Words by Sara West

Photos by Elise Abotomey

As an American living in Australia, I expected a few things before coming to the land down under: great beaches, kind people, and spiders — although this one was proven wrong. While not on my initial list of things Australia was famous for, I have quickly come to know Australia as the force behind some of the most talented bands ever. Thankfully, I got to spend my day celebrating many of these incredible bands at Ocean Alley’s Easter festival in Wollongong this past weekend.

The first band on stage was Ah Honey, a group newer to the Australian music scene. They only recently formed toward the end of 2022, but if I have any say, they are definitely sticking around. The band creates chill indie-rock songs that incorporate the classic surf sound of Australia. Lilly Lucas, the band’s lead vocalist, drew in a crowd throughout Ah Honey’s set, creating the perfect beginning to a great day ahead.

Next up to the stage was Le Shiv, who began their set with a powerful drum intro and continued with their stunning indie-rock songs. The five-member band was passionate about their music, and their infectious, groovy energy transferred into the crowd as everyone was dancing along the way. In particular, “No Freak” was especially well received by attendees and many sang along to the “yeah” lyrics throughout the song. Le Shiv’s set ended with a powerful pose by the lead singer in which he held his mic stand over his head. Iconic if you ask us.

The day was already great, but the next band was one of my favorites. STUMPS was the smallest band so far, but they were undoubtedly small but mighty. The three-member band, comprised of Kyle Fisher on vocals, Jonathan Dolan on drums, and Merrick Powell on bass, showed Wollongong what they were capable of. Their set started with chill, dreamy vibes but quickly picked up into a dance party for the rest of the show. Playing songs such as “Cyanide” and “Turncoat Theory” off their new record Arcadia, I constantly found myself naming artists across many vastly different genres that they reminded me of. Not only did STUMPS bring great energy, but they also made the crowd feel like a tight-knit friend group when they asked everyone to hug others around them.

As soon as STUMPS left the stage, the barricade quickly refilled as people excitedly awaited The Buoys’ performance. Fans didn’t have to wait long before the band ran on stage and brought their badass energy as the first girl group of the festival. Like Le Shiv, The Buoys had infectious stage energy and constantly jammed out with each other, especially bassist Courtney Cunningham and guitarist Hilary Geddes. Lead vocalist Zoe Catterall also showed the crowd that she was not a force to be reckoned with as she belted out lyrics throughout the set. The band played many hits, reminding the crowd that it's alright to be a “sad buoy” before playing some of their sadder tunes. They ended their set with “Linda,” leaving everyone cheering.

Following The Buoys was Dear Seattle, who brought rock music back to the stage. The four-member band consisted of Brae Fisher, Jeremy Baker, Lachlan Simpson, and Josh McKay. If fans weren’t jumping along to any previous acts, they were during Dear Seattle’s set. The band played classics such as their hit “The Meadows” plus newer tracks to keep the energy high throughout their entire set.

Hailing from Canberra, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers was the second all-girl group of the day. The crowd was packed and filled up the entire lawn at this point in the night. The band started their set with “AHHHH!,” which fans instantly recognized and started jumping and singing along to. Fans didn’t stop singing as the band continued with hit after hit, including “Treat Me Better,” “I Love You,” and “Salt.” Despite not initially knowing most of Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers’ music, it was easy to dance and sing along since every song was so catchy. Another highlight in the set was the band’s rock version of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” mixed with Paramore’s “All I Wanted.” Vibes were to the max during their set as fans began tossing around a beach ball to one another and even crowd surfing. The band ended their phenomenal set with “Girl Sports.”

The Terrys reinforced the indie rock notion from earlier in the day during their captivating set. Even as the band walked out, the crowd erupted in cheers. One member, Salvo, was wearing a dress that many fans loved. The six band members kept the energy high as lead singer Jacob Finch came right up to the front of stage to interact with the audience. My favorite songs of the set were “Pesos” and “No Bad Days”, which had the crowd singing back every word but every song from the band had a great vibe.

The crowd was getting tighter and tighter before Pacific Avenue took the stage and put on another one of my favorite sets. I’ve been anxiously awaiting seeing the band since before coming here, and the wait certainly paid off. The band had so much energy and clearly put all their energy into their performance. They played some of my favorite songs, such as “Leaving for London” and “Modern Lovers.” In addition to great music, Pacific Avenue also had some of the best crowd interaction of the night. At one point, they guided the crowd through a sing-along and encouraged fans to hold up their phone lights at another. When fans weren’t doing these things, they were moshing and dancing along. Another of my favorite things about Pacific Avenue’s performance was that they left no crowd member in the dust as they moved around and pointed the microphone at various fans to provide an intimate performance regardless of where anyone was standing. If fans were unfamiliar with their music, they played a cover of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” before ending with their hit “Something Good.”

The stage was quickly reset before Ocean Alley, the night’s highly anticipated headliner, came to play the final set of the night. As expected, the band put on a stellar performance, leaving the crowd rocking out the entire time. Opening with their Despite all the lights turning off in their second song, the crowd remained firmly engaged and singing with the band as lead singer Baden Donegal remarked “who needs lights anyway?” and carried on. Early in the set was “Knees,” one of my most streamed songs by the band. Other songs included “Double Vision,” “Deepest Darkness,” and “Tombstone.” With each song they played, they brought their amazing, groovy psychedelic energy and had everyone smiling the entire set. In iconic Australian fashion, the lead singer Baden Donegal did a shoey at one point, truly reminding me that I am indeed in Australia. And yes, of course, everyone sang along with them to their viral song “Confidence” before leaving for the night.