"Trevor?" I hear screams behind me. Two glitter-adorned faces - one male, one female, both youthful and exuberant - pop into my view. "Trevor!" I'm clearly not Trevor, but they clearly don't care, and I get a bear hug from both. I laugh hard; it's the kind of atmosphere common at Falls, all the more proven to me as the duo run off yelling "Christopher!" at another stranger.
These kind of characters are strewn throughout the Falls festival-goers. Swarms of friendly creatures in brightly-coloured costumes roam the hilly grounds - a throng of Jedis here, tigers in onesies there, and the odd madman in shirts and shorts, braving the single-digit temperature and biting breeze that everyone else seems to be suffering through.
Yet it's worth facing down the bitter weather; Lorne's party-like New Year's atmosphere is contagious. Music resonates from stages and every food stall, festoon lights cross-cross through the air above our heads, and everyone is in the mood and ready to make some memories; it's impossible not to join in.
THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2013 - LORNE
Inside, the Grand Circle is packed to the rafters, an emphatic crowd ready to cheer on everything and anything thrown at them.
HOT DUB TIME MACHINE
2013 offered an electric set of eclectic nostalgia at the hands of Hot Dub Time Machine. This is a man who knows how to work a room and was clearly having the time of his life, frequently informing us that this was the biggest gig he's ever played. Working through from the 1960s to today, we were treated to the biggest party hits from each year, resulting in sing-along and dancing of great enthusiasm as we relived crowd favourites from all angles and genres of music.
MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO
Seven-piece Japanese funk band Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro followed up with their take on a timeless and universal genre, looking as cool as hell while they did it. These guys had a tough act to follow, and the shift in tone was a little jarring following the club onslaught of Hot Dub's DJ set, but they managed to keep things ticking with some neat playing and solid horn work.
Inarguably, a good night was had by all for night one of Lorne Falls. But this is just the beginning - the acts to follow are sure to bring the house down as I bring in the New Year with several thousand of my closest new friends.