Live Review: Dune Rats, Wavves, Hockey Dad, WAAX

Daylight savings was warmly embraced by the Puberty Blues crowd at Big Top on Sunday, relishing in the extra hour of sunlight with the thrilling screams from Luna Park rides echoing below.

Powerhouse party-starters WAAX kicked off the mini-fest, the punk pipes of frontwoman Maria DeVita propelling the thrashing death pit into epic proportions with brand new track Wild & Weak, all the while in shock of the sheer magnitude of the gig, "This is like the biggest room I've ever been in, let alone played in." 

Salty duo Hockey Dad thawed out the 13+ crowd with their summery vibes and upbeat tunes, long hair and Vans aplenty. The sweaty mosh bounced to crowd favourite I Need A Woman, with drummer Billy Fleming summarising the punters nicely, "You guys are fuckin' psycho," adding that the duo would be up for a beer if anyone in the crowd were actually of age - "Chances are you probably aren't."

California clan Wavves seamlessly slipped into the set, embracing our national culture with surf rock anthem King Of The Beach, coupled by an interesting attempt at an Aussie accent, "G'day, g'day," they mocked, the young bodies of the crowd floating and twirling above their friends. 

Starting off in suits - which were promptly torn off to reveal board shorts below - surf rock headliners Dune Rats brought their salty circus to town; a loud, fun-filled, high-energy set that quickly became about more than just their jolting rhythms, with extra-musical activities including boogie-board crowd surfing and beer scull competitions.

Screaming rebellion and an ethos of surfing, skating and drinking beer, Bullshit and Red Light Green Light kicked the set into overdrive. It was followed by enthusiastic special guest appearances from members of bands Skegss and The Gooch Palms, as well as the support acts from throughout the warm night, for an encore of their Dunies TV Theme Song, decorated by giant inflatable beer cans that rolled around the room. 

From their humble beginnings, to a well-lit, sold out extravaganza at Sydney's Big Top - fit with all the costume changes and beer paraphernalia to match - you can only imagine the awe encompassing these young hopefuls; a feeling that could only be portrayed in the faces of their mates on the side of the stage. No one had any idea this was coming.