The inaugural Laneway Festival in 2009 presented a refreshing change in the Perth festival calendar. After umpteen dance-based festivals, Perth finally had a band-based indie festival with a spectacular line up. 2010’s lineup didn’t come with as much fanfare, but judging by the sold-out tickets and public anticipation, Laneway Festival was always going to be memorable.

As the crowd (and queues) steadily grew, Wild Beasts played an energetic mid-afternoon set to a sizeable crowd. Propelled, no doubt, by the popularity of their single All The King’s Men, they displayed all the qualities that make them such an intriguing band to listen to – passionate falsettos, intricate guitar work and rolling basslines that deliver a propelling sound. The aforementioned single, with its guttural, hymn-like vocals that explode into high-pitched wails, cut through the Cultural Centre and left an indelible mark from a band that, despite being around for some eight years, is starting to garner a substantial following.

Mumford and Sons was always going to be one of the bigger drawcards on the bill, irrespective of any success in the Hottest 100 (which, it must be said, cannot take itself seriously any longer after the abomination that is/was the second-placed track). Kicking off with Sigh No More, the four English lads lived up to their reputation as a strong live outfit from the instant they got going and seemed genuinely impressed by the size of the crowd that greeted them.

Their four-part harmonies were faultless, and when hit track Little Lion Man got a respectfully-early showing, the crowd lost the plot. While it is, undoubtedly, a stirring track, its power works far better in the context of the album as a whole. Two new tracks were giving an airing and continued the characteristic sound which they will now find tough to shake. But, if they can continue writing such infectious melodies, there is no doubt their popularity will continue to soar.

Laneway was The XX’s Perth debut. Much of the crowd had packed in front of the stage straight in anticipation so a decent vantage point was hard to find. Having released their album in 2009 to much critical fanfare, they were undeniably the young indie darlings of Laneway. After the first note, the claustrophobia-inducing crowd seemed to disappear as we were rewarded with their modern ethereal notes.

As a new band with most members in their 20s, they played a tight and efficient set, however it was almost a carbon copy rendition of their self-titled album. Sonically, there was little difference between CD and live, and stage presence was minimal (not in an oh-so-cool disaffected grunge way).They weren’t visually engaging but their music was captivating – the highlight being the almost Phil Collins-esque drumming solo towards the end. With time, they’ll learn to improvise and work the crowd, however their first Perth outing was all a fan could ask for.

The Very Best arguably put on the best party set of the day on the TAFE stage. After an unexplained and somewhat frustrating wait, Esau Mwamwaya and his crew tore through the highlights of last year’s Warm Heart of Africa album, as well as the original mixtape that made their name in 2008. The energy of the performers and African dancers on stage mirrored that in the crowd below, a large section of which was eventually invited up to party. The set closed on an appropriately ecstatic note with the group’s take on Michael Jackson’s Will You Be There.