In the ‘year of the wobble’, Australia’s premier electro-indie festival Parklife once again descended into Brisbane’s stunning Botanical Gardens for one ground-shaking day. Featuring a bass-coated superstar line up, spread across a handful of stages, punters were physically shaken and stirred whichever direction they went.

Months earlier, Brisbane faced its coldest day in over 11 years, with a chilled below seven degrees in the CBD. Fast track to October, almost half way through spring, and the general attire for the day across both sexes were the trusty flip-flops, low cut singlets and eye-popping, barely-there bikini pieces.

Once inside however, and the premature feeling of summer seeps into the body, all is forgiven. Also, the thought of the unpredictability of Queensland weather bring a cheeky smile to the face. You can’t help but giggle at the idea of the sea of near-nude soldiers and their stiff-nippled look by day’s end.

But let’s talk music. Causing great chaos early, Ballarat boys Yacht Club DJs somehow jumped stages, appearing on the Main Stage despite previously printed timetables. Missing half their set, the frantic dash to the Riverstage thankfully paid off. Watching the duo bang through the Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Beatles and Kanye West, Girl Talk’s Australian cousins were on fine form this blistering Saturday afternoon.

French maestro SebastiAn drew a headliner sized crowd early. Watching from far, the electro house artist and Ed Banger god spent the entire set smoking cigarettes, drinking and putting one fist into the sky. Backed by two large ‘S’ banners, SebastiAn remained in the middle of the two, in a highly political revolution themed set-up.

Scaring some viewers, the abstract avant-garde genre may have been too radical. Dropping a majority of tracks from recent release Total, the dictator controlled his cult with his experimental and demanding music very calmly.

Meanwhile, the recently reformed Death From Above 1979, famously known for their dance-punk style, were welcomed with a sea of honour, respect and love from the Brisbane crowd. After their breakup in 2006, the early 2011 reunion had finally reached the Australian shores. Swallowed by the oversized stage, MSTRKRFT’s own Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger looked at home blasting through hits such as
Dead Womb, You’re Lovely and Romantic Rights.

Swedish producer Adrian Lux had his Brisbane followers in the palm of his hands. Juggling between The Temper Trap and Depeche Mode house mixes, Lux tastefully sampled new beats along with previous hits Boy and Can’t Sleep before hit song Teenage Crime arrived to the excitement of all.

Australian DJs and local heroes the Surecut Kids took to the decks of The Cave stage in the late afternoon. Drawing a pumping crowd, Benji and Mikey came equipped with explosive confetti cannons, improvised dance moves and grins.

Moving closer to the stage, edging nearer the dangerous mosh, English dubstep king Flux Pavilion walks out to the adoring spectators. Almost immediately dropping Bass Cannon, the bass-friendly Flux Pavilion could have woken the dead. With every person in attendance shaking, wobbling or bouncing, Joshua Steele held a tight set-list including mixes from iconic figures DJ Fresh, Doctor P and the Foreign Beggars.

Unfortunately, American DJ Wolfgang Gartner and New Wave queen Santigold clashed. Taking advantage of the bizarreness factor, Santigold stunned all with dancers daggering on stage, hyperactive animals, and outlandish backing visuals. Highlights included Major Lazer’s Hold the Line and L.E.S Artistes from her self-titled debut album.

If Adrian Lux is the most attractive man in dance, Thomas Pentz is the most stylish. Also known by his stage name Diplo, the DJ has taken time from his Major Lazer and Heaps Decent schedule to play on Australian soil. With the cold Brisbane river breeze covering the Riverstage hill, Diplo’s key role for the day was to create some warmth. Simultaneously entertaining us his skills and stage dives, Diplo spun a unique selection of electro and hip hop from Kanye West, Gotye, Pretty Lights and AC/DC.

Sadly, one of the most painful clashes of the day for many was English group The Streets, who may have just played their final show in Queensland. Announcing he is to retire the band after the world tour, lead Mike Skinner clearly shows his depth of talent he has achieved over the countless years of writing and rapping.

Only stopping to banter with the crowd over the recent choking Broncos and asking females to expose their breasts, an entire back catalogue was showcased including recent hits Going Through Hell and classics Don’t Mug Yourself and Dry Your Eyes. Bringing the entire live band down under, the emotional ambience echoes throughout the gardens.

Bringing the noise from the get go with opening track Doomsday, Dan Stephens of Nero blistered through remixes of Calvin Harris, Skrillex and previous performer Flux Pavilion. It was near impossible to remain still throughout the entire set. Fist pumping like a champ, the set ran well over time, but no one seemed too cared. To be honest, if he had it his way, Dan would have played all night long in my opinion. Next time however, let’s hope Joe Ray joins Dan for a live show rather than just a DJ set.

Headliners and latest all star supergroup Magnetic Man – composed of three dubstep pioneers Artwork, Benga and Skream – have placed themselves firmly behind their Macbooks ready for action. Their live show builds on the dark menace of their album, with Perfect Stranger, I Need Air and Getting Nowhere all worked into the mix.

As the house lights flash upon the crowd, and the cold air breeze freezes the sweaty crowd, it is without a doubt that this is the end to another successful Parklife. If only they could grab warmer weather – but that’s just splitting hairs now.