All great things take time. Twenty-one years ago, in 1991, when Chris Nolan, Greg Peele and Marcus Downie first thought about putting on a party for 200 people at the Nolan farm, they chose the second weekend in December as the perfect time for two main reasons:

1. It was the ideal time to celebrate the end of the work / study year, it was after exams but before Christmas, and had that start-of-Summer excitement

2. If they could JUST make the thing last twenty-one years until 2011, a Lunar Eclipse would take place on the main Saturday night.

AND SO IT WAS TO BE

Yes, this year at Meredith the planets will align. Well, one planet, a satellite moon and the Sun to be exact.
Around about the time Grinderman conclude their set on the Saturday night, a TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE will take place.

WHAT?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun’s rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon.

GOOD WORK AUNTY

The moon will be eclipsed ‘in totality’ for 51 minutes and 8 seconds. This will take place from 14:31:49 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) which is about half past midnight on the Saturday night of Meredith. This is about the time Grinderman finish their set. As it takes a few hours for the Earth’s shadow to completely block our view of the moon, the effect of the eclipse will be intensifying (the “penumbral” phase), throughout Grinderman’s set. Wonder if they’ll play ‘Man In The Moon’ from their first album?

“My daddy was an astronaut
That’s what I was often taught
My daddy went away too soon
Now he’s living on the moon”

THESE THINGS AREN’T EASY TO ARRANGE

Took a lot of planning for this to come together. The Supernatural Amphitheatre will be extra spooky that night. Let alone the fact that for Meredith’s 21st there will be a full moon…

Moon shadow, moon shadow.