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Things have come a long way for The Presets in recent years. A multi-award winning album, a load of hit singles, a tour that took in all parts of the world, and ultimately, a packed out series of shows in their hometown in Sydney.

Unlike their similarly sold-out shows at the Enmore Theatre in 2008, the decision to have this year’s version at the Hordern Pavilion appeared to have a large number of punters thinking it was some sort of day festival. Shorts, thongs, singlets, sunglasses, despite the fact that it was one of the wettest Sydney nights all year, and was hardly warm. Needless to say that some people were in some pretty high spirits. Add to the fact that many of those punters looked ridiculously underage, and there was enough to see for my mind to wander back to the under-aged carnage of Earthdance back in Sydney of 2008.

Back to the music though, and with Van She and Architecture in Helsinki sharing supporting responsibilities, as 9.30 approached, there was a steady stream of people on to the main floor. As Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes appeared on stage, that stream became a frenetic rush. When they dropped into their opening Talk Like That, pandemonium ensued. My company and I for the night had perched ourselves in the front row of the stands, but the sight below was bloody impressive. The heaving crowd moved as one, as it would for a good part of the night. It was all very loud too, maybe even just a touch too loud to appreciate some of the intricacies of the work the lads were doing up on stage, but given how much fun the sound guy at the back of the dancefloor was having, all must have been OK for them.

Playing a string of songs of their phenomenally successful 2008 album Apocalypso, and with a large number of single releases from that album getting lots of radio airplay, it was music to the ears of the heaving throng below. They loved it. A New Sky was morphed nicely into their first real hit Girl and the Sea all the way back from 2004, an absolute classic tune from the lads, and they gave it the treatment it justifiably deserved. Similarly, whether it was the somber chords of If I Know You, the banging electro of Are You The One?, or the sheer mayhem of My People, the lads have well and truly got the hang of the live performance.

They appear to have wrapped it up about just over an hour into it, but not surprisingly chants for more were rewarded, the lads coming back and ripping out an almost trancey sounding version of Anywhere before finishing off, with their trademark I Go Hard, I Go Home asking the crowd one more time, to do exactly that. Nice.

All up, despite some of the young ‘uns confirming that they do not know better, it was a fun night. The lads were definitely ‘on’, and it showed in their performance. Loads of energy and gusto, and a solid cracking smashing out of their repertoire.

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