If there's a party to be had, there's far worse ways to start than by enlisting Sneaky Sound System.
Across a string of singles in the 2000s, Sneaky shaped the moves of a thousand high-school discos – and they carry themselves accordingly. Whether it's the playful neon-tinged electro of 'I Love It' or the syncopated bops of 'Pictures', the sing-alongs are substantial enough to warm the audience's collective voice right up as they prepare for a huge night.
Concluding with signature hit 'UFO', the bar is promptly set considerably high.
Normally found behind the decks, production duo Bag Raiders have wheeled out their live show to celebrate their final performance of the decade. The live instrumentation, completed by an in-the-pocket drummer, give the songs considerable punch – even if it's occasionally lost in the mix due to the ensuing winds sweeping through the park.
Image via Facebook
A cameo from electronica upstart Panama is warmly received, as is the band's meme anthem 'Shooting Stars', which the crowd responds to by getting as many punters on shoulders as possible.
Over in the park's secondary stage, Alice Ivy and Owl Eyes both have their work cut out for them. Not only are they up against two of the night's biggest drawcards – Client Liaison and The Jungle Giants, respectively – but they're also both running their live shows as proverbial three-legged dogs.
Ivy, normally joined by an extra guitarist and special guests, is riding solo tonight. Meanwhile, Owl Eyes (aka Brooke Addamo) is plagued by tech difficulties including busted in-ear monitors and her visuals not running.
Nevertheless, they persisted – and you're thankful that they did. Ivy's boundless energy is infectious, and her calls to bring her growing crowd closer pay off with a blissful run-through tracks like 'Be Friends' and 'Chasing Stars', not to mention a rousing call-and-response for the Ecca Vandal-assisted 'In My Mind'.
Addamo, too, refuses to let her setbacks rain on her parade – after all, this is her comeback trail, and she's not stopping this train for anything. Her dance-tinged new direction shows great promise, and her rendition of Kylie's 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' (complete with drag queens dancing) proves to be one of the most fun moments of the entire evening.
A home truth: Having SAFIA and Crooked Colours playing back-to-back reveals both the weak spots and the overbearing similarities of both bands. Make no mistake – each are confident, efficient groups in the live department. Everything runs like clockwork, the synths ring out with distinct clarity and every drop gets bodies moving accordingly.
When watching one after another, however, you ultimately may as well be watching the same set twice – not least of all because both have the same amount of members with a near-identical stage set-up. It's easy to see why these two acts have reached the level of success that they have – but, by the same token, it's also easy to see why one may easily get them confused.
One group it's impossible to mistake for another is Hermitude, an Australian overnight success story some 15 years in the making.
Hermitude - image via Facebook
El Gusto and Luke Dubs have carved a niche for themselves within Australian hip hop that has ultimately resulted in cross-generational appeal and a live show that certifiably kills whenever it's presented to audiences both small and large.
'Devil On Your Shoulder' is given a surprise rework into Chance The Rapper's 'All Night', while both the original 'HyperParadise' and its famous Flume remix score victory laps after assisting in defining the 2010s for both the band and their fans.
'The Buzz' hits a new high as midnight draws closer, and the duo bow out of the decade with a bang.
With sparklers and a triumphant blast of Van Halen's 'Jump' over the PA, 2020 arrives. Minutes later, Gregg Gillis – aka Girl Talk – is screaming into a microphone as his party crew descend on the stage.
“WE MADE IT!” he yells. It feels especially pertinent given the literal climate of Australia, just hours either way up or down the coastline. We're here. We're alive. We're all in this together. Those fortunate enough to be here are going to dance and party for those who cannot – and there's nary a better soundtrack for said occasion than Girl Talk.
Image via Facebook
He teases bits and pieces of his previous albums across the mix, but also throws in some fresh mash-ups for good measure. In-between bursts of dancing, it's a fun game of trainspotting: Was that 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World? Was that 'Close To Me' by The Cure? Wait, was that 'Close To Me' mashed up with 'Lemon' by N.E.R.D.?
Holy sh.t. Balloons, confetti, toilet paper, exeunt. 2020: We made it.
