Live Review: Live It Up Festival

Not even the driving rain can dampen the spirits of festival organisers. A last minute moment of ingenuity sees both stages moved side by side undercover with DJs filling the gaps between bands. There will be no respite for those dancing shoes today. The teenage crowd covers up the acne, forgets about homework and dons their most fashionable attire for what boasts to be Queensland's best exclusively under 18 music event.

The Griswolds attempt to coax out the sunshine with stilted hooks, woven around “oohs” and “ahhs” reminiscent of Vampire Weekend. The Sydney boys emanate fun with highlight tracks The Courtship Of Summer Presley and Heart Of A Lion bringing those sitting in the corners to their feet.

Bombs Away drop a set that elicits some very adult dance moves from the female members of the crowd. When Icona Pop's I Love It is thrown into the mix, the pivotal “I'm a '90s bitch” line rings out with conviction. Rehashed singles are the flavour of the day with Thrift Shop, Pursuit Of Happiness and Niggas In Paris all featuring in multiple DJ sets.

In true rock fashion, Dune Rats have enough collective hair to make J Mascis jealous. Their set of '90s garage surf grunge sounds like it should be played in a dingy basement club soaked in beer and sweat. On the open air PG-rated stage, tracks are a little washed out and lack the head-thrashing response they deserve. But, the infectious fuzz of Red Light, Green Light assures that these guys are worth a second look.

Before they take the stage, The Getaway Plan wow fans with an impromptu signing in the rain. Everything from skin to soft drink bottles gets painted with permanent marker. The four-piece tap into all those adolescent emotions and draw the biggest response of the day. The raw lilting vocals of Matthew Wright drift into the grey dusk like a stray balloon before being consumed by crunching guitars.

As the sky progressively darkens, the stage follows suit. Northlane are currently making a hefty mark on the hardcore world and launch headlong into a set of gut-wrenching tracks that resonate right to the toes. The excitement is too much for some pint-sized onlookers, with medics and security pulling bodies from the frenzied mosh.

Musical big brothers Amity Affliction close out the night with another dose of noise. These guys have been on the scene since most members of the audience were in primary school, and they still know how to shred. Open Letter sees a sea of phone lights and reaching hands trying to grasp the final moments of what has been a marathon celebration of youth.