Live Review: A Day On The Green

Admittedly the atmosphere was slightly odd at Kings Park as we stared down a dense line-up of prime Australian alternative bands plucked straight from a Rock-It, Livid or Homebake festival line-up (Perth was unfortunately deprived of The Meanies who performed at the east coast A Day On The Greens). Sitting in camping chairs next to bottles of chardy, it all felt a little off.

Thankfully hometown heroes Jebediah brought a straight set of fan favourites that gave the lighthearted a kick to the face with a Doc Marten. Sliding out Leaving Home, She's Like A Comet, Please Leave, Harpoon and Teflon, it was going to take something solid to open the evening and Jebs delivered, with shattering energy and sweat-dripping enthusiasm.

Spiderbait's Ivy & The Big Apples may now be 20 years old, but, as Kram himself suggested, "Anyone remember the '90s? As far as I'm concerned, tonight it's 1996". Okay, done. The dancing hill almost instantly became a moshpit and, for the first time today, every person was up and moving along to Hot Water And Milk, Buy Me A Pony and Calypso. Embarrassingly, security was quick and massively overzealous in attempting to shut this down, walking up the hill and asking people to sit down like the ultimate fucking buzzkill parade.

Although far from the most energetic act, it's difficult not to be completely swept up by Something For Kate. The amazing rhythmic pairing of Clint Hyndman and Stephanie Ashworth were in the finest of forms, driving the scattered timing of earlier tracks. Paul Dempsey lavished being back on stage and in in the cherished shoes of Beautiful Sharks and Elsewhere For 8 Minutes. Their commanding performance was highlighted with the goosebump-inducing pairing of Deja Vu and Electricity. We demand another SFK tour as soon as possible.

Donning matching blue suits and taking on rock/soul revival complete with brass backing and the sublime vocals of The Wolfgramm Sisters, You Am I have turned their show up another notch. The crowd initially seemed blase about the live sound changes despite a perfectly bittersweet lounge rendition of Heavy Heart. The band also had to fight the additional challenge of a lighting rig failure. The moment their set twisted into Corner Hotel favourites like Mr Milk, Trike and Cathy's Clown, the hot-shoe shuffling Tim Rogers had control of the night.

Taking a poignant moment to remind everyone of the importance of supporting local music and, in turn, one another despite the political climate, You Am I completed the night — as only they can — with wit, weirdness and wonder. They sent the staggering masses into the surrounding bushland with Berlin Chair, without a doubt reigniting the fire for local music in all present.