Live Review: Electric Goner Boogie

Arriving on time to see the first band of any fest is usually a challenge, but UV Race are perhaps the best reason to get off your arse and make it punctual and it's rammed all the way back to the doorway of the front bar. Bangers like Burn That Cat, I'm A Pig and anthemic closer Raw Balls ensure an exciting kick-off.

Opening the bandroom, The Only Boys follow and walk the line between their brethren dolewave pop-chops and that of a sass-drenched vintage sound, which borrows as much from the classics as it does the classic bluesmen. The Know Nothins have crossed the pond from Tassie to play a fast-paced, energy-filled set in the front bar. It fails to capture the admiration of the population. Back in the bandroom, what makes Hot Topic great is their head-swaying, simple pop songs. The lack of live drums allows the melodies of the instrumentation and vocals to shine and become the focal point. Although the set is not all catchy bliss, its strengths outweigh the cons.

Shrimpwitch sound like shit, which is kinda apt for the aesthetic so that might be what they're going for. In the bandroom, Hierophants raise the bar of quality for this entire festival tenfold. Each song sounds amazing and blurs the lines of sped-up aggression and slowed-down pop seamlessly. They're easily one of the highlights of the day and debatably the most underrated act on the line-up.

Scott & Charlene's Wedding can fill any bandroom with ease. The front bar at The Tote? They pack it out to the point where you come to know the strangers pressed up against you much better than you should for the first time tonight. The longer jam songs lose the attention of the audience a little, but the reaction to the already-classic Don't Bother Me and the kinda hilarious cover of Mental As Anything' Live It Up make this a special performance and speaks volumes on the band's merits (although vocalist Craig Dermody's 'on bar' performance doesn't equal the dizzying heights of Marcus Rechsteiner from UV Race's get-down earlier). The Pink Tiles chase this set-up in the bandroom but they're a little overshadowed, in addition to not really offering anything interesting enough to hold the attention of those gathered.

The Stevens inadvertently become the band to watch for all the wrong reasons. Tensions between the members, booze and a bad mix turn their set into an episode of Intervention. They fuck up quite regularly, but it is not as bad as the band make out/take out on themselves. At times they're pretty entertaining, a new song has some merit and when they improvise it's great. Surprisingly, they manage to finish their set but the last few tracks feel phoned-in and it's kind of a melancholy conclusion.

Straight Arrows are seasoned pros in the live arena and their sound has developed and changed over the years. Tonight the sound for the group is great and crunchy, and performance-wise they're notably on point. But the band create a divisive atmosphere across the venue; they have their fans, but even those with the slightest indifference seem willing to give them a miss.

Big Time is a known classic for anyone that's heard of Bitch Prefect - it soundtracked every decent house party the year it was released. But even when the band play songs from their debut, it's clear they have moved on in their lives both creatively and personally. The open-book youthfulness that came across (on that record) is something that they can't/nor are seemingly interested in replicating. The set (the band's first in some time) is mostly comprised of new tracks and some from second LP Bird Nerds, which are genuinely great and executed perfectly. But, the people want the 'hits' and their attitudes turn periodically obnoxious.

Rounding out the night, and starting fashionably late, Sydney's Low Life are definitely the most brash act and seemingly an excuse for the young kids in the audience to stage dive like it's the '90s and spit on each other 'because they just don't care'. The spectacle is kinda funny at times, but the band (despite having their power cut due to stage invaders) are tight and constantly build throughout and the riotous ways of the band's early days seem to be gone.