Live Review: A Day On The Green

A Saturday drive from Sydney to the Hunter Valley was slowed by developing bushfires, but it didn't stop the punters and awesome Australian indie-rock of a certain age. Kicked off by The Meanies (still 10% Weird and heavy as) just before 4pm, as the blaze continued and the breeze picked up as the show went on.

Jebediah's Kevin Mitchell punctuated their set with a nod to the elements about an hour later; "Look at the crazy wind and fire over there. The universe is reacting to the amount of talent all here in one place." We're all a bit older, a joke that both the bands and the audience all subtly acknowledged, but today's sets were far from tired. "Here's some songs we always imagined would be played at a winery," Mitchell repeated before Leaving Home and Please Leave. Props also to the awesome versions of Animal and Harpoon. "This is, I think, the first time we've ever played a gig in a venue that had chairs," he said, teasing those who'd blown their smashed avocado budgets on plastic thrones down the front.

Spiderbait took the baton by encouraging the rabble to thrust the same chairs up into the sky - "C'mon, this is rock and roll!" screamed Kram from behind the kit. From here the crowd got mid-afternoon messy; the kind of mess that Homebake or Big Day Out back in the day would be proud of (hell, we're all the still same kids, somewhere). Fucken Awesome, Sam Gribbles, the long drawl into Calypso (in the best possible way) and Buy Me A Pony were all huge, as was Janet English's version of 99 Luftballons in flawless German and Black Betty to end.

Something For Kate brought the mellow as the sun set, with Monsters, Electricity and Deja Vu all allowing just enough foot-tapping and swaying. Hallways from all the way back was still as solid as ever, as was the incomparable, and still fucking heartbreaking wail of Captain (Million Miles An Hour).

Headliners You Am I brought the show to the business - as they always do. All dressed in blue suits and lead by Master Tim Rogers, they were accompanied by a mini-horn section and The Wolfgramm Sisters. There was plenty for lovers of the classics (Baby Clothes, Rumble, Heavy Heart, How Much Is Enough, Cathy's Clown, Good Morning), however relative newbies like Trigger Finger and Beehive also took pride of place. "As a band we don't want to be condescending and play songs that we think you want to hear, we play you songs we love and think you will too, and here's another one, full of love", Rogers declared. To wit, there are always some things in a You Am I set that are unimaginable until they appear on stage - tonight those things were 1) Tim Rogers' blue turban, worn for no good reason except that only he has the chutzpah to pull it off; 2) a mock band fight followed by an incredible version of Nutbush City Limits and 3) the band's choice to play XTC's Senses Working Overtime before morphing into Mr Milk. Weird. Wonderful. Glorious.

With the end nigh, Rogers reminded us to keep sharing the love with the musos playing in local pubs, small venues, jazz haunts and half-filled rooms around the country's suburbs and small towns. "Thanks for taking a chance on us... just err on the side of intelligence and kindness and we'll all get along fine," he said as a farewell before the swaggering into Berlin Chair. God bless the fucking lot of us.