Live Review: Hot Dub Wine Machine

Thursday the skies opened and it didn't stop raining for the whole day. Isn't it summer? Who says climate change isn't real. Hot Dub Wine Machine organisers would've been shitting themselves. Come Saturday there was no need to fear as Mother Nature blessed us with some of the best weather this year. Yay!

Walking up to the Serafino Winery's main gate was an amazing sight. It truly has to be one of the most picturesque wineries in Australia, apart from the several discarded cans and bottles of pre-festival beverages that were strewn along the way.

It was mixed line-up of DJs and bands. The mainly 20-something crowd were lapping up the DJs as it was like listening to a triple j and Fresh FM playlist. Local three-piece Heaps Good Friends did their best to entertain the crowd with their pop sensibilities, but most people were dealing with the massive lines for drinks. Slight complaint, our bar had run out of bottled rose and sparkling white by 3:30pm. Doors opened at 1pm. What's up with that? Did we mention the gig was happening in a winery? 

Bad//Dreems were up next and they didn't disappoint, as expected. In fact, we don't think they know how to. Two albums deep into their career and 50% of each got a look in today. They were up to their usual stage antics, led by frontman Ben Marwe. What works for the band so well is the fact that their rock style hails back to the no-frills pub-rock mentality of Aussie rock from the early '80s. Bands like Midnight Oil, The Angels, INXS and AC/DC paved the way for bands like Bad//Dreems. Their stage presence captured our attention and had everyone singing and jumping along their big tracks such as Dumb Ideas and Mob Rule.

The Presets have come and gone in the music scene over the years and it's hard to believe they hit their peak a decade ago with their Apocalypso album. From the opening beats, the crowd was in for an amazing show. Bad//Dreems were loud, but boy were The Presets louder! They tore through their set with a mix of hits - Are You The One?, Talk Like That, Promises, song of the night My People and some new tracks. Fans will be happy to know that the new tracks are in the same vein as the old stuff - banging! The lighting and laser show worked a treat as well with many in a trance while the music coursed through their bodies.

Hot Dub Time Machine concluded the show. His set was sadly cut short, but he made up for it by playing the some serious party tunes. Hot Dub Time Machine's concept is a great idea; he mixes tracks throughout the decades with their accompanying videos on the big screen, starting in the 1950s. Why hasn't someone thought of this before? The show started with Bill Haley & His Comets and finished with Rihanna among an explosion of confetti cannons and giants balls. He tore through the decades with tracks by The Beatles, Rage Against The Machine, Cyndi Lauper, Daft Punk and Chubby Checker. Hot Dub Time Machine is the ultimate party host!

There was evidence of a great day had by all as the masses exited through a sea of discarded wine bottles, cans, food containers and picnic rugs while Hot Dub Time Machine dropped his final track with fireworks lighting up the background and confetti floating everywhere.