Arriving at St Jeromes Laneway Festival, lunchtime on a Sunday arvo, seemed like a relaxing way to spend the afternoon, and the atmosphere suggested just that. With many couches, stools and milk crates lining the laneway, it provided the perfect opportunity to relax in the sun and recover from a big Saturday night, or gear up for a big Sunday over a few beers and some great tunes.

Camera Obscura took to the stage and Tracyanne Campbell engaged and enchanted the crowd with her beautiful voice and cute stage persona. Most punters relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity to hear some of the most beautiful indie pop of the day. Their unique style of tunes and quirky performance could be likened to fellow Glaswegians Belle and Sebastian.

Dan Kelly’s banter on the Lounge stage drew a large appreciative audience. He introduced many of his songs with an anecdotal tale about their origins and underlying meaning. Without his usual Alpha Males, Dan seemed at times meek and almost self-conscious, though the stripped back style of simply one voice-one guitar suited his His at times jovial performance included tracks which brought a smile to many faces in the crowd, such as Drunk On Election Night, Checkout Cutie and Pregnant Conversation. His friendly performance was appreciated, despite crowd being quite chatty at times.

Sydney’s Bumblebeez burst onto the stage with frenetic energy and a chaotic charm. Their funky tunes, broken with free flowing rap stylings had the crowd dancing for the first time that day. All members seemed fluid, free and without any inhibitions; they danced around the stage, swapped roles and generally looked like they were having a blast. Front woman Vila used a synthesizer to distort her voice at times and repeatedly hit the drums with the mike, while her brother Chris kept the beats tight and finished off by spinning The Beach Boys The Wanderer and danced off the stage through the delighted audience.

Youth Group drew a big crowd in the laneway late in the afternoon, though many seemed unfamiliar with their music, with the exception of course of their cover, Forever Young. They played a technically tight, but mostly uninspiring set.

Enigmatic Luke Steele and Sleepy Jackson immediately had the audience’s attention with his trademark brooding looks and bizarre showmanship. Punters sang along to tracks such as Devil Was In My Yard but were mostly sedate, yet appreciative throughout the set. It was about this time that the laneway began to really fill up and as the set progressed the crowd got little rowdier, with people jostling to get closer to the front for a better look.

Peter Bjorn and John’s set was perfectly timed, with the sun setting over the streetscape, providing lovely ambiance and perfect mood lighting for the “whistle-along” that was to come. They played a variety of tracks that many in the crowd seemed to be familiar with, but the vast majority was waiting for Young Folk. It was near the end of their set when the boys gave the crowd what they really wanted, and the laneway erupted into a sea of harmonious whistling.

Ground Components rocked the Lounge Stage and Joe McGuigan needed little time at all before tearing his shirt off mid-way through their first track, much to the delight of the female audience members. All members threw themselves wholeheartedly into a raucous set, dancing about, high air-kicks and generally appeared to be having as much, if not more fun than the crowd. They played many tracks from album Eye For a Brow, a Tooth For a Pick, including the title track, which had audience members chanting along, fists in the air. Their blend of fat 70’s style rock, strong vocal sylings, awesome bass and rollicking drums fused perfectly to produce a vibrant, energetic performance.

Midnight Juggernauts lived up to the expectations of an eager crowd, providing a fantastic end to the evening. The laneway swayed, grooved and danced along to an inspiring set, complete with awesome light show. The laneways dark corners and nooks and crannies were illuminated an eerie blue, providing a surreal setting for some amazing sounds. By far the most enthusiastic response from punters all day, the boys delivered with crowd favourites Devil Within and Raised By Wolves. Andy, Vin and Thunderfist proved why they are one of the ultimate live acts in Australia at the moment, with tight, pumping grooves that got everyone’s feet moving.

Overall, it was a sensational way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A great atmosphere was present throughout the day, and with top musical acts and a unique setting – what more could a music lover want?