Were you there? Check out our gallery of band and punter photos here.

When Sounds Of Spring was announced for October in Brisbane’s RNA showgrounds, it evoked memories of Brisbane’s signature festival, the now defunct Livid. Yesterday’s festival was nearly rained out altogether, and although the rain and some layout and organisational problems provided headaches for punters, the scrappy little festival that could ended up providing some real highlights, courtesy of some well known and not so well known artists.

It rained all day Friday in Brisbane, and Saturday dawned overcast and showering. Unfortunately, this no doubt slowed preparations inside the festival area, and punters were kept lined up outside till well after the times doors were supposed to open. Luckily, it didn’t sound like the bands started when they were supposed to either, setting the whole day back a little bit.

The other thing worth noting was that there were a few management hiccups which also affected the day. Punters had to line up to get drink tickets, then line up to get into the drinking area, and then line up to get beers from the bar, which caused headaches all round. Plus, the positioning of the ticket booths meant that those lines, which were long, interfered with getting around and even with the audience areas themselves. You also needed tickets to get food as well as drinks, and there didnt seem to be a source of free water anywhere – organisers were probably almost a little lucky that the day wasn’t as sunny and hot as they would have hoped.

The Butcher Birds quickly display just how well they’ve integrated new drummer Donovan with a more muscular attention-grabbing tone to their toffee-drone melodies. The real surprise, though, is Donovan abruptly stealing vocal duties from Stacey for a screamy number mid-set. The contrast is stark – and it works. Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come?

Calling All Cars are the first band to take to the main stages. The three piece have a growing reputation, off the back of solid tours with the likes of Shihad. Unfortunately,there’s not a lot of people inside the small area just yet, but frontman Haydn doesn’t let it get him down, whipping around the stage, and coming down into the crowd for the bridge of one of their numbers. This three piece play tight and taut speed rock, with a Milencolin-like pop sheen, and a small jumping area opens up in front of the stage. They finish with new single Animal, and from the reaction of the crowd, their reputation will definitely contine to grow.

“This song is called It’s Getting Worse ” indie-folkster Laura Imbruglia tells the milling crowd. “It’s not a reflection on the day, it’s just a song.” One hopes that after the hour-long gates delay debacle that she’s right. She backs her optimism with a fine set of gentle acoustic numbers – highlighted by the off-the-wall lyrical acid trip that is Magical Washing Machine – that hold their own against the raucous rock drifting across from the all-too-close Yellow Stage.

Vegas Kings inject blues grit and a whole lot of noise as they let rip over on the Time Off Stage. The ferocity injected into the dual guitars and drums attack of Hail alone means it’s a wonder that those closest aren’t blasted back into the beer tents behind.

The Boat People attempt to offset the bleak weather with the brightness of their tunes as they entertain with a set dominated by new release Chandeliers. Songs such as the up-tempo brilliance of Born In The 80s prove their knack for crafting brilliant indie-pop is undimmed but Boatie James ought to have realised that trying to organise a crowd sing-along to a tongue-twister like Awkward Orchid Orchard would prove just a bridge too far.

Local lads Mary Trembles have their debut album out now, and a healthy crowd has gathered to see them flaunt their wares on the main stage. They open with album opener Geranium, which provides a perfect introduction to the group – Skritch ’s skitty and swirly guitar work sits perfectly on Damon Cox ’s superb drumwork, with Tanzie providing bass rhythms. Unfortunately, it’s still raining, and halfway through their fourth song, a roadie appears on stage telling them to stop, which they do, mid-song, and announce that there will be no more music on the main stages today. Which is bad news for fans of the Galvatrons, who have been setting up on the stage next door, and begin putting away their equipment. Punters wander off to the back stages, and roadies begin mopping up.

Wandering over to the back stage, Shifter are wrapping up their set with hit single Butter, cutting the chunky guitar melody from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody into the bridge. It’s their last song, but the healthy crowd and huge cheer indicates Shifter have put on another trademark exciting rock set.

Despite the continuing showers, and the possibility of no more main stage acts for the rest of the day, the mood is light and upbeat, thanks to the John Steel Singers. They have one hundred percent of the crowd, what with noone else playing, and they take full advantage, ripping out a corker set of their extremely danceable laidback rock. The
multiple frontmen do great work alternating their vocals, and bass player Pattus McDermott bounces around on stage, adding to the fun atmosphere. The gentle pop of the award winning Strawberry Wine is a definite highlight, as is traditional set closer Evolution. The John Steel Singers have a new EP out, and it’s sure to be a cracker.

It seems only yesterday that Intercooler was one of Brisbane’s brightest new things, churning out irresistible power-pop gems by the fistful. Effortlessly tight, the four-piece prove that the gorgeous surf-boy melodies of songs such as Situations , Carving Others , Pop Clothes and All Coming Back To Me weren’t a flash in the pan fad. Still, the crowd never quite seem emotionally hooked on the experience despite their generous applause.

