Live Review: Dig It Up!

The second instalment of Dig It Up! offers up a seemingly endless line-up of old-school punk, garage, metal and pub rockers unleashing complete and utter mayhem at the Palace. Today's impeccable line-up features a stellar mix of Aussie bands and some heavyweight internationals whose glory days take us back to the '70s and '80s. Of course the event attracts plenty of back-in-the-day grandpa rockers who remember many of these artists' songs, singing along like it was just yesterday.

Dave Graney seems aware that many may have forgotten The Moodists' tunes as he introduces each song with an amusing anecdote – like the fact that they liked Howlin' Wolf's Do The Do so much that by adding two letters to the title were able to re-imagine it as Do The Door. This afternoon's set is a rare appearance of the band's original line-up. There is a sense of nostalgia about their show and although Graney and guitarist Mick Turner have since recorded a lot of great music, today they take us back in time to those formative angular post-punk years. Some Kinda Jones works up all kind of nervousness about people who might pick fights with you at parties. Boss Shitkicker makes many nine-to-fivers feel so good about themselves that it's time to head up to the Attic Stage.

The Straight Arrows are a bunch of boisterous young hopefuls from Sydney with a whole lot of attitude. “We would like to thank The Moodists for supporting us today,” says frontman Owen Penglis when it becomes obvious that punters are moving between stages. The outfit deliver an exhilarating mess of guitar noise that's buoyed with a rhythm that just makes everyone want to dance. There's nothing to do here other than drink some beer and just enjoy.

As The Stems get ready for their set a couple of blokes in front of us reminisce about seeing them play at Inflation but in the fog of their memory they are unable to agree on exactly what year in the '80s it happened. Originally from Perth, The Stems are joined by Even guitarist Ashley Naylor. Their well-known songs adopt a solid pop-rock stance and many in the crowd are inclined to sing along. At times The Stems, under the influence of the flower-powered '60s, sound a little like antecedents of Jet. Sad Girl and At First Sight conclude the set leaving us wondering why these gems were not bigger hits back in the day.

All this blistering guitar action proves to be a little heavy on the eardrums and we depart for a few minutes respite and a bite to eat. Spleen Bar has been transformed into comedy central with local stand ups giving it their best; it proves an ideal place to chill.

Coming on hard and strong Buzzcocks, fronted by Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, spit their angsty two-minute punk anthems at us with machine-gun intensity. The two are something of an odd couple and Diggle seems to adopt more of a stadium-rock approach while a rather gnomic looking Shelley plays with a more subdued attitude. They may be original punk survivors but the years have made them less threatening and what remains now is just classic rock that has many old timers grinning from ear to ear as they relive their teenage years. Even Melbourne outfit The Spazzys cannot resist getting in on the action, coming on stage to provide backing vocals on Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've). Whether you are an Orgasm Addict or an old gas-o-matic or asthmatic, Buzzcocks transport us back to 1976.

Meanwhile upstairs, Harry Howard is giving us a rare showcase of his work. Howard, who featured in the first incarnation of Crime & The City Solution alongside his brother Rowland, comes to us dressed in black with moody existentialist reflections wrapped in post punk-styled pop songs. Mars may need more guitars but Howard's band is amusingly the only one on the entire line-up that features synthesisers.

Coming very much in thrall of The Beatles, The Stones and also The Byrds, The Flamin' Groovies, who have not performed together since the '80s, treat us to a selection of their greatest hits that date back to the very early '70s. They shift from bluesy rock and roll to pop grooves flecked with dreamy psychedelics as they give us classics like Have You Seen My Baby, Tallahassee Lassie and First Plane Home which was inspired by homesickness after a six-month spell in the UK. Although they have not played together in the longest time their set sounds virtually perfect. Of course, everyone's waiting for Teenage Head and Shake Some Action, which prove to be highlights of an otherwise brilliant set.

By the time Blue Öyster Cult are ready to play the crowd has thinned noticeably. The legendary hard rock band from New York, who have been together for the past 40 years and have released at least 22 albums, have finally made it to Melbourne. Coming on stage to orchestral strains of the theme from Game Of Thrones, they kick off the gig with an extended version of The Red And The Black. Amazingly, all three guitarists come together like a three-headed monster and their guitar licks amazingly lock into each other with such precision that it is instantly obvious that these are some seriously talented players. As Eric Bloom strikes the final chords of the song it becomes clear that they could play for hours but they won't and fans in the crowd desperately shout the names of their favourite songs. The Last Days Of May, Godzilla (which sounds a little like Muse) and Don't Fear The Reaper are pre-selected for us and provide exactly the thrills fans are seeking.

It's an exhausting day but sinking some more beer feels good as the Hoodoo Gurus finally take to the stage to play their second album, Mars Needs Guitars!, in its entirety. It's the album that featured a string of hits on the A-side that pushed the Aussie garage rockers up the charts and on to achieve crossover success. It's a flawless presentation of the album that at times feels like you might just be listening to the record. Dave Faulkner, sounding as good as he did all those years ago, seems to be having the time of his life while Brad Shepherd just rocks hard like only he can. Encores see the Gurus dedicating a cover of The Easybeats' I'll Make Your Happy to Chrissy Amphlett and they follow this with an energised version of MC5's Kick Out The Jams featuring members of all the bands that played across the day. Faulkner seems unsure if there will be a third instalment of Dig It Up! next year. Fingers crossed, third time lucky.