In this, the third year of Good Vibrations, Jam Entertainment once again delivered a fresh and diverse range of music for the masses. It’s pleasing to note that the turnout seemed better than ever before. Unlike the first year where everybody seemed to have a complimentary ticket, there was no shortage of people this time who’d coughed up for a piece of the action.

In true Good Vibes form, Saturday 11 February was a steaming hot day of maximum humidity and minimal respite until sundown. Thankfully, the rain held off, and the cold beer ensured comfort wasn’t completely lost. The artist line up was so chock-full of goodness it was decided to ignore the heat and head in as early as possible – so at 1pm we trundled through the gate and made ourselves at home.

Wedged between the main ‘Good Vibrations’ stage in the front amphitheatre, and the ‘Roots stage’ in the back ampitheatre were the two focal points of our early afternoon – the ‘B Bar’ (this year with added wooden floor, a lovely addition) and the ‘Laundry Cafe’, a previously unutilised space. Settling in for a Heineken outside the B Bar, the surprisingly thick and dirty beats of Andy Caldwell emanated nicely into our ears – his sound was expected to be far deeper than what was heard, but nobody was complaining.

Heading over to the Laundry Cafe, nicely framed by a garden path leading up to the stage, the crowd was met by a quadraphonic treat of brilliant sound. This was truly an excellent addition to the day. Brisbane’s own DJ/live stalwarts Dope and Dusted were dishing out a tasty palette of heavy house and nu-electro to an appreciative crowd, dropping grooved-up remixes of Gorillaz Feel Good and Spektrum Kinda New.

Over at the Roots stage, Katalyst and his MC had drawn a good early crowd, but some were taken aback by his (and his MC’s) American accent – aren’t they Australian? If not, please ignore the comment. Having witnessed him rip apart dance tents at Splendour In The Grass, his Good Vibes performance seemed to be somewhat lacking.

The larger size of this year’s crowd was most evident back in the B Bar when Groove Terminator stepped up around 2.30pm. By 3pm the bar was almost completely full, something that had barely happened even at peak times in previous years. Trying to stay cool with a few more Heinekens was a lost cause, when the crowd had trouble containing themselves during tracks like that massive remix of Bloc Party’s Banquet that seems to be the flavour of the month. It was dance madness well before sundown and it was a pleasure to be a part of.

No doubt about it, the drawcard of the day for many (myself included) were Norwegian nerd-rockers Datarock. Expectations were high just before 4pm when we took up position close to the stage to await the show. Resplendent in their red tracksuits and already looking like they were about to melt, Datarock kicked off with some spangly prog-rocking guitar noodling – and then kicked out the jams and rocked out proper. By the end of the first track they had the crowd in the palm of their hand – see, you can dance to guitars. Moving through tracks off their debut album like Night Flight To Uranus, Sex Me Up Sex Me Down and new track Molly, their ode to Molly Ringwald, the three-piece proved why they’ve been such a hit on the European tour circuit over the Northern summer. Of course, the best reception was saved for well-known Datarock staples Computer Camp Love and their finale, Fa Fa Fa. Having been apprehensive about their ability to pull off such a full-sounding track as Fa Fa Fa, they left us in no doubt that three singers with a guitar, bass and drum machine can make you dance like any DJ can.

Somehow, not longer after this, we found ourselves back in the B Bar, but little did we know we were about to be much amused by ex-Deelite singer, Lady Kier. Her show, which included 2 black guys in women’s swimsuits swinging their package about with wild abandon, was cut short halfway, just after her Groove Is In The Heart rendition, when her backing CD started skipping. Not to be thwarted, she continued on with a fine acapella while the crowd clapped and cheered her on. After attempting one failed re-start of the backing CD, Kier took control of the situation, gave up on the show and announced in her finest New York drawl, ‘I’m gonna play y’all some records. Whaddya like – electro, techno, disco?’. Admittedly, at the time it was thought this was all part of the show, until it became obvious Lady Kier couldn’t find her way around a pair of decks if she tried. After a cringe worthy train wreck, and then another, much of the crowd dispersed – but full credit to her for trying to make good of a bad situation. It was certainly an unforgettable and entertaining performance.

As good as my day had already been, it was about to get a whole lot better. Quite frankly, expectations weren’t high for Shaun Ryder and Cav. Their show was anticipated to be a shit DJ playing Manc/Brit records while Sean mumbled over the top in a druggy haze. That is exactly what we got, and it was absolutely hilarious. Perhaps it’s my demented Anglophilia, but hearing Cav spin (albeit poorly) The Who’s Can’t Explain, Kasabian’s Club Foot, The Stone Roses’ Love Spreads, The Doors’ LA Woman, The Happy Mondays own Bobs Yer Uncle and Oasis’  What’s The Story Morning Glory on a nice big sound system, while a Hacienda relic uttered indecipherably in to the mic, was just… brilliant. Lazily grinning and doing his best to not drool on the mic, Sean worked his way through a few cigarettes, mumbled to Cav a lot and barely raised his hunched self above the decks. He’s certainly cornered the market in burnt-out drug-addled baggy icons touring the world doing not much at all and getting paid for it.

I’m not sure if it was the Heinekens taking hold but I’m pretty sure Z-Trip ambled on stage late, which had already dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. When he finally kicked off, the sound was barely audible at the back, but we stayed to hear him masterfully mash up a plethora of genres, from Run DMC to Janis Joplin and Oasis. When he kicked in to a drum and bass interlude – just not the same when you can’t feel the bass rumbling in your guts – it was time for the headliners.

The rest of the evening posed quite a dilemma. The two acts remaining that were of the highest priority to see – Steve Lawler and James Brown, clashed almost directly on the timetable. The familiar surrounds of the B Bar were chosen first, and right on cue Lawler appeared and dropped Mark Knight’s Acid Test – a tune he was flogging three years ago. Was this a sign of an uninspired set to come? The jury is still out on that. Lawler seems to be a little lost at the moment, not really sure where he’s fitting in and what he wants to play. The tunes that were most memorable were all remixes of well-known tracks – Underworld’s Dark And Long, The Doors’ Hello, I Love You, Radiohead’s Street Spirit and Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus. In an hour-and-a-half set, that left very little time for fresh cuts, and I can’t help but feel I would have missed nothing by not seeing him. That said, his mixing was flawless, and he shared around his Skyy vodka from his rider to the appreciative crowd at the front, so he did redeem himself a little.

Throughout Lawler, small breaks were taken to go and check on the progress of James Brown – who didn’t seem to want to come on stage. Finally, around 9.15, an MC appeared on stage to start warming the crowd up, resplendent in white suit. Not too long after that the Godfather of Soul himself appeared to do his thing. For a man of 73 he’s doing pretty well, and certainly looked in better form than us – after a long day of brilliant music, we left the beautiful surrounds of the Riverstage to the strains of (I Got You) I Feel Good, still as funky as the day it came out in 1965.

Another year, another Good Vibrations – a round of applause for the best and most eclectic festival on the summer calendar.