There’s some action on the main stage, which is now running over an hour late. The Red Paintings respond by taking 40 minutes to set up their elaborate stage show and instruments. The violin and the cello are joined by the guitars and drums, and there’s also people dressed completely in white as a sort of human canvas for a demon in black to paint on, while other demons paint on giant canvases in the pit between stage and audience. Which is all very well and good, but the music needs to back that up, and unfortunately this isn’t the Red Paintings day. They only get to play 3 songs in a 20 minute set, and the middle song is a mess, with the guitar of enigmatic frontman Trash McSweeney dropping out completely. The final song, the epic The Revolution Is Never Coming, has a punch to it, but the middle of a soggy afternoon was never going to be the best time for a Red Paintings set, especially one as short as this.

“Out of bed, time to shred” states the Myspace of Canberra’s Young And Restless, and they provide a nice counterpoint to the theatrics of the Red Paintings by doing just that. They rip through their set of thrashy rock songs with a minimum of fuss, and a maximum of rawk, with Karina Utomo doing her usual stellar job out in front. Josh Weller does fine work on the guitar, carrying melodies that arrive and depart at blink-and-you’ll-miss-em speed. They play a handful of tracks from their self-titled album – it’s a pity that bands on the main stage are now only getting 20 minutes each, because we could watch these guys doing their thing all day long.

On the Corner Stage, Kid Confucious are doing their best to lift the wet and dreary mood with a set of funky dance numbers. The 7-piece live band behind frontman Rob Hezkial keeps things upbeat, and they have the crowd gyrating on the wet grass.

Bluejuice temporarily become the festival’s centre of gravity as thousands are irresistibly drawn to the Corner Stage, gyrating wildly to the band’s increasingly famous party vibe. And, once in the clutches of dual frontmen Jake Stone and Stav Yiannoukas, there’s no escape. Stone becomes ever-more-adventurous as the band incites the crowd with typically rambunctious renditions of Broken Leg and Motorcycle Accident. By the time Vitriol rolls around he’s literally taunting the crowd by swinging his mic out just above the reach of their fingers. “I hypnotise you to go crazy!” he commands and all the way to the end we are collectively helpless to resist.

As soon as The Gin Club ’s Ben Salter opens with the beguiling guitar riff, and Adrian Stoyles launches into Already Gone, you just want to shout out: “I’m sold! How much?”. But wait, the (on this occasion) eight-piece band replies, there’s more! They effortlessly span genre, laying down slabs of country, folk and even soft rock – a beautiful tune ( Days ) that could easily have been inspired by Fleetwood Mac – with astonishing aplomb. They casually throw in a new track after just releasing a double album. Salter drawls his way through the normally Tim Rogers-voiced Something Rotten more than creditably. And they do all this while swapping instruments like kids at school swap lunches. By the time they finish their all-too-brief set, this reviewer’s head is spinning. The Gin Club surely cannot be bought – they’re just priceless.

Over on the main stage, it’s another short set from Trial Kennedy. Their heavy power rock is given a boost that lifts it above the mundane in the form of singer Tim Morrison, whose excellent voice is a thing to behold. There’s also lots of chunky bass lines and terrific drum work to galvanise the crowd. Unfortunately, it begins to rain again, which has some of the crowd rushing for cover, but those that stick around are rewarded with hit singles Colour Day Tours and the spectacular Neighbours. Trial Kennedy are not just another punky rock band, and fans should leap at the chance to see them support the Butterfly Effect on their upcoming tour.

Witnessing the nominally country-styled outfit ROOT! is much more than just seeing a band. It’s a little akin to encountering a crazed yet polite preacher. It seems shameful to say it, but the music virtually becomes a subsidiary concern as frontman DC Root wanders among the crowd delivering handshakes and hugs while spouting bite-sized – and biting – lyrics satirising, sending up and tearing down all sorts of golden calves. To be honest, these hilarious verbal muggings are delivered within some fine tunes, but the strongly lyrical bent cannot help but overshadow everything else.

Final Days Of Autumn have an impressive pedigree, with members of Shifter and Resin Dogs banding together behind Butterfly Effect frontman Clint Boge. Unfortunately today’s set never really fulfils the promise – the rock is too slow and thoughtful, and the sound setup installed for today’s festival isn’t quite good enough for Autumn’s melodies. Their short set never rises above middling, and only the hardcore fans down the front are wishing for more.

