Live Review: Cut Copy, Ara Koufax, Giverny

Following up his impressive 2017 live debut, Giverny returned to Wollongong's UniBar with an expanded sound that benefited greatly from additional band members to bolster his presence.

The Sydney singer-songwriter - real name Phillip Spiteri - brought fierce energy to his vocals during his latest track Plotholes before finishing with the anthem Ruins.

Bringing their fluid, techno dreaminess to the stage next were Melbourne duo Ara Koufax. These two ran through a variety of electronic dance beats that could be soothing, with undertones of swirling synths one moment and hitting like a full-frontal assault the next thanks to fat basslines bopping over fast, electro percussion. Certainly ones to watch out for, it was a shame these guys didn't draw in a bigger audience to discover their talent, but you get the feeling that Ara Koufax were in a world of their own the whole time they were up there anyway.

In contrast, Cut Copy drew in a packed-out crowd that were keen on hearing all their favourites being played. The energy was ridiculously high from the outset, kicking things off with their 2011 classic Need You Now. Frontman Dan Whitford was dancing non-stop - all the while leading with his crooning vocals - which had a hugely influential effect on the audience, who showed they were equally as keen to boogie.

The band went even deeper into their archives, digging out their nearly 15-year-old song Future. Spacey synths came in and out over Whitford's reverb-soaked vocals to capture a reliably futuristic sound. Hearts On Fire then proved their golden oldies were clearly the biggest draw of the night. The transition into this track resulted in the moshing reaching even greater heights. Whitford had the chorus yelled back at him as diehard fans celebrated every moment of this song.

"I feel like we came to your house party," said Whitford before dropping into their final tune of the evening, Lights & Music. This solidified their set as a brilliant build-up of increasingly popular tracks, epitomising at this final banger that brought out all kinds of energy from the punters who, in turn, let loose with dancing until the night ended.