A cool summer sea zephyr caressing the ample haired isn’t something normally associated with a rock’n’roll show, but at Docklands on Saturday evening that’s exactly what we got. Three bands upstairs, two DJ’s below, a few hundred pumped and curious patrons in attendance. In terms of originality this was stunning. As a gig it was even better.

After the requisite safety demonstration and a slice of complementary pizza the boat that was about to rock set sail for the bay. It wasn’t long before the throng were well lubricated and dancing up a storm downstairs, Hot Little Hands providing a timely change of pace in the makeshift band room above. With the majority enjoying the last vestiges of sun and the remainder queuing patiently at the bar, HLH didn’t get the patronage they deserved, the band demonstrating to the die-hards exactly why their debut album was so well received. Clearly comfortable on any stage, the concise musical treats they provided won’t be forgotten by anyone within earshot.

Time to freshen up with a cigarette and another cold one before the blistering psych-rock of The Fearless Vampire Killers, the room now abuzz with rock hungry revellers all clamouring for a view. Opening with Loaded Gun, the boat literally rocked at this point, the choppy bay only adding to the night’s otherness. Demonstrating their immense tightness was the fact that the drummer was playing his maiden show with the band, the previous incarnate having recently walked the plank. Inhibitions now non-existent, the crowd enjoyed a rollicking set of raw rock, The FVK proving that they’re worthy of the surrounding hype.

It’s not a stretch to say that the vast majority of those on board were there to see the headliners. Carnation – hosting their second show on water – entered the stage by walking straight through the crammed upper deck, the partisan crowd at absolute fever pitch for the evening’s stars. Opening with a rumbling drum beat and thunderous bass and guitar drone, the lyric free intro seeped into the collective subconscious without warning. The band let the adoring crowd know who was boss with the follow up tune Gone, a preview off Carnation’s upcoming EP and an almost certainty to be a radio hit. With a Joy Divisionesque loop marauding in the shadows, this hook laden firecracker certainly had the desired effect, lifting any remaining doubters to their feet and onto the tiles. – œCome and stop me now, before I take a slash’, a distressed vocal wrapped in an upbeat package, this three minutes of pure perfection is sure to assault both the eardrums and airwaves this year.

Next up was a track that simply compelled the listener to take notice. Vitriolic in nature, Judas was reminiscent of both The Smiths and The Doors. Simmering vocal aside, the highlight was the effortless slide guitar work and seething chemistry on stage. This tune saw Carnation in their element, five guys playing off every note, the subtleties of the performance not lost on the viewer.

Melbourne crowds, may be notorious for their constant chin stroking and general lethargy, but not on this night. That myth was rudely scorched with the opening riff of Mystery One, the crowd in unison in its praise of the foot-stomper. On and on it went, the guitar-driven bedlam accompanied by duelling vocals to close, the response both immediate and enduring.

The finale, 2012, a hybrid bastard child combining the baggy beats of The Stone Roses with the foreboding and Shamanism that characterised Jim Morrison’s best work, saw a stage rush, prompting frontman Josh Monte into the crowd mid verse. As the guitar wailed and the drum steadied, a glut of humanity was taunted to the dais. This was as insane as it gets, the singer crammed between breathless fans all dancing wildly, easily worth the price of admission alone. – œWe’re gonna burn down the town, burn it to the ground’ was the vocal accompaniment to the mayhem, as fitting as it was disarming. This many people can’t be wrong, and it was high time to join the fracas. Pirouetting around a makeshift dancefloor mightn’t be the best way to cover yourself in glory, but this was an opportunity too good to refuse, a full-on all-in, band and listeners as one in the ecstasy of the moment.

So it was, Carnation proving that they can indeed walk on water, ripping up the stage and letting all and sundry know that they’re determined to make 2010 their year. After that display, it’d be a brave man to doubt them.