Words could not describe how excited I was to be heading out to Sirromet Wineries on Sunday for the A Day on the Green show, to see not one, but five amazing bands. Garbage and The Temper Trap were the headliners for the day, with Aussie icons, Adalita, Tash Sultana and The Preatures opening up in the stifling heatwave.

First act of the day was Adalita, whose music I was very familiar with, but who I had never seen live before. Her four-piece band were well practiced and tight, and tracks such as Trust is Rust’amplified that band integrity. She was a prime example of an Aussie sheila in her in between song banter, and despite having a potty mouth, was very genuine and friendly (despite being a slight bit bogan). ‘In the spirit of the 90’s’, she even played an 11-minute extended version of Ice, a popular song from her Magic Dirt days, which seemed to appeal to many of the punters who had arrived early. Final song Blue Sky let the band climax into a huge rock extravaganza, with Adalita standing on the very edge of the stage speakers, shredding on her guitar and slaying the vocals. She had an aura of musicians’ coolness that many artists just can’t ever perfect.

Second act of the day was upcoming legend Tash Sultana, who, like at every gig she plays is the most underrated act of the day, and I could hear the many surprised gasps of the punters as she played through her set, playing songs from her EP. Looking very small as a solo artist on a big stage, she made such a phenomenal sound that it gave me goosebumps in the 30-degree heat. Song Synergy saw her looping panpipes whilst beatboxing, which made the most incredible sound I have ever seen produced live in my whole life. Notion went down well to the punters as well, with her swelling vocals and looped harmonies making such rich layers it was hard to not stand in awe of her musicianship. After some banter to a male cat caller who asked her to marry him (she blatantly told him he was swimming in the wrong forest, which was very clever given her last song was called Jungle), she finished off her set with ‘Jungle’, and left the stage to what was almost the most applause of the day.

The Preatures are such a fun band, and this gig was no exception. Opening their set with Somebody’s Talking and new song I Know A Girl, the band showcased their abilities as obvious, seasoned performers. After some weather banter, (which probably wouldn’t have been so bad for front woman Izzi if she wasn’t wearing a pleather dress and thigh high boots), they kept playing their best tracks, as well as a couple of new ones off their upcoming record. New track Girlhood was an evolution away from their older stuff but also a highlight of the set. Crowd favourite Cruel brought the house down, and they finished off their set with Is This How You Feel, after Izzi made the whole crowd (or as many as she could) stand up for a boogie.

I was wary as I entered the mosh pit for The Temper Trap, as I could see a lot of teeny boppers in my general vicinity. Their entrance to the stage was almost theatrical, with the sun starting to set over the green, and industrial music winding up as they walked on. They opened their set with tracks Thick As Thieves and Love Lost, where I saw 3 of the afore mentioned teen boys singing their hearts out in a passion I had never seen from teenage boys before. Whilst the band were balanced and performing to a very high standard, there was some sort of issue with the bass amp, which was producing bass so loud it was hurting my ears. After a while this issue got fixed and I was able to enjoy the rest of the set, which was mostly filled with newer songs, but still a few old ones too. They slowed it down with Soldier On, which reminded me a bit of The Smiths. The end of their set saw lead singer Dougy Mandagi jump off the stage and touch fans (which in turn made a few teen girls cry). They finished off their set with Sweet Disposition, which encourage a whole audience singalong. I was very impressed with The Temper Trap and it was nice to see a mix of both young and old people enjoying their music.

Garbage were the headline act for the night, and I was beyond excited to see them perform. Pacing the stage with a menacing look, wielding the microphone like a knife, lead singer Shirley Manson commanded the stage with a power unknown to me. They opened their set with Subhuman, and went straight into I Think I’m Paranoid. The bands unconventional staging made it easy for Shirley to command every inch of it, and the freaky band only added to their status as leaders of the weird. After some filler banter, they played Stupid Girl from their first record, and Automatic Systematic Habit. The sound problem from earlier in the night had been resolved, and the band had a really balanced sound, which I was impressed with. Even early in the set, Shirley was very humble and sweet, yet damn fierce when performing or when provoked, and not many musicians have that quality, which was refreshing to see for a big name band.

The highlight of the night wasn’t the music, but the absolute roasting Shirley gave to some drunk male loser, who thought it would be a good idea to throw something onstage. Threatening to find him and make him pay, she referred to men who don’t like women on stage are "pathetic weak f**kers who deserve to be bitten by a pussy", which resulted in the loudest applause I have ever heard in my life at a gig. After this situation she kept on with the bangers, playing a few songs from the new record. Empty, Magnetized, and Even Though Our Love Is Doomed fit perfectly with the selection of older tracks they played. Why Do You Love Me and Vow were highlights of the set, and resulted in the audience jumping up and down and screaming the lyrics. Bleed Like Me was my personal favourite, and hit close to home to many audience members. They finished their set with Push It which saw Shirley display such high levels of stage energy. They came back for an encore, which saw them play Only Happy When It Rains and hit Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go), to finish off the night. I was invigorated and inspired by their performance.

Overall, A Day On The Green was everything I thought it would be and more. Every band was stellar and despite the heat, I danced to every band and had an absolutely amazing time. Garbage was the obvious highlight of the day, yet didn’t overshadow my perceptions of the other bands, and every band was great in their own right. My legs were sore at the end of the day but it was 1000% worth every second of it.

This review was written by Olivia Shoesmith.