With ears still ringing long after the final note was struck, it’s safe to say that Southbound 2012 was one to remember.
A mixture of Australian and international talent showered tunes on the crowd who lapped it up in the sun and long into the night.
The revised two-day format saw a solid line-up of acts that catered to all tastes on both days.
The incredible line-up was impressive upon announcement and truly paid off over the festival with a number of performance highlights.
Thousands descended on Busselton last Saturday as Josh Pyke got things off to a flying start.
Soon to play the Prince of Wales, Pyke put on a stellar show and finished the performance with crowd favourite The Middle.
Woman-of-the-moment Kimbra stormed the stage with boundless energy and a swag of catchy tunes.
The crowd lapped up Kimbra’s fun attitude which was in full swing on Settle Down and show sealer Cameo Lover (with a hint of Daft Punk).
American comedian Arj Barker was a welcome addition who, with the help of his friends, lightened things up.
The Naked and Famous soon took the main stage and impressed this reviewer with their catchy indie-pop.
The popular tracks Punching in a Dream and Young Blood received a rapturous response but the lesser-known songs still packed a punch.
Indie stars Grouplove soon smashed out a set that was full of hooks and energy while hip-hop legend Young MC was a pleasant surprise.
The genre prodigy donned a golden tracksuit and delighted fans with his classic Bust A Move.
Canadian electro artists Crystal Castles and British favourites The Arctic Monkeys unfortunately clashed but I managed to catch each of their best tracks.
Crystal Castles frontwoman Alice Glass lived up to her deranged image as she took swigs of Jack Daniels and lit a cigarette every other song.
Epic tracks Baptism and Not In Love raised the roof as the singer got up close and personal with fans at the front.
Meanwhile The Arctic Monkeys did not disappoint with witty banter made all the more enjoyable with their quirky accents.
The Sunday line-up delivered a similarly impressive array of stars that was launched by starlet Emma Louise.
The young Aussie shone with her soft voice and popular track Jungle.
Claimed as one of our own, honorary Australian Tim Finn took to the main stage and proved he still had the goods.
Unfortunately for Finn, his performance would have been more memorable had it not been followed by Missy Higgins.
The popular folk singer returned from hiatus following her explosion onto the scene.
If the singer-songwriter had not played her instruments in a while, it was not evident as the national gem played a string of hits with pitch perfection.
Higgins demonstrated her talent with the strings, keys and vocals as she performed songs from her back catalogue and even trialled new tracks.
In short, Higgins was incredible and a personal highlight from the festival.
The main stage maintained quality as the day progressed with The Jezabels and Fleet Foxes each making their mark.
Perth dubstep champion Shockone shook the foundations of the Coconut Club as he played a massive set including his hit Crucify Me.
Both PNAU and John Butler Trio ended the festival on a high-note as they each gave stellar sets and wrapped up the two-day onslaught of sound and sun in style.
Changes to this year’s Southbound were successful as punters could drink in freedom throughout the over-18 festival.
Quality artists from around the country and world showed their talent and made Southbound 2012 standout above the crowded festival market.
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