A concert under the stars marked the end of a 15-day-long fiesta held by the City of South Perth.

People from all walks of life gathered around on the expansive greenery of the Sir James Mitchell Park to watch some great Aussie talent give it their all.

Nineteen-year-old Montaigne was the first to hit the stage, immediately strapping on a guitar and launching into some remarkably powerful wails. Backed by a keyboardist, drummer and bassist, the Sydneysider performed with a poise and sincerity that’s rarely exhibited by someone of her age. Her performance of Life was particularly stirring, building to a crescendo that beautifully showcased the young woman’s soaring vocals. Unfortunately, the crowd seemed rather indifferent to the goings-on onstage, with the majority opting to continue their own conversations. That is, until a quirky rendition of I’m A Fantastic Wreck added some much needed kick to the set list, earning the youngster her biggest reaction of the night.

There was a mad rush to the front of the stage as soon as The Jungle Giants were due to arrive. Their infectious tunes cut through the crisp night air and set the venue ablaze – they even got seated audience members bopping along. Vocalist Sam Hales was a sheer delight onstage, taking time out to engage in an exchange with a fan about who loved whom more. Anywhere Else had people clapping along enthusiastically before the band slowed things down momentarily with You’ve Got Something. After a solid hour or so, the Giants wrapped things up, having successfully kept young and old moving to their sugary, bouncy set. The night’s MVP was without a doubt bassist Andrew Dooris, who honest to God looked like he was having the time of his life, jumping and flailing about frantically. It was a beautiful sight.

The park erupted into applause as the night’s emcee introduced the final act of the night, pop-rockers Thirsty Merc. The awe-inspiring moustache of vocalist Rai Thistlethwayte and iconic opening riff for In The Summertime were enough to make the crowd go nuts. The boys went balls-to-the-wall from the very beginning, with Matthew Baker treating the audience to an epic guitar solo.

They played all of the classics back-to-back and fans didn’t hold back from shouting every word right back at them. Some of the older folks in the audience proved that they too could mosh with the best of them, and little kids who hadn’t even been born when My Completeness came out were rocking out alongside their parents. It was a fantastic night of free live music, and this reviewer is willing to bet that anyone in attendance would have happily paid good money for what they’d seen.