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The Riverstage is fast becoming one of the more popular venues in Brisbane for gigs and festivals, therefore it seems fitting to host one of the most popular dance-punk acts to come out of Australia in recent times. Despite the fact that this gig is being held in an outdoor arena during some of Brisbane’s coldest weeks, The Presets have been sold out for months, and the grassy arena quickly fills as people shuffle around for what they feel is the best position to dance the long weekend away.

Van She impressed this reviewer earlier this year at BBQ Beats, and as they take the stage tonight, they prove that it was not just a one-off performance. Solid beats and pumping bass get the crowd warmed up, and the foursome from Sydney bounce about the stage and have everyone jumping around. They perform a nice selection from their EP Van She and debut album V but it’s the closing song Kelly , that really has everyone dancing as they deliver the tune with perfect timing and further promote a great stage presence that should see the Sydney-siders catapulted into the more mainstream sooner rather than later.

Next up to keep the crowd moving are the Fitzroy fivesome, Architecture in Helsinki. They start their set strongly, with Hold Music getting everyone up and dancing, warming them up all over again in preparation for the main event. In between dedications to the monarchy for this fabulous long weekend, they don’t seem to have the same spark that the previous band has though, and this shows during the seemingly lacklustre efforts during the middle of their set. But all is not lost, and they bring the end of their performance home better than expected, despite the crowd calling for The Presets at every opportunity.

The light show that descends upon The Riverstage stuns everyone slightly for a second, but as the very familiar chords of Talk Like That echoed through the speakers, the roar of the crowd almost drowns out Julian Hamilton ’s vocals as The Presets launch into a blistering set. They hit the ground running and ) Yippiyo-ay has everyone singing along. The standout song of the set though, has to be This Boys In Love. The ease with which the crowd join Hamilton in belting out the words, and the slightly slower tempo of the track, make every single person at the Brisbane show step back and appreciate the music that this incredibly talented duo can create and deliver.

Although, so as not to completely outdo themselves mid-show, Hamilton pushes on with My People closing out the main set, and then amidst massive applause from the audience, they return to round off their performance with I Go Hard, I Go Home, leaving all at The Riverstage begging for more, and salivating at the thought of the next studio release.