After checking out an elephant, some giraffes and then squinting to locate dainty frogs in tanks, we find a patch of grass on which to spread our blankie. She calls to mind rock legends such as Suzi Quatro and Chrissie Amphlett in her black, fringed leather jacket while playing that shiny black guitar and Abbe May is a dark presence up there on stage. May sings us a song she wrote for her niece, stipulating that said niece won't be allowed to hear it until she's 17. Her triple j Like A Version cover of Ginuwine's Pony really is everything, "gratuitous guitar solo" included. May tells us that last time she played with Killing Heidi she'd fallen down the stairs a couple of days earlier and so was heavily medicated. Also thinking it was a good idea to have a tequila shot before aforementioned show, May explains she then spotted a mate in the crowd and proceeded to have an over-the-PA conversation in the middle of her set. Doomsday Clock is a powerful statement and May has absolutely everything going for her.

Opening with Calm Down, Killing Heidi are off and rocking. Lead singer Ella Hooper's outfit of black blouse with scattered gold-and-silver polka dots, black pants and gold ankle boots makes us wish for a stockists list. Is that a large carton of coconut water Hooper just swigged from? "I'm a real future junkie," Hooper confesses before adding this band's recent nostalgia trip via their reunion has been really special. "Come on, Zoo," she coaxes. "Pretend we're teenagers!" Real People's message ("There's no shame in being sad") makes it the perfect teen-angst anthem.

Hooper is super-puffed out after song four and jokes that a method acting coach from LA taught her how to convincingly pretend to be this way. She then recalls her brother Jesse's confidence in wanting to get a tape of their first song Kettle to triple j way back when. Although Ella felt nervous they may have been jumping the gun, she credits her brother for launching Killing Heidi into the spotlight since this song was immediately added to the radio station's rotation. The live rendition features glorious violin.

Ella Hooper observes that although the band's catalogue explores a mishmash of styles, they always "did it with feeling" as she introduces Astral Boy. A little legend in the crowd hollers, "Where's Heidi?"

During a cover of Still Come Around by the siblings' post-Killing Heidi outfit, The Verses, Hooper sings, "So when you knock on my front door tonight," before playfully knocking on the front of her brother's guitar. Jesse reminds us it's Killing Heidi's first Melbourne show in ten years. We rock out to Heavensent and then Jesse dedicates Superman/Supergirl to his missus and it's definitely pogo o'clock. Ella encourages us to get our "sexy dancing" on, coaxing, "Come on, it's dark now!" After her mic cuts out during this song, she moves over to Jesse's and instructs us, "This is when YOU sing!" (Nice save.)

Instead of an encore fake-out, Hooper tells us they have a couple of songs left and then sings one of her own recent solo songs, Monkey Mind, before sneaking in a plug for an upcoming gig. After rallying an extra round of applause for tonight's support artist, Hooper jokingly questions her own sanity for getting the amazing May in to play before Killing Heidi. A little girl wanders into the photography pit (security alert!) with a sign that reads, "I'm Ella Too. I Was Named After You," which Hooper reads out then goes all, "Aaaaw!" She reveals there may be "some more shows" down the track before Mascara ("And just wearing black won't take care of that/Don't beeeee stupid girl"). Now for the moment we've all been waiting for: Weir — what a choon! It's ridiculous to think they were teenagers when they wrote this perfectly crafted, catchy song with a chorus that threatens to blow your head off. "See ya soon!" Hooper promises. We sure hope so.