane's very own Dune rats, sharing their infectious pop rock melodies with jingly Brit-rock grooves. Later that afternoon L.A sisters Haim took to the stage, amazing spectators with they're unique style of 'nu-folk and 90's R&B'. The sister were fresh and full of enthusiasm, they finished the set playing a wild, tribal-like synchronized percussion which was greeted with mass applause.

Boy and Bear brought there unique blend of Indie folk rock to Splendour in the Grass. Showcasing lucid soundscape's with acoustic reverberation and soaring vocal melodies. The four piece from Sydney far exceeded my initial expectations. The live show had a far more stadium, progressive Pink Floyd feel to it. This was due to the bands extended atmospheric jams and face melting guitar solos. The band opened with “Southern Sun” an instant crowd pleaser. They continued to rock the packed out, mud filled super top with songs from the Harlequin Dream and Moonfire albums. It’s amazing to see how far Boy and Bear have come since 2009, from Dave Hosking’s university solo project to an internationally recognized band that play sell out shows and receive plenty of air time. The sound production was superb highlighting all the subtleties of their ambiance and showcasing the oaky timbre of Dave Hosking. The band closed with “Rabbit Song” which set the perfect climax for the build up to Mumford and Sons set. The performance was a festival highlight. The band were tight and full of enthusiasm. They took the crowd on a roller-coaster ride through musical landscapes ranging from upbeat folk rock anthems, mellow and soulful ballads and ambient Sunday morning hangover cures. Mumford and Sons closed the evening in style. The crowd was mesmerized and sung along to every song. As expected the set was flawless and held the bar pretty high for Saturday and Sunday to top.

Pete Doherty's latest band Babyshambles were fun but far from Brilliant. The band shared many of the same traits as The Libertines, but lacked the same spark and color.

By Saturday morning there was no grass at all the be seen, it was officially 'Splendor in the mud". The day started off with the unfortunate news of Frank Ocean's cancellation, but was soon forgotten about after ripping sets by Polo-phonic Spree, Vance Joyce and Something for Kate.

One up and coming artist that was particularly impressive was Jake Bugg. At only eighteen years of age and is already rocking out sold out shows around the world. He made his debut Splendour appearance on Saturday afternoon sharing his unique brand of mellow, heartfelt folk sorrow. Bugg is often referred to as Britain's answer to Bob Dylan, and after seeing the show I’d have to agree with the comparison. He played a solo set with nothing but his acoustic guitar and his southern British folk accent. Jake Bugg opened up with ‘Trouble Town’, a beautiful introspective of a rough working-class, small town upbringing. Next in the set was “Seen It All”, an upbeat folk rock anthem with lyrics that pull at the heartstrings. It’s safe to say there isn't a lot of happiness and joy in Jake’s songs, but his delivery and intention seem sincere and honest. I was amazed to see how much of a female following Jake has inspired, but then again who can blame a girl for seeing a cute young kid pour his heart out on stage? Overall the performance was short and sweet, each song was as strong as the last and he even included a cover of “My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue)” by Neil Young. Jack Bugg is a rising talent that is sure to make a huge impact on the music world. Raw, gritty and heartfelt, a solid moving performance.

By Sunday punters were looking scatted and muddy yet determined to make the last night a blast. The day boasted impressive displays of talent from the likes of You Am I, The Drones, The Presets and Alt J as the not so mysterious "mystery band".

With only a days notice Lorde traveled all the way from New Zealand to replace Frank Ocean. At only sixteen years of age Lorde possess a voice which is on par with diva legends such as Beyonce and Whitney Houston. Just 24 hours after getting a call at a friends party Lorde was packed and flying. The performance was spellbinding, fusing a mixture of minimalist pop with r&b and soul, Lorde won over screaming fans in the mud swamped super-top stage. Performing songs from 'The Love Club" and "Tennis Court" EP's. The highlight for the crowd was the commercially successful "Royals" leaving girls in tears and guys in love. Frank Ocean's sore throat may have been a lucky break for Lorde to step up from small shows to be playing a sold out Splendour in the Grass. A truly amazing performance, I see a bright future for New Zealand's very own queen bee, Lorde.

Come Monday morning the festival site looked like a war zone. Mudslides and deserted tents littered the grounds. Tired punters lined up waiting for the road to be free of bogged cars. Besides a bit of mud and the no show by Frank Ocean the festival was amazing as always. On the one hand I was craving to return to a warm bed but on the other hand i was dreading the return to reality and the 365 day wait until Splendour in the Grass 2014.