Standing on the stage of the Toff in Town, in front of people sitting at chairs and tables, Dirt Farmer frontman Stuart Barlow commented that he was “not used to this sort of sit-down crowd... It’s nice!” Well, the garage-pop-rock band’s set was pretty damn nice too, albeit a tad shorter than I wanted it to be. The five-piece hail from Albury-Wodonga and have since relocated to Melbourne. They have been playing together for only a little more than a year. This kind of blew my mind a bit, because their performance was tight (except for some technical difficulties with the lap steel guitar at the beginning, but that wasn’t exactly their fault) and their songs were well-crafted, but I guess talent and young age are not at all mutually exclusive.

Dirt Farmer's music comprises sometimes crisp, sometimes grungy guitar; memorable guitar licks and bass lines; unexpected pauses and drum fills; and Barlow’s vocal timbre (which suits their brand garage-, country- and surf-tinged rock perfectly), supported by superb harmonies. Tambourine, lap steel and a harmonica were also thrown into the mix. Their songs are accessible but not predictable, and their performance was laid-back but subtly assured. Upcoming single “Johnny Marble” was one of the stand-outs.

Next up on stage were Ballarat band Tessa and the Typecast. They opened with their single “Painter,” a catchy indie-pop tune reminiscent of the stylings of Washington, Kate-Miller Heidke and Regina Spektor. What was immediately apparent was that cellist Nat Foster adds something unique to the band that sets them apart from others, and vocalist/keyboardist Tessa Pavilach has an intimidatingly impressive voice. As well as having remarkable vocal control, Pavilach’s voice is also versatile; Tessa and the Typecast’s songs range from pop to blue to jazz and from upbeat and light-hearted to slow, dark and despairing — all of which Pavilach tackled seemingly without effort.

Headliner The Fearless Vampire Killers are an interesting blend of country ‘n’ western riffage (like in opener “Loaded Gun”), rockabilly and garage surf blues, complete with faux Texan accent. Vocalist/guitarist Sean Ainsworth’s vocal ability is not particularly strong, but his bratty whine compliments their style of music and he pulled it off by adding grunt and attitude to his delivery. TFVK were energetic, personable and played well together as a band; the duelling between guitarist Al Marx (whose solos and string-bends were fantastic) and Ainsworth was a highlight. However — and this might just be my lack of familiarity in this particular genre of music talking — at times it seemed like their songs dragged on. Parts were often repetitive without variations or change in dynamics to keep it interesting and there were jams and solos that seemed a little indulgent in their length.

Having said that, there were several knock-out songs, including previous single “Alright Now Honey,” with its retro-sounding surf rock guitar tones and that chilled, beachy melody; crowd favourite and the single they were launching that night, “For You And Me,” a surfabilly blues bomb with a catchy hook and Ainsworth displaying his unique, drawly way of singing; and a kick-ass cover of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues,” on which Ainsworth’s scratchy vocal delivery was outstanding, with just the right amount of anguish as he cried, “Yes I’m lonely, wanna die.” Much to their fans’ delight, TFVK hurried back on stage after their last song to perform “The Monkey Song” for their encore, which was a fun, frenzied way to end the night.