Live Review: State Of The Art Festival

State Of The Art Festival was back for another year last weekend, showcasing the immaculate local musical talent that Perth has to offer. From artists who have since made it big on the national and international scene to those who are just finding their feet, there was a range of musical styles for punters to sink their teeth into while the family-friendly event assured that people of all ages could enjoy what the day had to offer. Those not fussed on forking out the money for an access-all-stages ticket had plenty to keep them entertained, with the PICA stage free for all to enjoy, as well as four separate 'pop-up' stages for artists playing acoustic sets. Timothy Nelson should be noted for having drawn a really impressive crowd for his early slot, engaging his audience with some incredibly heartfelt acoustic tunes. Kat Wilson warmed up the PICA stage with her belting vocal delivery, while Pat Chow started off the Urban Orchard stage, delivering a grungy, high-energy rock and roll set filled with songs like The Floors and Flower Power that managed to attract a solid crowd by the end of the trio's performance.

Axe Girl had no problems drawing an audience across to the WA Museum Stage with their infectious blend of party rock, while Indigo built the momentum within the confines of the State Theatre Courtyard, complete with rugs and plenty of shelter from the ominous-looking clouds. Up at the Museum stage, Gunns were in fine form, drawing in a large crowd with their cool swagger and jangly pop tunes filled with some loud, noisy feedback-laden guitar playing and strong harmonies. Back at the PICA Stage, Moondog J wooed the ever-growing audience with his mastery of sexy blues-rock, one particular group of people expressing their enjoyment through some impressive dance moves. Ruby Boots drew a solid crowd over to the Urban Orchard Stage with her soaring vocals and impressively strong and gutsy backing band. She managed to tease out a few songs from her new EP, which definitely managed to score her a few followers for her upcoming EP launch.

Over at the State Theatre Courtyard Simone and Girlfunkle fought against some slight sound problems with their sugary-sweet indie pop songs and lush harmonies. The band played a tight set that included Blown Into The Wind and their big hit, Secrets, the latter managing to draw a big crowd into the undercover venue. Back at the Urban Orchard stage, The Floors were ripping up the stage with some blistering blues-rock as guitarist and singer Luke Dux howled through his distorted microphone and into his guitar. At one point the band brought their friend Dave Benck up to add some sweet bluesy harp on Come Stand In The Fire, which got a great response. The WA Museum Stage drew the biggest crowd of the day so far, however, with local MC Bitter Belief enticing a mainly underage audience with his attractive blend of rap and hip hop, focusing on personal and relevant issues.

Mathas was one of the most entertaining acts of the day with his own brand of socially observant and conscious hip hop. Over at the PICA stage the '60s were alive and well in the form of mop-topped local lads The High Learys, who delivered some jangly beat pop combined with a retro look and vintage instruments. Dance duo, Slumberjack, played a great set of solid dance tracks at the State Theatre Courtyard stage but were unsuccessfully competing against artists like San Cisco, who left them with a much smaller crowd, which was unfortunate. In contrast, the aforementioned indie-pop group were in fine form and put on a phenomenal performance to the very expectant audience. Awkward produced the loudest cheer of the night. Tired Lion were one of the standout acts of the evening over at the free PICA stage, and presented a brilliant grunge-rock performance before a huge crowd. A great number turned out for Kučka, who was armed with a keytar and backed by a single musician hammering out samples and synth sounds on a laptop. She delivered her dreamy electronic pop mixed with R&B to great effect, her smooth vocals mixing well with the laidback electronic sounds. In amongst some of her well-known material she dropped new track, Unconditional, which featured a sparse drum machine and wobbling synth lines that drew more people in.

Felicity Groom brought a horde of people into the State Theatre, so much so that a one-in-one-out policy had to be introduced into that venue. Anyone that could get in was lucky enough to see the singer-songwriter giving a great performance that included Finders & Keepers and Siren Song. After Optamus smashed it, it was time for Sable to get everyone dancing on the Museum stage. He had a small but dedicated crowd as he kept pumping out the electro-inspired dance tracks. Headliner, Drapht kept the crowd going right 'til the end with an impressive hip hop performance inspired by the city in which he grew up, while power pop veterans The Stems capped things off on the Urban Orchard stage with hits Mr Misery and Make You Mine. The day truly was a huge success, and as a festival, WA should be feeling incredibly proud of what it has produced in terms of a musical spectacle. We'll surely be seeing them back again next year.