Brisbane lads Montpelier were first to grace the Hifi stage and gave a great start to the night. Upon early impressions of the band, they appeared to look very mismatched and not particularly cohesive, but once they began playing it all made sense. Their style is a mix of slow rock and alternative synth sounds, with long build-ups in some tracks, and others carrying a real pop rhythm. In the beginning of the set they seemed to struggle with mic control, however this eased up as they got more comfortable.

Both individually and combined, this band showed their ambition through their efforts on stage. Their songs were solid, with the crowd reacting well to songs such as The Rafter and Take a Picture. The shared vocals between Dave Butler and Greg Chiapello worked well to provide variety both in harmonies and solo. Perhaps due to nervousness, or maybe being a little overwhelmed, they managed to mention their band name four times, as well as where they are from. An endearing bunch, this group was obviously very pleased and thankful to be supporting a band they admire so much. Montpelier was captivating, and although at times songs may have bordered on the repetitious in sound, there was always an element of change to hold interest and make people pay attention to them in the future.

Frightened Rabbit soon ran on stage and got straight into doing what they do best – going mental! Scott Hutchison wasted no time, shaking his head and playing his guitar with strength and confidence. Their energy was sent throughout the audience, with people catching onto the front man’s dance moves and belting out the lyrics to opening song Skip the Youth. Frightened Rabbit are probably one of the most gracious bands around, saying “thank you” after almost every song in their set, sometimes accompanied by a joke or a story, so it is a pity that at times it was hard to understand through his thick Scottish accent.

Hutchison thanked the audience for choosing to see them play, as he was aware that Splendour in the Grass meant lots of bands were on offer. They certainly did not disappoint the crowd, a mixture of the most dedicated fans and some who were dragged along by the aforementioned supporters. Their set included a good range of songs from all their releases, such as Old, Old Fashioned and The Twist from their album The Midnight Organ Fight. Everybody was clapping to The Modern Leper, and singing along to Swim Until You Can’t See Land, which was a crowd favourite. Throughout, Hutchison reminded the audience that they will be back again soon, and hopefully they will see the same faces and maybe some new ones.

Foot Shooter prompted Hutchison to tell that the song is an apology to anyone he has upset in the past, and will upset in the future. The band left the stage for Hutchison to play Poke, with its haunting feel engaging and stunning the crowd.

All returned moments later to conclude their set with Keep Yourself Warm, Hutchison giving the audience a round of applause before leaving his band members to finish up their rocking set. This gig had every element a show should, even shushing amongst the subtle forming mosh filtering all the way to the back rows. When Frightened Rabbit return to Australia next, anyone who has not seen them live most definitely should.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT HERE