Live Review: RUFUS, Cassian, Yuma X

The sold out crowd is slow to make themselves known, but those who scan in early receive good vibes from the get-go with Yuma X. The boy/girl duo deliver a collection of light and breezy jams, with the emotive vocal sprinkle provided by Ms Lucy a natural accompaniment to Mr Jake's refined beat palette. Producer Cassian is next to check in, giving energy levels a generous boost with his intelligent grooves. His sound has a decidedly French house edge to it, and when you close your eyes and lose yourself in the void it's easy to imagine yourself at an Ed Banger party in some trendy-arse Parisian loft.

By the time the headliner arrives, hips have been suitably loosened and lips well and truly lubricated. Beneath a couple of hectic lighting rigs, RUFUS assume their positions — each member allocated a musical workspace from which to ply his liquid electro-pop trade. An enticing little intro then draws us out to the end of our anticipation tether before Sundream lands and the room moves as one. Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt feed off the energy being created and seem to get instantly juiced up by the crowd. People climb shoulders, arms wave joyously and heads nod, shake and twist with every bar, while the guys completely own their performance, keeping us on our toes by comfortably adding personal splashes of colour here and there to rework the originals.

It's a treat to hear Imaginary Air introduced mid-set. The concluding stand from Atlas, it's arguably the trio's most unique and accomplished track, taking the listener on a climatic journey which bursts with falsetto ecstasy. Tonight, they nail the live translation, giving us a glorious reach-for-the-lasers moment, but the biggest reactions are still saved for singles like Take Me, Desert Night and recent gem You Were Right — the latter which sounds especially robust in full flight. The guys have managed to sonically capture the ideals of warm nights, refreshing oceans and empty coastal highways, and it's this carefree spirit which has directly connected with the zeitgeist of generation now.

Still, it's kind of ironic the blissed-out sounds RUFUS create can generate such hedonism — even with latest cut Like An Animal further suggesting the band are set to take the intensity levels up a notch. The majority of the crowd tonight sing every lyric back at the band, and the heat in the venue suits the tropical sounds being released from the stage. The time is more than right for RUFUS to release their second LP into the wild, and given the adulation which rained down tonight, Australia is more than ready.