Faker

More than 26,000 people descended on Arena Joondalup for the 2009 Rock-It Festival on Sunday. The day was hot, it was sweaty, and it was action-packed. Kicking off the stellar line-up was Perth indie rock band Sugar Army who played a surprisingly great set to an average crowd collecting in the mosh pit. At this stage in the day most people were flocking to the alcohol vendors or saving their energy by chilling out on the grassed areas. I, however, thought Sugar Army was one of the better live acts of the day with their warped melodies and unusual vocal dynamics. Their presence on the day changed up what was essentially a very angsty lineup.

Sydney alternative rockers Sparkadia stepped up to the mark next performing several tunes from their debut album Postcards. The band is slowly making a name for itself on the live music circuit around Australia and certainly proved themselves as a growing musical presence with their catchy pop tracks. Moving on toward the afternoon the stage was dominated by artistic punk revivalists The Stills hailing from Canada. A long way from home the boys kept Aussie audiences enthralled with Being Here and Don't Talk Down - the latest singles released from their 2008 album Oceans Will Rise.

Faker are always a lot of fun and Sunday was no exception as the zany Nathan Hudson flitted around the stage singing the band's likeable brand of pop punk music. Sleep Walking and festival anthem Hurricane appeared on the set list along with popular single This Heart Attack which raised its fair share of hands in the crowd. Faker is certainly making their mark on Australia after a fairly long rise to fame. And the boys clearly love the attention as they bounce around the stage like children pepped up on red cordial. An entertaining bunch in contrast to the moody and intense atmosphere of the Birds of Tokyo who were up next.

Frontman Ian Kenney of the Birds of Tokyo is always enthralling to watch. His strong vocals carry what could be described as fairly mediocre music. But Aussie fans lapped it up and chanted along with Kenney to crowd-pleaser Wayside as the lineup ticked over the half-way point. People, Walk It and their most recent release Wild Eyed Boy were also featured on the day. The boys have become solid favourites on the Australian music scene and were able to hold the crowd captivated even despite a flair being sent off into the security area half way through the set.

Following on from Birds was psychedelic rock act The Music who kicked out a solid album after taking a three-year hiatus. While crowds would have been pleased at the inclusion of some fantastic new material, the major draw card for the set was vocalist Robert Harvey who grooved around the stage through his more upbeat tracks. New album Strength in Numbers has brought the lively band back into the public eye, and festival-goers certainly showed they liked what they were hearing.

The Fratellis were an interesting addition to the heavy line-up but served to break the tension and inject some much needed fun into punters weary after a full day of rocking out. Unfortunately the Scottish rockers had the task of entertaining crowds who were beginning to get antsy with such a short time left until Kings of Leon took to the stage. While this reviewer was bopping along to their animated music, many had become disinterested and really only got involved with the commercially popular hits Chelsea Dagger and Mistress Mabel. An enjoyable act nevertheless but not one that many had solely spent their hard earned dollars on.

As the sun began to set the epically popular Kings of Leon wandered on to the stage emitting some serious coolness. While the Kings of Leon are hardly known for their stage presence, it was a little disappointing to not see any real action occurring on the stage. But making up for this was the sensational singing from Caleb Followill who vocally was spot on. Their marketable success has not sat right with many fans that supported the band before the likes of Use Somebody and Sex On Fire dominated the air waves. But if anyone had any hard feelings they certainly weren't detected as the melodic rockers sun their way through Crawl, Revelry, Sex on Fire and Use Somebody - all within the first half of their act.

A major curveball for anyone who expected the Triple J Hottest 100 songs to be featured toward the end. This was an amusing sight to see as suddenly a large chunk of the 26,500 people left early, presumable to avoid the traffic. Though it seemed surprising that so many would fork out for a ticket to just see half of their performance. After sending out some love to his solid fanbase the Kings of Leon continued their polished set until the final closing note.

Rock-It 2009 burst back onto the summer festival circuit after being absent for the past three years. Punters proved the festival had been well missed with many rocking up to catch the whole party and the complete lineup. The only things that really marred the day was the massive lines for alcohol and a few misbehavers who slipped through the cracks of the insanely heavy police force out on the day. I say bring on Rock-It 2010.

The Music

© Nikkita DIXON