Live Review: A Day On The Lawn

Festival goers to A Day On The Lawn were treated to a heavenly venue, a homegrown line-up and a family-friendly vibe to match anything Australia has to offer.

Australia's second oldest botanical gardens were the picturesque venue for the highly anticipated all-ages festival. Overlooking the Derwent River, the grassy hills of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens were quickly filled with picnic mats and people enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun. Festival-goers strolled about, digging into some fresh food and appreciating the visual feast of the gardens with their grand old trees and flora.

Before long the opening act Sexy Lucy took the stage. A veteran of the local electronic music scene, the beanie-clad DJ wasted no time in spinning some classic tracks from the '90s and beyond. Some savvy gig goers made the most of the beanbags that had been provided by the event organisers, bringing them closer to the stage and singing along while they lounged back. The audience was more concerned with enjoying their company and the atmosphere, despite the quality of the music. Regardless, it was a charming opening to the day.

Little Bear are relative newcomers on the indie-folk scene, but they brought a bracing and lively performance that could light up any venue. Singer Urshula Leung led a tight ensemble of five through a handful of knee-slapping accordion-driven tunes with her deep, breathy vocals and the occasional sweet harmony. Seemingly perfect for a mid-afternoon reverie in the park, the audience continued to appreciate the tango-influenced music from a distance with many a bouncing head to be seen across the lawns. Leung's play on words had a mesmerising effect through slower tracks, like Jill & Tom, which fit the location perfectly and earned them warm applause.

What was forecast to be a dreary, rainy affair was anything but when local favourites and energetic indie-rockers Chase City took the stage. Colourful riffs and sing-song keys sections brought life to the crowd while punktronica songs Fake It and A-N-X-T had the crowd nodding along. The darker sounds that feature on their 2017 release Pressure were built for a live setting, which has made them a regular support act for huge Aussie artists of late. With a similar sound palette from track to track, it was the impassioned vocals from lead Tarik Stoneman that caught the ear, with a great energy throughout to warm the crowd for the headliner to come.

A much-loved nomad of international music, Kim Churchill has travelled the world by campervan sharing his sheer positivity and blissful songwriting. When he plays to an Aussie audience he is always warmly welcomed. The crowd tripled within seconds of his arrival, with eager people picking their reluctant friends up off the grass to join the crowd. As Churchill launched into Whole Entire he rose and fell with the kick drum, energetically strumming and continuing into the infectious drumming of Goes Away. Churchill had two drummers with him, and the heavy percussion had several crowd members air drumming as they jumped about. Many stared in appreciation as Churchill's harmonica soared and echoed over the field.

Around the artist, every shade of green in the trees sparkled under the blue sky. A mother, with her child wrapped around her, wobbled around to the beat much to the joy of the grinning toddler. Across the crowd, many other kids sat atop their parents' shoulders - a beautiful sight. When Churchill asked, the crowd sang along and clapped dutifully. His heartfelt stories won over the crowd, so when he asked them, "Are you ready to jump up and down and go nuts?" for the final song, the cheer was booming. The crowd couldn't help but share in the positive vibes and all were left smiling.

It was immediately clear that many of the crowd had come for Vera Blue when dozens of people flocked to the stage as the sun finally set. It was distinctly strange to see kids atop shoulders to music that would otherwise pack out a moody bar, but Celia Pavey's entrancing stage presence suited the tone well. Pavey's records attracted critical acclaim, but when you can feel the thump of the bass in your chest her sound comes into its own. Pavey's swimming dance moves and hair flicks brought the energy to another level. Against a pulsing red light, the baggy ponchos of many crowd members glowed translucently as Pavey shook her tambourine with a sensual swerve and delivered breathtaking high notes.

A mixture of manual and electronic percussion gave the performance a beautiful movement, with dance circles breaking out during Regular Touch and friends holding hands on top of people's shoulders. Magazine and Lady Powers hit just the right note, with a couple of friends launching into a whirlwind hug, grinning. Towards the conclusion of the set, as the acoustic guitar section of Settle built into the chorus, deep blue floodlights flashed into the smoke. A downpour of rain arrived just as the chorus did, a special moment which had couples kissing foreheads and embracing each other. Pavey was seen off to a huge and well-deserved cheer.

The long-awaited return of Aussie alt-rockers Something For Kate came as the rain became heavier. While some of the crowd dissolved and ran for shelter, many loyal fans remained and cheers rang out as the band stepped on stage. They launched into a typically fiery version of Captain (Million Miles An Hour), showing their experience through the next few tracks with brief tempo changes to inject energy into the head-banging crowd. The subdued droning melodies of Paul Dempsey shone through Three Dimensions and Cigarettes & Suitcases, with crashing drums building into each satisfying chorus. The deluge continued thick and fast, and each flash of the white floodlights lit up the rainfall like the static on a TV screen.

As the Melburnians slashed their way through some of their biggest hits, drummer Clint Hyndman's hair flicks launched water out in a wide arc. Meanwhile, the crowd swayed to and fro like a Newton's cradle during Stephanie Ashworth and Dempsey's duet. Two people tested their vertical jump when the riff for Monsters came in. Consummate entertainers, Dempsey then delivered a stirring acoustic cover of Edge Of Town before hailing Middle Kids as one of the most exciting prospects on the Australian indie scene. In a feverish finale to the set, the group jammed louder and louder to a visually spectacular strobe light. As the last chord rang out, whistles and claps and cheers rose up in appreciation of a masterful set and a wonderful festival.

To finish, Sexy Lucy delivered the perfect party-friendly denouement for the festival with a range of '90s and '​00s floor hits. With lots of space to pull silly dance moves, the open field vibes of a bush doof met with thumping bass, a sweet finale for those who remained.