I thought I would be sick of Falls by now. As my third consecutive year at the festival, I felt I had seen the best and worst it had to offer: freezing cold versus sweltering temperatures; storms; broken tents; new-year’s countdowns; and dancing until 7am. So when I arrived at the festival just out of Lorne last week, I was tired in anticipation of the days to come. But, for the third year running the Falls Music and Arts Festival exceeded all of my expectations with a three-day, good-natured, fucking awesome party. With several highlights and a few lowlights, the standard of the music this year was high, yet not flawless.

Eagle and the Worm was the first group I saw on the 29th, and they unfortunately didn’t live up their promising reputation, although I think that is largely down to nerves and poor sound quality. The 9-piece band still managed impress the crowd on occasion, particularly with a great performance of their single, "All I Know". In the afternoon, Tim & Jean took the stage for a lively Passion Pit-meets-Art vs Science set that got much of the crowd moving. Tim is a natural performer, working the crowd with confidence and flair while his companion Jean showed off his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist.

Later in the afternoon, Welsh pop starlet Marina Lambrini Diamandis aka Marina & the Diamonds, put across the best set of the afternoon as she performed exuberantly across the stage. Hits "Shampain" and "Oh No" were well received, while my personal favourite was the catchy, unique, bizarre "Mowgli’s Road". The Cool Kids, inevitably, prompted a lot of people to get down and groove, although my own experience of their set was unfortunately cut short. I copped some flak a few months ago for a praising review of Dan Sultan that was not purely praise, but upon seeing his perfomance at Falls I can retract some of those comments. He still produces a lively show and his songs are still dance-evoking and contagious. Though there is still a touch of arrogance, I know see it as a harmless, exaggerated and lovable component of his confident character which undoubtedly complements his performance. Of course, the songs "Letter" and "Your Love is Like a Song" were hits with the crowd, and his vocal abilities were appropriately shown off.

Ladyhawke was less then overwhelming, with no enthusiasm and poor sound quality in the vocals. Nonetheless, the crowd loved it to an unbelievable extent, pushing and moshing and dancing to "My Delirium" and "Paris is Burning". But that wasn’t enough for the lady, as she cut her set short by about ten minutes. In contrast, the old favourites The Living End showed that they all still got it in them. Chris Cheney can perform as if he were still in his 20s, and the vintage Australian rock hits "Roll On", "West End Riot", "Second Solution" and "Prisoner of Society" were all brilliantly executed and led to some classic moshing. "White Noise" was also a winner. To many, this was definitely the best set of the first day.

Early on day two, I was almost moved to tears in a set from The Middle East at around midday. This talented group played some beautiful tracks, notably the single "Blood" and two songs mid-set which were amazing - if only I knew their names! One seemed to channel Redgum’s "I Was Only 19" with vocals dominated by talking, but the music backdrop was flawless as it progressed. I listened to Big Scary’s "Autumn" and "Falling Away" from afar, which made me regret missing them to put sunscreen on in my tent. At around one o’clock, Boy & Bear blew much of the Grand Theatre away. "Fall at Your Feet" from the Crowded House cover album He Will Have His Way was undoubtedly the winner, and I will say in writing that it is definitely my favourite cover at this point in time. Dave, the lead-singer of Boy & Bear, is undoubtedly talented and works the crowd impressively.

Sydney group The Jezabels followed, and although they are entertaining and will surely come a long way, my interest was not sustained for too long. The lead-singer’s likeness with Karen O was hard to go past, so at times I merely felt like I was watching a less experienced version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In the afternoon sun, the Valley Stage played host to Washington, who has been receiving ample praise around the music scene all year. Though her performance wasn’t quite as elaborate as at the ARIAs, her compilation of hits including "How to Tame Lions", "Cement", "Sunday Best" and "The Hardest Part" were sufficient to keep the punters alive and happy. Washington impressed by jumping from piano to guitar while singing, and moved the crowd with an acoustic song version of her will.

