Live Review: The Jungle Giants, The Creases

The Australian Open Live stage is a wonderful initiative allowing tennis fans a chance to enjoy some of the best local and international talent on offer over the tournament's two weeks, and tonight is no different. Brisbane quartet The Creases get things underway with a barnstorming opening set as a young crowd mills about the open-air stage. The energetic four-piece - plus an additional guitarist - are best described as a mixture of '80s English indie and modern Aussie rock, with a set dominated by their 2017 debut album Tremolow. Point, Were Young and the Stone Roses-like Is It Love are all solid, indie-pop tunes that get the crowd moving. The foot-tapping Asshole is changed to "B-hole" due to the Open's no-swearing policy as a small group of baby boomers debate whether a young lad dancing with an attractive girl is punching above his weight. That aside, The Creases put on a professional showing despite the heat, with final song Impact a great end to their support spot.

By the time The Jungle Giants arrive the crowd has swelled significantly and are in the mood to party. On Your Way Down is a super choice to open with and has everyone up and about, and singing along. "Hope all of you saw some good tennis and stayed out of the sun," says frontman Sam Hales cheerfully before the poppy Anywhere Else and handclap-inducing She's A Riot keep the crowd bopping. In a talkative mood, the bearded Hales expresses his dismay at being the only ginger suffering in the heat before noticing a fellow ranga, respectfully explaining he can "feel the burn marks" from on stage. Mr Polite continues the good vibes as Hales announces it's time to play some tracks from last year's Quiet Ferocity, with the title track and funky Waiting For A Sign absolute gems.

Kooky Eyes and slow burner You've Got Something take the tempo down as Hales and lead guitarist Cesira Aitken leave the stage, allowing drummer Keelan Bijker and bassist Andrew Dooris to duke it out as the sun sets over the picturesque grounds of Birrarung Marr, finally giving the crowd some respite from the heat. Bad Dream is a hypnotic, '80s-pop ditty while Used To Be In Love has a long-haired lad dancing like there's no tomorrow as his mum watches on with pride. Hales gets people clapping along to the intro of I Am What You Want Me To Be before urging everyone to jump as he sings the first line with gusto. As the crowd gets a little rowdy Hales tells them to "be careful out there" between breaths and they duly oblige. Every Kind Of Way is a tasty precursor to The Jungle Giants' final song Feel The Way I Do. An absolute belter of a tune, Feel The Way I Do is an ass-shaker of the highest level that even has the adults in the VIP bar jiving along. The Jungle Giants have long been one of this country's best acts and this entertaining hour of feel-good tunes in a festival-like atmosphere is another demonstration of why they are so loved by music fans across the nation. Top marks all 'round.