On its Perth leg, Laneway Festival once again rolled out the winning formula – small stages, mid-range acts and an inner city venue – that makes it stand out against the mega festivals. This year there were no clear headliners, with many attendees having a different band on top of their to-see list.

LA four-piece Warpaint were certainly one of the buzz bands of the festival, with their breakthrough hit Undertow charting on many a best of list last year. They were playing the Francis St stage which, god knows why, had been moved into a smaller more elongated area which made seeing the stage for anyone under 6 foot almost impossible. Despite the difficult viewing conditions, the all female psych-rockers had a healthy crowd for the majority of their set. They rolled through a tight and interesting set that certainly proved they’re more than hot chicks with guitars.

Speaking of hot chicks, Scando dream poppers Beach House were doing their cooler-than-school thing also at the Francis stage where another large crowd made for frustrating viewing. Drawing mostly from recent LP Teen Dream, vocalist Victoria Legrand sounded crisp and clear belting out hits that included Zebra (where she had a little punk moment with some head-banging) and the stunning Norway.

Pivot were doing their abstract-electro thing over at the baby amphitheatre and had a good crowd engrossed in a set that took in tracks from both studio albums and also included a cover of Talking Heads’ I Zimbra.

Back at the alleyway, Dublin hipsters Two Door Cinema Club drew one of the largest crowds of the day for their first-ever Perth show. Whispers of an impressive Splendour show last year and a very catchy debut LP brought heavy anticipation with the Irish youngsters.

Kicking off with album opener Cigarettes In The Theatre, TDCC as they are known to the texting generation put on a high energy and exciting show that covered all the sing-a-long bases including Undercover Martyn, Something Good Can Work and closer I Can Talk. The boys can safely return to Ireland with a few hearts in their Guinness tote bags.

One of the more painful clashes of the day was TDCC and LA five-piece Local Natives. Arriving in their final track, Local Natives were sounding pretty damn incredible with last track Sun Hands featuring a host of other festival muso friends on stage. I would’ve definitely liked to see more of these talented young fellows.

Following the Natives on the mainstage was Californian oddball Ariel Pink. After years of bedroom business, Pink was thrust into the spotlight with his recent LP Before Today and its incredible single Round And Round.

One didn’t really know what to expect from Pink and his Haunted Graffiti. They all arrived on stage in some kind of multi-coloured psychedelic uniform in all shapes and forms. Pink was reminiscent of Iggy Pop if he grew up on LSD and E instead of heroin and coke. The performance did have its limits, Pink’s voice being one, unable to hit a steady falsetto as he does for much of Before Today. Opening with Beverly Kills, the show was entertaining if not a little off-putting (or hilarious), with Pink frequently belching down the microphone and performing all other sorts of strange antics. Round And Round was a set (and festival) highlight that truly highlighted its place as one of the best songs of 2010.

Another 2010 Splendourian venturing west for the first time were Oxford five-piece Foals. Putting on an expectedly captivating set that seemed to end way too soon, songs from both first album Antidotes and follow up Total Life Forever translated brilliantly live with the complex rhythms and repetitive melodies being welcomed by the enthralled crowd. Standouts included Cassius, Olympic Airways, Miami and the utterly epic Spanish Sahara. A triumphant set if only they could have upped the volume that little bit so you didn’t have to listen to the dudes in front of you talking about how hot the chicks are.

Entering through a sort of neon portal (door), Aussie space-pop kings Cut Copy arrived to close out the Francis St Stage. Opening with Feel The Love from In Ghost Colours, the Melbourne lads set about selling us their new album Zonoscope. Their sound felt a tad more tribal, but no less powerful live. Where I’m Going was the first track from the new LP to make an appearance with the extra live member filling out the sound nicely. Lights And Music, Take Me Over and Hearts On Fire all sounded terrific to the relatively small crowd.

All in all, Laneway was another big success story and another nail in the coffin of the touring mega-festivals whose days in all honesty seem to be numbered. The small stages, lack of headliner and ease of all amenities are a winning formula that will no doubt see Laneway back strong as ever next year.