Before I begin, I have a little confession. I didn’t know who Grafton Primary were before I saw them recently at the Oxford Art Factory. There was so much buzz surrounding the band that I just had to check out what all the fuss was about. They captured my attention from the moment the curtains flew open.

The Oxford Art Factory was the venue for a sell-out show and inside the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. The venue itself added to the band’s performance, with its industrial interior of steel poles and brick walls. The Sydney outfit opened with their track Records for The Righteous, which gave us a taste of what was to come. Its steady beat, ‘80s sounding synth progression and catchy lyrics came together winningly – suggesting the band’s unique approach to songwriting. They were to surprise and intrigue me more as their set wore on.

Joshua Garden is definitely a frontman. His movement onstage was both unique and a tad peacock-y, but I was enthralled by how natural he looked. While other lead vocalists can come off ‘staged’, Garden had a genuine artistry behind his approach. The stage had a different colour wash that complimented each song. Benjamin Garden’s talent for playing his synths, keytar and backing vocals left me stunned. His musicianship shined all night, while Robbie Mudrazija’s beats were impeccable.

One of the highlights of the night was when Garden pulled out a wooden spoon prop for the track I Can Cook. I was taken aback when I saw a group of fans holding up wooden spoons in excitement, waving them about and singing passionately to the lyrics. They went nuts when Benjamin Garden whipped out the keytar and busted out a rockin’ solo. Change also brought hysteria within the room, as this anthem was belted out by Garden and the crowd. When he yelled “Dance if you believe!” the energy of the dancefloor was suddenly elevated and I could feel the ground beneath me shake.

“Doesn’t matter who you are, we’re all stars,” was the line that resonated from Grafton Primary’s last song. I was delighted when Garden jumped offstage, still singing, and started mingling with the crowd. At once the fans pounced on him and he invited some lucky ones onstage to dance.

Grafton Primary performed two encores, with their ever-popular track Relativity inciting more people to climb onstage with the band. The band rocked out, the people rocked out, hearts were flying, vocals were belting and electronics were pulsing. Garden was right when he went on to say the night had been “absolute madness”. I can see big things over the horizon for Grafton Primary – as well as big wooden spoons.