Live Review: Gang Of Youths, Middle Kids

Australia's favourite sons, Gang Of Youths are the flavour of the month at the moment and for good reason. The band's scoop of the ARIA Awards pool and dominance in the triple j Hottest 100 is no fluke, as their sold-out show at Bird In Hand Winery in the Adelaide hills attests.

The winery is located 40 minutes east of the city, in a most salubrious part of the South Australian countryside. The trek was something we hadn't properly factored into the day's activities and hence arrived to find that the entire capacity crowd of 20,000 people (probably half that) had arrived already and snagged all the choice (and half-choice) viewing spots. Upon realising this, and also upon spotting the mile-long drinks queue, we settled in behind a tree and silently cursed our fortunes, sipping quietly on the complimentary spring water.

Thankfully, the logistics of concerts-in-a-paddock prevailed and when support band Middle Kids began their 40-minute set, the number of people standing before the stage grew and the number standing near the bar diminished, and soon our veins were coursing with the house Pinot Noir and the world was right again. Previewing songs off their forthcoming album, Lost Friends, Middle Kids also reminded us just how darn good their self-titled debut EP of last year is. They hit their stride with crowd favourite Edge Of Town as well as a cover of blink 182's All The Small Things, while acknowledging the large number of people who were drinking their Chardonnay straight from the bottle. Can't wait for these guys to headline their own shows.

When Gang Of Youths appeared, we took the opportunity to join the tide of people who abandoned their rugs and low chairs to rush the stage - and together we stood, fists pumping furiously, with Sauvignon Blanc bottles clutched firmly to the chest. Opener Fear And Trembling left us in no doubt that this band can command the attention of a big crowd like this one and singer David Le'aupepe quickly acknowledged the love and support of his parents who had flown from Sydney to be present for tonight's spectacle.

The accolades the band has received are clearly well deserved - regardless of whether you're a diehard fan or not, these guys are tight, loud, and put on an impressive show. Let Me Down Easy sounds amazing live. However, it was Le'aupepe himself who dominated the performance, wearing his heart proudly on his sleeve, every lyric and movement filled with intensity, most evidently on songs like The Heart Is A Muscle. The singer's mane-like hair blowing in the breeze, the legions of devotees appeared to worship his every move - dancing elegantly around the microphone while sans-guitar on occasion.

The 90 minutes went quickly and we lapped it up. The buses that started queuing over the fence behind the stage reminded us of the long journey home. For the penultimate song of the night, Go Farther In Lightness, Le'aupepe now on keyboards and clearly revelling in the moment, implored the adoring crowd to sing along. Less than three years ago the band played to under a hundred people at Adelaide's Exeter Hotel. Tonight, the band was in a commanding position and worthy of the adulation that the crowd beamed their way. This was indeed a special performance in a very unique setting.

As a sign of his veracity, Le'aupepe paused a few times throughout the show to make sure that we were all having a good time, but insisting that we did so safely - to look out for each other and be accountable. On our journey back to the carpark we saw very few people passed out, so we assume that most heeded his advice.