Live Review: Sets On The Beach

The little institution that could has blown up into one of the strongest festivals on the Perth summer circuit, Sets On The Beach may have humble origins but, following an incredible evolution, has transformed sunset sessions into a well-run behemoth in one of the most picturesque locations on the planet.

AB+ kicked off as the early-comers rolled in: young and clued-in crowds rocking thongs, bikinis and Hawaiian shirts in tune with classic WA couture. Perth-based electronic artist Arno Faraji has been breaking out on triple j lately, establishing his element with the light, downbeat rap that's super-in vogue. Elise Keddie then dropped the breaks before Joyride hit the stage. He rolled out the soft, synth-pop soul combos of Pretend (Cecilia) and an extended version of Aunty Tracey's Cookies, its electro-tuned, catchy chorus going down smooth like a Malibu-infused cocktail.

By mid-festival, the venue was heaving with the lure of a full Sunday recovery sesh proving a canny move from the event organisers. The first US artist of the day, Masego infused the Aussie setting with an international flavour of smooth jazz and soulful hip hop. Busting out anthems such as Small Talk and reverse-electro De Nada, he handled the stage easily like the star on the rise he is.

Billy Kenny rolled into town on his Planet Earth tour, travelling light but playing classic, heavy-dropping, UK-style backyard tunes. The chill style turned into thumping grooves as the sun set over the Indian Ocean and crowd energy lifted with the sweet, old-school techno samples and collabs that came thick and fast. In an upbeat intro from the Sydney-based artist, Basenji fired out a sampled-and-spliced version of Don't Let Go and trap/EDM favourite Can't Get Enough. He was a no-brainer fit to usher in the night.

The Freo lights sparkled on the ocean as Thundamentals took the stage and proved that, despite all the flash internationals on this line-up, good old-fashioned Aussie hip hop is still king of the hill for the people — a dead giveaway being the first three rows of the packed pit mouthing the words to Smiles Don't Lie. Tapping into nostalgic '90s lyrical concepts, tracks like Brother and Quit Your Job rolled off the tongues of the four members, splitting verses and uniting for choruses. Their collab with Hilltop Hoods, 21 Grams, showed that the Aussie style is here to stay. 

Cut Snake closed out the set; a fitting end to a Sets On The Beach with Leigh "Sedz" Sedley and Paul "Fish" Fisher running clean, light techno barrels through the end section of the night. Boom Boom and Magic rocked strong over the breeze as the kids filtered out at the end of another classic Sets installation.