The Blurst Of Times @ Factory Theatre

The sun was out, the guitars were sparkling and the planes were flying very low as Hockey Dads kicked off the first Sydney edition of The Blurst Of Times – the general consensus was that someone would surely work the deafening roar of jet engines into their set at some point. Upstairs, Sydneysiders The Upskirts fuzzed it up, while the Factory Floor played host to the gaffer-taped nipples of These New South Whales.

Back outside, deliciously named Brisbanites Babaganouj inspired an impassioned response from an already fairly lubricated fan wearing their eponymous T-shirt – but not undeservedly so. The three regular members and the guesting drummer played a stellar set of shoegazey pop-rock.

Clad in all black, Melbourne’s Apes tore up the Floor, sounding like a grungier Royal Blood cut with The Dead Weather, while Born Lion thrashed around upstairs. Local legends Bloods were catchy as hell from ‘Into My Arms’ to ‘Penelope’, and on other new tracks they were cheeky fun. Spod brought some enthusiastic audience lads onstage to shout along, and where his charm lies in his RSL comedy act delivery, labelmate Donny Benet is the consummate crooner – ‘Treat Yourself’ proof that he is the local king of pinkie rings, synth solos and Miami Vice-inspired leisure wear. Blank Realm took over the stage next with their blissful electronic psych, made even better by the presence of an LED-illuminated keytar.

The subtitle of the festival probably should have been “Jeremy Neale and all his musical friends”, which was a great thing – it made for a relaxed atmosphere as most of the bands wandered between stages to watch their mates and occasionally feature during other sets. Velociraptor were a nine-strong iteration this time around with the return of wayward DZ Deathrays members, and played a hit-filled set that, as ever, flirted with but never fell into disorganisation. Neale’s solo set ended with the audience and fellow musicians flooding the stage playing anything they could, from tambourines to rolls of tape.

Die! Die! Die! played a screamer of a set upstairs, blurring the line between stage and audience by wading into the crowd for a couple of songs, mic stand and all. DZ Deathrays drew a big crowd and thrashed out a solid set before the Hard-Ons got sweaty and shirtless downstairs. Bizarre-racing-suit-and-helmet-clad Bob Log III finished off the show with a drawn-out and yet crazily entertaining set that incorporated a telephone receiver, a drum machine, several effects pedals, a couple of guitars, a bag of balloons and an inflatable raft in a manner that can only be described as fascinating. Hopefully The Blurst Of Times lives on for many years to come.