The Whiskey Go Go’s open to a sparse Zoo crowd with a genre-bending blend of country-infused hillbilly rock. A couple of angsty mid-set weepers show them at their best, with Matt Hutchison ’s desperate vocals well supported by some intricate guitar and the in-out shouty backing vocals of his fellow band members. Unfortunately, sheer volume destroys one’s ability to appreciate the subtleties of their arrangements. They conclude with a stomping barnyard track where all that’s missing is the yodelling – oh, wait, there it comes now.

The crowd has swelled appreciably by the time rising Melbourne lads The Temper Trap make their appearance. Dougy and friends prove to be in fine form, their style effortless and tight, their sound infectious and energetic. The soft tones of Peter Parker’s Alter Ego is an early stand-out before they accelerate with a pacey, yet plaintive number where Jonny swaps bass for acoustic guitar. My Sun is all ferocious guitars but the crowd cheers the most for the delightful instrumental song where Dougy abandons his guitar for a spot of toms bashing.

Australian expats Howling Bells have just come off a tour with the Killers and the experience seems to have matured their stage act immensely. From the get-go, they look relaxed, confident and completely at ease. With vocalist and frontwoman Juanita Stein happily chatting to the crowd, and deflecting declarations of love onto her fellow band members with gracious aplomb, it’s a far cry from the reserved and emotionally distant performance they gave at the Rev just 18 months ago.

Musically, they prove just as smooth, shifting between soft, moody country ballads and sleek, echoing rock without ever jarring the mood. It’s part alt-rock, part country, part surf pop, but, somehow, a style distinctly their own. Throughout, Juanita’s sultry voice weaves hauntingly around, over and through the delicious rhythms of drummer Glenn Moule and bassist Brendan Picchio while Joel Stein rips into his guitar with visible enthusiasm, providing oodles of shimmering, surf-inspired hooks and finespun country slide.

Often the guitar works as a counterpoint, but when Joel brings it in to support and echo Juanita’s vocals on The Wishing Stone, it provides one of the night’s highlights. Softer country-styled tunes such as The Bell Hit and Velvet Girl also benefit from feedack he bleeds into the mix with measured precision.

It could be that the band is suffering a touch of jetlag tonight because the set flags a little near the end – Ballad for the Bleeding Hearts seems to chug along instead of tugging at the heartstrings. Fortunately they have a little left in the tank come the very end – when Juanita strikes up the first chords of Low Happening, the band roars back into life finishing the night on a high note.