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Typically Australian – hot, sweaty and understated to the end – the day came and went in a flurry of windmills, sing-alongs and balloons. It was Homebake.

My day began with Little Red owning what they could of the Dome Stage before the heat sapped the energy from the crowd. Reaching 398929 degrees around 2:30, the sun really took the energy from the audience and it was up to the bands to just deal with it. The crowd could do nothing but reserve energy stores for what was to be a long day of music. End of Fashion suffered as a result of the heat – but it seems that their new material lacks any real impetus. Whilst the hits worked, the rest didn’t seem to have the same punch.

British India hit the stage mid-afternoon, looking every bit the part of a band on top of their game. The pastiest four-piece in human history torched everything in their path, with a mix of everything from Guillotine and Thieves. Despite the heat, it was a real treat to watch a band owning a stage that would later house the likes of Neil Finn.

You didn’t have to go far to find a fuckwit on the day. Whether it was the $5 for bottles of water, the endless Southern Cross-tattooed brethren rubbing against every girl they could, or the people hording discarded cans to claim back the $1 recycling deposit, there were plenty of things to ruffle the feathers in the oppressive heat. However, it couldn’t ruin the vibes that were to come.

Sadly, it’s impossible to review every band on the day or see each act for 3.6 minutes. The day was going along swimmingly, before Pnau kicked it up a notch on the main stage. Looking every bit the overblown star, the crowd lapped up everything Nick Littlemore had to offer. At the centre of the trippy set was Littlemore painted in a blue crucifix and floating above the stage from a high wire, doing his best Flaming Lips impression.

It was just fan-friggin’-tastic to see an Australian band come out and do what they do, no matter how over the top it is. Dancing suns and cubes filed onstage for Embrace and Baby, and Littlemore led Wild Strawberries whilst suspended over the stage. The set peaked with a shower of balloons shot out over the audience. It was a show both ridiculous and magnificent.

Special mention has to go to the Hopetoun stage. Dank and secluded, it was a great little stage with a real rock and roll atmosphere sometimes lacking elsewhere. Mercy Arms sounded magnificent and Sparkadia even better. There was a real buzz around Sparkadia’s set and they did not disappoint, with Kiss of Death being a real highlight. However my time at the Hopetoun stage was cut short with a dash for my first of two dream line-up choices, You Am I.

Very few people can actually claim to be called a rock star, but Tim Rogers can. Whilst the opener Damage was ruined slightly by poor sound, it didn’t affect its fragile beauty. It was a slow start to the set, but once It Ain’t Funny How We Don’t Talk Anymore started, it was just what the day needed. Declan from British India was sitting side of stage and would certainly have learned a few stage moves from Rogers. His version of Heavy Heart with Kasey Chambers (despite her lack of knowledge of the lyrics) was a true highlight.

The new material from Dilettantes sounded brilliant, but Berlin Chair and Purple Sneakers were the real crowd-pleasers. Rogers worked the crowd, windmilled his way through the outros of songs and had fans screaming for more. He summed the day up perfectly in one line of Erasmus: “I’m in love with rock and roll – fuck yeah!” He then proceeded to throw in some windmills and drop to his knees as the song finished. Oh yes my friends, he really is that good.

From the rip-snorters of You Am I, there was only one way to finish the day – with everybody’s favourite nice guy Neil Finn. Sure, I would’ve happily cut shapes along to Cut Copy, but seriously – it was Crowded House! After listening to Recurring Dream as a kid for a record 34 million times, I had to do myself the service of lapping up every moment. With the crowd in perfect harmony, there were many highlights: It’s Only Natural, Weather With You, 4 Seasons In One Day, Distant Sun and Don’t Dream It’s Over among them.

Granted a longer set time, it was great to see the band stretch out on some songs and play those not so popular. Whispers and Moans and Hole in the River were two that caught some of the crowd off guard, but really pleased those die-hard fans. Whilst most of the band isn’t very – œAustralian’, I don’t think you will find anybody who cared.

For a kid like me, seeing Tim Rogers one minute then running to see Neil Finn play on the same night gives me shivers. I will forgive the $5 water charge, because the music was just so good. Throwing in standout performances from Pnau, Sparkadia, Little Red and British India, it’s hard to avoid that very stereotypical line: Australian music looks in great shape.