Between the games of crowd cricket, the slip-and-slide and the eskys, the first Festival of the Sun at Port Macquarie on December 16 and 17 was more like your average Australian backyard barbecue than a music festival. It was that vibe which made it so different to other festivals.

There was something reminiscent about this festival; it reminded most people of the little festivals before they got big—think Livid in Davies Park in Brisbane or that first, mud-soaked Homebake at Byron Bay. Then there was the music, which had elements of the Blues and Roots Festival yet contained a mixture of acts broad enough to keep most punters happy.

Chilled-out acts dominated the line-up, from the laid-back Jess Maynard, legendary folk/rock act Things of Stone and Wood, to Hirst and Greene, Jez and the sweet nothings of Sarah Blasko. But it was the performances from energy-packed bands with their roots in reggae, funk and bootie-shakin’ good times that really got their crowd’s attention. Take Friday, for instance. It seemed an odd thing to many people that the festival start on a Friday, but by no means did it stop anyone getting into the music on offer. With a smattering of rain and a late start, it took the energy of Port girl-rock band Pink Stik, with their punk attitude and enthusiasm, to get the first handful of people emerging from their tents. By the time local Crescent Head singer/songwriter Jess Maynard took to the stage, the sun was even making an appearance as Jess sung her heart-felt lyrics with a hint of groove. Then, in a mad change of pace, Perth act Fourth Floor Collapse belted out their tunes and threw themselves about the stage with a noise vaguely reminiscent of Eskimo Joe but with a bigger personality. This was despite the noise restrictions (enforced rather heavily I got the feeling) by the local council.

After Byron-based artist Jez’s caressing vocals, Sydney’s Gabriel’s Day and Jade Flynn, Blue King Brown hit the stage. Well – they didn’t so much hit it as kick and smash it with a frenzied assault of rhythm. Their amazing fusion of rhythm-based reggae funk was more than most people could handle. The band were unstoppable, with tribal rhythms hitting that bit inside which makes you unable to stop your toes tapping. Next, the Mess Hall kept the crowd going nuts with their usual ability to make more noise than should be physically possible for a couple of guys with a set of drums and a guitar. The night closed with even more energy with the boys from Gerling getting back to their rock-based roots (and having a damn good time while they were at it. “What’s the difference between Wolfmother and Guy Sebastian?” they joked at one point, before using the microphone as some kind of phallic replacement. “Fucked if I know!”).

Saturday was a full, 12-hour day of music for the punters, with laid-back cruisy, coastal vibes of talented four-piece Level One starting it off, and Sarah Blasko ending the gig. Throughout the day the stage saw a plethora of acts; from the folky Aurora Jane and brother and sister duo The McMenamins, to the poetic wonderings of ‘one man and his guitar’ performers (iOTA, Israel Cannan and Brian Campeau). When Intercooler took to the stage at around 2pm the rock started to crank, but by then most of the crowd was more interested in the large game of cricket underway. As the band rightly pointed out, it was more of a picnic in the park than a rock show. Then came Hirst and Greene - and out of nowhere came four tarps, a bottle of dishwashing liquid and a hose, to create a manic slip-and-slide which lasted for more than an hour (including pile-ups, a boogie board and doubtlessly more than a few bruised limbs). But the slip-and-slide was abandoned when Ash Grunwald launched into his masterly guitar and stompbox stylings. From then on it was all about the music with The Herd, as always, putting on a hell of a show and getting the crowd up and jumping. The more mellow Things of Stone and Wood and Sarah Blasko ended the weekend.

The weekend, it must be said, was a success from a music lover’s point of view. Here’s hoping it happens again next year.