You can usually tell how a festival is going to go before you even get to the gates and Saturday was no different. There were people were rocking up drinking cans of Bulleit Bourbon, there were already people who weren’t even going to get into the festival as they were sitting down with friends surrounding them with water. Add this to the bottles of red wine that people were necking straight from the bottle and you get a complete picture.

The Pilerats DJs took the stage and played some sweet tunes including Jamiroquai’s Little L, Sonia Dada’s Lover (You Don’t Treat Me No Good) and Steelers Wheel Stuck In The Middle With You. While it was still relatively quiet at this stage, there was one girl who saw it fit to try pole dancing around a poor, innocent tree (Tree – 1; Girl – 0) and many more bottles of red and white wine. It was quite a young crowd at this stage so you just knew that many of those with the bottles were just not going to last the distance.

The Pilerats DJs finished their set Stardust’s Music Sounds Better With You, Cut Copy’s Hearts On Fire and MGMT Kids. “Thanks for coming down! We’re the Pilerats DJs. Let’s have a fucken good day ey?” By now, there were more people there and the wine was getting people up and dancing.

Local lads, Crooked Colours were the next to take the stage. They opened up with Vena, Plymouth and Flow. “How you feeling guys? You’re looking really good out there!” they told the crowd. They have a very chilled sound – the perfect music to sit back and listen to on a sunny Autumn day.

“Thanks so much guys! Thanks to all our friends that came out today. You guys are fucking amazing!” They finished their set with Hope You Let It, Come Down and Perfect Run.

Tina Says came out and shook the crowd up with her mixes. Her style of music was the kind that reminded you of days of old and being in a dark, shady club, late at night, which felt a bit out of place so early in the day. She did get people up and dancing (although some of them looked like they had dropped way too early).

Miami Horror lightened the mood with their special brand of indie/electronic pop. They opened with I Look To You and Leila. Singer, Josh Moriarty, was up on the drums and playing guitar behind his head and just infected Houghton’s Winery with his energy. “How you feeling out there? What a beautiful day to be out there!”

They played hit after hit including Love Like Mine, Stranger and Sometimes. “Thank you! Are you feeling alright? Have you had enough water? Look after your neighbour and drink safe!” Moriarty told the crowd. Great advice that came a little too late for some of those being escorted out of the venue. He climbed up the stage to sing Holidays as everyone collectively gasped. Miami Horror always puts on a fantastic performance and was just what the doctor ordered for that fine afternoon.

It was about this time that the dynamics of the festival had changed. The crowd was a lot more varied now in age and there were a lot more of the “I wear my sunnies at night” crew appearing. It was starting to feel like the old festivals like Never Ever Land as Pnau took to the stage and opened up with Wild Strawberries and transported us back in time to 2007 and the older ladies in the VIP section started dancing up a storm.

Kira Devine came out on stage to sing and just owned the stage with her sublime voice. Pnau also played Elton John vs Pnau – So Sad. “I want you to reach your hands to the sky together. Come on guys! You’ve got to protect each other. Tonight is about love and music!” Nick Littlemore told the pit. Ne’er truer words have been spoken.

Pnau dominated the stage with their new hit Chameleon (first track in four years), Baby and Embrace. With their light show and them constantly dropping the bass, they ensured that the moshpit was filled with writhing and sweaty bodies, many starting to peak and those in the VIP area could feel the heat radiating upwards. You would not want to be claustrophobic because everyone was jammed in like sardines.

“Perth! How ya going? Who’s keen for Hot Dub Time Machine? My name is Young Franco!” as he took the stage with his style of hip hop/dance/electronica. While the crowd thinned out as they took the opportunity to refresh, get more drinks and a bite to eat, those that were still standing were loving it.

By this stage of the night, friendships and potential ‘relationships’ were well on their way and just hopefully, there wouldn’t be too many regrets in the morning. “We’re all here to party but if you see someone fall, pick them up!” Young Franco told everyone.

To warm up the crowd for Hot Dub Time Machine, You Were Right (Rufus), Tribute (Tenacious D) and crowd favourite, Final Countdown (Europe).

The man himself, DJ Tom Loud (aka Tom Lowndes) came out on stage “Western Australia! How you doing tonight? Welcome to Hot Dub Wine Machine! Tonight we are travelling back to the birth of rock n roll!” Right Here Right Now (Fat Boy Slim) was playing as streamers exploded into the pit.

He started the mix with the big hits from the 50s Rock Around The Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets), I Got A Woman (Ray Charles) and Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry). The whole audience was singing along – from the just 18 year olds onwards. It’s moments like these that just make you feel oh so good and make you wanna ‘Shout‘ (The Isley Brothers).

We moved onto the 60s with hits from The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. The 70s with none other than The Jackson 5 ABC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the “first Australian song by legend Stevie Wright” Evie and of course, you cannot do a 70s mix without Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

The 80’s kicked off with Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. They also had Joan Jett, The Pointer Sisters and “due to popular demand” Toto with Africa. The audience gave a goosebump raising rendition as everyone sang about the rains as loudly as they could. The 80s ended with Thriller (Michael Jackson), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) and Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics). “That was ok but we can do better! You’re not taking this decade seriously!” Lowndes admonished the crowd before breaking out with Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer and even had a sax player with INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart.

The 90s started the way that they should be started at an electronic festival – with 2 Unlimited’s Get Ready For This, Technotronic’s’ Pump Up The Jam and Reel 2 Real’s I Like To Move It. You are definitely not doing the 90s right either if you don’t include Sir Mix A Lot’s Baby Got Back.

Lowndes continued with Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name, Silverchair’s Tomorrow (aka “Nirvana in Pajamas – best comment ever) and House of Pain’s Jump Around and more explosions of confetti and streamers straight into the crowd.

“90’s ravers put your hands up!” and those that remember, were transported back to the Freo Metro’s days with Delerium, Fat Boy Slim, Darude and Zombie Nation.

By the time we reached the noughties, there were many sore throats from all the singing yet none of us were giving up just yet. Amongst the favourite were The Killers, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal and Art vs Science’s Parlez-Vous Francais? featuring none other than Dan Mac himself on guitar. There was also the most beautiful version of Hoizier’s Take Me To Church sung by Elana Stone (another goosebump raising performance right there!).

The night was finished with one of the most appropriate songs – The Cat Empire’s The Wine Song and The Beatles Hey Jude. “Thank you so fucking much for coming! We love you Western Australia!”

Say what you will about Hot Dub but you just gotta hand it to him for bringing all genres and decades of music to the younger generations and ensuring that this music never dies. Perth also had the biggest crowd of the whole tour with 12,500 people attending. No wonder it was absolute chaos when we all left at the same time.

While the day itself was perfectly organised, it really was let down at the end. No one knew what bus to get on, the security guards weren’t sure where to send everyone and while we were lucky and had parking at the nearby school, there were many, many people still waiting for buses by the time we had walked the half hour down the road. At least everyone was happy and there were a few punters singing Sweet Caroline to anyone who would listen. Best Party Ever.

Check out Kamil Szczucki’s gallery of this event HERE

AMNPLIFY – DB