The weather was fine, the sand ready for dancing, water inviting but out of bounds, and the crowds came anticipating a big Friday night for the annual summer concert at Vat 2 in Bunbury.
This was the latest in a series of hugely popular summer concerts produced by Jenny Spencer in an endeavour to brighten the local entertainment scene, and the punters booked it out in a flash.
The line up included local artists from the Rock and Roll High School, there is always support for local talent, Brazillian songsters Xoxote had the dancers up and then just after 9pm Aussies heroes The Hoodoo Gurus hit the stage to open with I Want You Back.
The Hoodoos have a rich history with Western Australia and front man Dave Faulkner regaled the crowd with stories of crabbing, The Kimberly, Ravenswood, and writing Tojo, one of the early big ones, in the front room of where he was living in Rivervale.
He said it was also the first time they've ever played on sand.
As one of the finest guitar bands ever to come out of Australia they ripped into a set which was heavy on album tracks like Place In The Sun and Poison Pen, peppered with hits like The Right Time and Death Defying and Bittersweet.
Brad Shepherd's guitar and harmonica were, for me, a highlight of a very tight unit.
Sadly, I think the years have not been kind to Dave Faulkner's voice, in fact, I have a feeling the high notes were all left inside the giant box on Pat Usher Foreshore, and there they stayed.
After just an hour the guys left the stage to return for the encore of My Girl, What's My Scene and Miss Freelove, again, with some of those glorious high parts absent.
There has been some criticism that the show was too short and indeed it was. They played their contracted time and then were gone, even three more songs would have been welcome, they didn't happen though.
As for people who want to whinge about the bar closing at 10.30 contact the Licensing Branch, that's their call, not the venue's.
Equally disappointing is the handful of calls to authorities complaining about noise.
All I can say is get a bloody life.
Concerts like this are a boost for Bunbury and happen so infrequently and yet provide an entertainment outlet for the summer crowds and more importantly, visitors for our city.
I wonder if there was any complaint about carols last weekend, who knows how they will survive when the new marina is established and Koombana North.
For the good of the city, I personally hope these concerts continue, however next time around I'd like to be left filled up instead of wishing for more from the headliners.
This reviewer was provided tickets from the venue.