Smudge are definitely a band’s band, which is both good and bad – there’s almost more musos watching from side stage than there is punters in front of the Time Off stage. Frontman Tom Morgan famously cowrote many of the songs from the Lemonheads album It’s A Shame About Ray, and Morgan shares a vocal and songwriting style with Evan Dando. Unfortunately there’s just noone here to witness their set of melancholy pop rock. Smudge recently reappeared on the scene after a number of years absent, but Morgan and bandmates Allison Galloway and Adam Yee still have all their chemistry intact. The arrival of The Lemonheads’ The Outdoor Type qualifies as a highlight, if only because it gets recognised and sung along to by some of the punters in the nearby drinking area. Hopefully, Smudge will get some more airplay in months to come as they begin releasing new material, and people will love them for the great musicians that they are.

A short, sharp and thoroughly enjoyable 25-minute tour of Screamfeeder ’s back-catalogue quickly reveals just what Brisbane has missed in the recent absence of one of the city’s most under-rated rock trios. They open in slow-burn fashion with Tim Stewart ’s trademark nasal whine front and centre for Explode Your Friends and Gravity before shifting up a gear with the fast guitar hooks of perennial favourite Dart. It’s then time to out-loud the main stage ever-so-briefly with the fast-and-furious Bunny. Bassist Kellie Lloyd takes a rare dip (live, at least) on lead vocals for Triple Hook before the band delves back some 18 years to debut album Flour with Sushi Bowl. A double-dose of unusual, they briefly pad out to a four-piece as they conclude with another Kellie-led number – the rarely played Stopless. Even better, this rendition is blessed with an extended outro that verges on post-rock as Tim squalls his guitar repeatedly around Kellie’s bass line. Mirroring Intercooler, the thinness of the crowd is an injustice to the quality – these guys ought to be stars.

Parkway Drive has been making its way up the ranks of Australia’s hardcore ranks, and today they’ve reached near-headliner status. Their Byron Bay brand of thrash rock has huge chunks of the stagefront crowd moshing out, especially to the raucous Gimme A D. Frontman Winston McCall growls and roars his way through the songs, and in between numbers, galvanises the audience with calls for a circle pit and various other mosh elements, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. And guitarists Luke Kilpatrick, Jeff Ling and Jia O’Connor do their bit by lunging back and forth across the stage in time, boosting the energy coming off the stage. Parkway Drive make the most of their abbreviated set, with old song Pandora sitting easily alongside Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em. They wrap up their set with Romance Is Dead, giving the crowd a chance to draw in a collective breath.

If Screamfeeder draws low hundreds, then almost-as-venerable hip hop locals Resin Dogs must have a few thousand mesmerised just a few dozen paces away. Live, they pack far more mojo than a casual listen to their Myspace page suggests; songs such as Fat Cap and Caught Up rendered whole orders of magnitude more compelling by the motor-mouth lyrics and the gorgeous string and horn sections that fill out the sound.

Getaway Plan take to the stage just as dusk turns to night, and the four piece open with big single Streetlight. Unfortunately, they havent learnt anything from Final Days Of Autumn’s set, and their midtempo material just doesn’t have the impact needed for tonight. An early exception is the upbeat older song The New Year. Once again, they have a shortened set, and they wrap up with Where The City Meets The Sea, and bookending their set with their two big singles gives the people what they want, even if it’s only fans who would have really enjoyed what came between.

Over on the Corner stage, Muph and Plutonic keep the party vibe alive and well, with the full crowd bopping and grooving away to the hip hop vibes. They finish their set with So Beautiful So Ugly, with the crowd taking over half the vocal duties during the chorus, and waving their hands in the air at the same time.

There’s a bit of a delay while the British India equipment is set up on the same stage that just held Getaway Plan. So, despite the fact that they’d finally caught up with the timeline released earlier, British India get a shortened set. They open with the first two tracks from new album Thieves, This Dance Is Loaded and God Is Dead (Meet The Kids) . Unfortunately the rain has returned, and Nic Wilson ’s guitar keeps cutting out during God Is Dead. But, they battle on like true professionals, racing through Tie Up My Hands and Run The Red Light with little fuss. Wilson’s guitar problems persevere, affecting I Said I’m Sorry, but luckily the final track Black And White Radio , with it’s chaotic maelstrom, goes untarnished, and British India head off into the night having proved that you don’t need a long set to leave an impression.

The pained expression on the face of Epicure ’s Juan Alban contrasts starkly with the beautiful drifting rock the band seems to generate by force of will alone. Tunes drawn from their forthcoming album go down a treat – none more so than lead single Snakes And Foxes – while the nihilistic content of Self Destruct In Five is incongruous against its chirpy piano line. A request for Tightrope Walker at the very end is granted and, even though Alban mutters about sound bleeding across from the main stage, the acoustic beauty and the gentle sing-along it draws make it an entirely appropriate closer.

