Bec Sandridge opened the night for a sold-out audience on the Taronga harbour. There were clouds in the sky and the air was heavy with humidity, but Sandridge was a breath of fresh air. Her set showed off powerful vocals and her skill as a guitarist. It was more than enough to hold the attention of hundreds of lounging punters enjoying their pre-show picnics. She is pleasantly endearing; "This is the best moment of my life," she said, thanking her parents (several times), who were in the crowd.

After a quick break The Rubens took the stage. The set moved through their career and they even offered up their triple j Like A Version cover of Adele's Hello, bringing funk and candour to the song's weighty lyrics. Later in the night they dedicated their breakout track Lay It Down to the station — "We haven't had real jobs in five years thanks to triple j!"

Rumbling hit My Gun got an early and emphatic singalong from the crowd and only a half hour in a number of guests abandoned their picnic blankets to crowd the stage area. These keen fans got a special treat during Cut Me Loose, when frontman Sam Margin grabbed his mic and journeyed as far into the crowd as his lead would let him to bequeath one lucky punter with a bottle of sparkling. He opened it and it sprayed everywhere.

Nearing the end of their set, The Rubens rode high into their smash hit Hoops (which topped the Hottest 100 in 2015), but their cover of Chance The Rapper's Same Drugs was the real high point. It is met by literal shrieks from the front row and showed off some rare restraint from the band.