I had been cynical about Angus & Julia Stone ever since they received so much attention for one of their singles "Big Jet Plane", which is repetitive and ordinary. But, luckily, my friends (who are absolutely besotted with the siblings) dragged me along to see their set and I was left truly astounded. The opening track, which if my memory serves correct was "Hold On" grasped the audience immediately. Julia Stone is exceptionally talented, with a distinct, whimsical voice and the ability to play the piano, guitar and trumpet. Angus complements her very nicely, keeping his head down but also capable of some tremendous guitar and soaring vocals. I wiped away a tear from my best friend’s face during "Just a Boy", and the cover "You’re the One That I Want", "And the Boys", and "Hollywood" were all executed beautifully. And even the dreaded "Big Jet Plane" won me over, particularly as it was cut short and the repetitive parts weren’t so repetitive.

90s Hip-hop superstars Public Enemy performed the songs from their album Fear of a Black Planet to a crowd who had well and truly warmed up throughout the day. We watched the group, led by Flavor Flave, from the top of the hill where we danced off with some fellow-festival goers to "Fight the Power", "911 is a Joke" and others. The group left the stage with a chant of ‘Fuck Racism’ and ‘Fuck Seperatism’.

Paul Kelly played at sundown, inviting folk sisters Vika and Linda Bull as back-up singers to perform solo some of their hits that had been penned by Kelly, such as "Be Careful What you Pray For". The folk-dancing was contagious and tiring, but Kelly is certainly still capable of getting everyone singing and moving. "Before Too Long" and "How to Make Gravy" were highlights. Interpol followed, which for many was the highlight of the festival. I’m not too familiar with this NYC post-punk band, but they had a lot of energy on stage and the crowd loved it, notably my own companions.

The Klaxons were energetic and entertaining, perfoming their hits "Golden Skans", "It’s Not Over Yet" and newer songs such as "Echoes". But, the crowd were unenthusiastic which slightly detracted from the performance. Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, in contrast, got everyone going effortlessly. New Year’s Eve was hot and windy, which prompted my little crew to escape far into the forest to the Village. There, we lay undercover being entertained by The Tiger and Me and Graveyard Train, while eating some wonderful pizza, gelati and reading Goosebumps. The Village remains one of my favourite components of Falls Festival, as it celebrates the arts and culture in a naturally wonderful atmosphere.

In the afternoon I saw the start of Beautiful Girls and then escaped to the shelter in the Grand Theatre to see Tijuana Cartel. After being introduced to this flamenco-inspired dance group at Shine On, I couldn’t resist having a full-on dance. Cold War Kids took to the Valley Stage at around 5.30, playing "Apartments", "Hang Me Up to Dry", "Hospital Beds" and "We Used to Vacation" amongst others. "Hospital Beds" and "We Used to Vacation" were my personal highlights, but unfortunately there was little that was special about the set. Aussie favourites Tame Impala impressed as usual. They are renowned for putting on a good show, and they lived up to the reputation. Unique, bold and epic, Tame Impala played a set filled with the psychedelic, melodic rock music they are famous for, including songs "Lucidity" and "Remember Me".

And then came The National, who gave me shivers on many occasions. Including songs from new album High Violet such as "Bloodbound Ohio" as well as older tracks from Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, "Alligator" and others including one of my favorites, "Fake Empire" from Boxer. What I loved so much about The National was their ability to make every individual song into an epic story that rises and falls and evokes emotion at every corner. I wished the hour-long set went forever.

But The Rapture were just as good, albeit on a different level. Punk-dance music at its best, crowd pleasers included "Pieces of the People We Love" and, of course, the timeless "No Sex For Ben", which is one of my favourite songs of the last decade (I get really excited about cowbells). I never foresaw that The Rapture could get me teary, but the lead singer Luke Jenner paid tribute to his sister’s first baby (born that day) and his first guitar teacher (who died that day) in a moving ballad (the name of which I do not know).

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts helped the crowd bring in the new year…twice. Though Jett is in her 50s, she retains the energy that (I assume) made her famous in the 80s. Opening the set with "Bad Reputation", she performed exuberantly, and included some songs from her former band The Runaways such as "Cherry Bomb". She battled through, despite some severe technical difficulties and underwhelming crowd enthusiasm. Her efforts to involve the crowd were persistent, to the point that the confusion surrounding the countdown prompting a second-chance for us ‘all to enter the new-year together’. Unfortunately, a vast majority of the audience were born well-after the peak of her career, so only a few songs were strongly responded to. Nonetheless, "Do You Want to Touch Me?’ and "I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll" were great sing-alongs. 18-years on, the Falls Festival has still got it.