Spiderbait introduced this reviewer to live music, so you’ll have to excuse me being a little hyperbolic, but tonight they put every other band on the bill to shame with their fantastic set. Whit is the most underrated guitarist in Australian music, carrying the melodies of tracks like Buy Me A Pony and Calypso, as well as newer songs Take Me Back and an almost poppy version of Fucken Awesome . Kram talks about his fond memories of the old Livid festival, stating that today’s slightly bedraggled occasional mess reminds him of the early Livids, and he hopes that Sounds Of Spring continues to take place. For the older fans, they rip through the fantastic Old Man Sam , before wrapping up their set (slightly predictably) with Black Betty. Tonight’s set was an exercise in synchronicity, a perfect example of three musicians who instinctively play perfectly together. Spiderbait may not be a proper touring, recording band any more, but here’s hoping they’ll continue to play shows whenever possible.

Gyroscope have been getting more and more impressive with each appearance, and tonight’s tight set is no exception. Dan Sanders’ mic isnt working so great during Doctor Doctor , so he comes down to the hang out with the crowd at the front as the song continues up on stage. All the big hits make their appearance, including 1981 and Safe Forever . Sanders grabs the acoustic for the sing along Australia , and set closer Snakeskin gets the whole crowd jumping and screaming in a frenzy. But it’s penultimate song Fast Girl which provides the highlight of the set and day. The song itself lacks some of the punch of the recorded version, but during the song, the band change the beat and rip into Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning which gets everyone singing along, fists and hands raised defiantly in the air. It’s nothing short of spectacularly special.

Veterans Rocket Science have one of the last sets of the Time Off stage, but, like many of the bands on that stage, they’re playing to just a handful of committed fans. Roman Tucker gives his usual near-demonic performance, moving about on stage as though the music has possessed him (especially when waving his hand around the theramin – there needs to be more theramins in rock) and he is just it’s mouthpiece. Unfortunately the other band members, while good at their stuff, are introverted and stationary. I’m Being Followed makes a late-set appearance for the older fans.

Wedged between Gyroscope and Grinspoon, Cog ’s challenge was always going to be whether they would prove too cerebral for listeners. And, as Flynn Gower and his compadres open with No Other Way , the crowd’s eerie silence is foreboding. Perhaps they’re collectively spellbound by the lightshow – a blue floodlight silhouettes Gower dramatically, and spectacular patterns of blue light refract in the falling rain overhead. Happily, as the band breaks it down for the reggae-style spoken-word bridge, people cheer raucously. The set that follows weighs in at a brutally brief six songs until you consider Cog’s propensity to draw out their melodic themes. Notably it leans heavily to recent album Sharing Space , and it’s debatable whether the world-spanning themes of songs such as Say Your Last Goodbye , What If? and Are You Interested? resonate sufficiently with those bending an ear. Probably Not is the conclusion as the crowd bursts into life at the very end for a drunken sing-along more personal (and more J friendly?) My Enemy .

The arrival of Grinspoon provides one of the only rock star moments of the day, as the band come on stage to the sound of police sirens wailing. And frontman Phil Jamieson is easily the biggest rockstar to make an appearance, swaggering confidently on stage as they rip into Black Tattoo , and follow that up with Bleed You Dry and Hard Act To Follow. The problem with Grinspoon’s recent material is that it sounds too prepackaged, too middle of the road rock, too ready-to-be-played-at-NRL-grand-finals, although Hard Act features a nice moment of duelling guitars between Jamieson and Pat Davern. They make the distinction between newer and older material clear as they start delving into the back catalogue. Ready One is fantastic, and the Davern’s guitar work on 1000 Miles is spectacular. Jamieson joins Kram from Spiderbait in evoking memories of Livid’s passed, before playing solo on the acoustic guitar for a heartwarming version of the usually hectic No Reason.

Appropriately, the strong smell of green wafts across a small but visibly enthused crowd as The Black Seeds wrap up the day on the Corner Stage. What follows is not so much a set as one long, fabulous groove where there are occasional stops, starts and pauses for a few words of encouragement. Song titles cease to matter as the Wellington-based masters of party music fuse, warp and delay almost any variation of dub, reggae, funk and psychedelia imaginable in a beautiful flurry where guitar riffs interweave and overlap with tribal drum patterns, blasts of trumpets and echoing synths. For the record, they did profile a few tracks from new release Solid Ground but if you were in the crowd tonight you were probably too busy going with the flow to notice.

Over on the main stage, it’s time for Grinspoon to start winding down this festival. The chunky power chord opening of Secrets strikes straight to the chest cavity, while More Than You Are has the whole crowd thrashing around. Chemical Heart is a quieter moment, but the one-two finish of Lost Control and Champion give Sounds Of Spring the anarchic-yet-joyous finale it deserves. It was great to see a festival comprised entirely of Australian bands, too. Chalk Sounds Of Spring down as the scrappy little festival that could, overcoming weather and management problems to provide nearly all the attendees with exactly what they were looking for, a fun day out with some great music.

By Liam McGinniss aka gumbuoy and Stephen Goodwin aka dsthenes