Live Review: One Day In Fremantle

Esplanade Park was alive with the City Of Fremantle's culturally inclusive One Day In Fremantle event on Sunday, where sweet sounds, food - including traditional 'bush tucker' - entertainment and Indigenous Australian information aimed to bring unity.

A beautiful traditional Nyoongar smoking ceremony started the day down at Bathers Beach and when the afternoon hit it was time to head to the Esplanade and enjoy the festivities. The Welcome To Country stirred powerful emotions and the stage was brought to life soon after with Indigenous dance group Djuki Mala and their dance spectacular. Not only did they bring about the beauty of traditional Yolngu dance with wonderful storytelling, they also roused the crowd with their highly energetic and comedic routine, which brought cheers and laughter throughout.

On a weekend high after having his only two released songs making the triple j Hottest 100, Arnhem Land hip-hop artist Baker Boy hit the stage with the perfect energy for One Day In Fremantle. Blending both English and Yolngu Matha language, he pushed messages of equality through his songs and banter. Treaty and Cloud 9 were the popular favourites and Mr La Dee Da Di was all about the crowd interaction. Marryuna, his song that made the Top 20 in the Hottest 100, was given all the hype it was worth to end the set.

Adorned in an outrageous purple, sparkling, highly embellished dress, the star act for the night Kate Miller-Heidke graced the stage with her string quartet, backing singer Jessica Hitchcock and real-life partner and guitarist Keir Nuttall. Through her banter and interaction with the crowd, she added a certain quirky element that made her completely unique. Opening with Bliss, Miller-Heidke's voice was transportive, luring people in off the streets for a closer look, as it wafted through every avenue of The Esplanade on the wind.

Purely sensational were the sounds Miller-Heidke showcased with her song Amazing, from Muriel's Wedding The Musical. With a pre-song language warning for the parents with children in the crowd, we were brought into the theatrical song about fierce female friendships in a blasting duet. Hitchcock had a chance to shine throughout this song and proved she was more than just a backing artist, and in fact a star in her own right.

Miller-Heidke's music is somewhat of an acquired taste, jumping between different elements in songs like Can't Shake It and combining high, soprano acrobatics with some pretty poorly styled 'guitar solos' from Nuttall. As the set came to a close, the final song was the triple-Platinum single, The Last Day On Earth, which was as comfortable and effortless as it was powerful. Her entire performance blended powerful vocals, interesting humour, swearing and soft, whimsical tones - the perfect complement for an afternoon in Fremantle.

As the sun set over the ocean, the frontman of Perth's own Tame Impala, Kevin Parker, ended the festivities with a special pop-infused DJ set. He could be seen wandering around during the day enjoying what One Day had to offer, which reflected his humility. Parker brought in dancing vibes for the younger punters who scrambled up front to get a good spot. He mixed old-school classics from ABBA, Bee Gees and Daft Punk as well as songs such as Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly with a few Tame Impala tunes thrown in. The perfect way to end to this community-focused festival.