FBi Radio are an imperative cog in Sydney's music scene. They facilitate great new bands, broadcast brilliant music, and hold rocking parties. Sydney Sounds Like: Choose Your Own Adventure, at the Factory Theatre in Sydney this Saturday, was a prime example of one of these gigs.

An all ages affair, the gig kicked off at 3pm. The venue efficiently utilised all the space outdoors; a barbecue was held, serving sausages to one and all, there was a little merchandise stand selling EPs and t-shirts for the bands playing, and there was music, courtesy of various DJs throughout the day. A definite highlight of the mini festival was the Secret Wars crew's live art, where some extremely talented artists created a mural on one of the outdoor walls. With dance tunes pumping in the background, it was amazing to watch the masterpiece form.

The music side of things was also pretty breathtaking – there was a small stage at which bands and artists such as Royal Chant, Collarbones, and Step-Panther strutted their stuff. A highlight for me at the small stage was Big Dumb Kid, a Sydney hip-hop/electronic outfit who opened the stage. They played their songs with feeling, and had interesting lyrics – they provided great easy listening, and were a fantastic way to start the afternoon.

The main stage, however, was definitely where it was all happening. Matt Corby opened – yes, the heart throb from Australian Idol some years back – and boy, has he changed! In an intimate performance, with just him and his guitar, he showcased his astounding voice perfectly. The set was minimalistic, yet so full sounding – Corby used impressive technology that recorded himself live and played it back as he kept playing over it, allowing him to harmonise with himself and add layers to his sorrowful music. I have to say, I was almost speechless – when I saw Corby's name on the lineup I was definitely not expecting such a fantastic performance. He exercised good guitar technique and sang beautifully, utilising falsetto and his chest voice equally, resulting in a super strong start to the main stage.

Andy Bull was next. I've seen him live before, in a similarly relaxed setting – but I think that his audience during the set really reflected badly on him. Andy sang and played with his band flawlessly, but the screaming teenage girls really didn't add to his performance. Plus, it was evident that they caused him to feel a little awkward and uncomfortable – during “Dog”, a song about depression, he had to tell the audience to tone it down, as "this song's sad!" His audience kind of downplayed his music. In saying that, his bright and bouncy tunes did get the crowd lively, and he played a short but sweet set. After Andy Bull, there was a little bit burlesque dancing to lighten the mood, and despite the gig being all ages, everyone really got into it! This trend continued between each act, and definitely served for entertainment value.

WIM, a band less publicised than they should be, added a fresh sound to the theatre. They were a little reminiscent of Boy and Bear, with stunning harmonies, and had great audience participation – the front man got into the crowd and danced around for a bit! They were simply chilled out, and can rock slow and fast tunes. Described on their website as 'folk glam', they made beautiful folk and looked pretty damn glamorous, decked out in glowsticks (which they distributed to the crowd afterwards). My favourite thing about their set was that in their last song they played the electric guitar with a bow and it sounded absolutely phenomenal. All in all, they were a certain highlight of the day.

Deep Sea Arcade always put on a great show, and this gig was no exception – they played lively and fun rock music, and everyone had a dance. Parades straight afterwards played a dreamy set that sometimes got pretty intense. They were a truly tight band and impressed the crowd to no end.

Finally, after a too-long interval, it was Faker's time to shine. And they kind of shone... At times. To be honest, they were a little bit of a let down. They didn't really seem together – lead singer Nathan Hudson mixed up lyrics quite a bit, and often looked on the verge of breakdown. He tried to get into it; to his credit, he did try – but it was obvious that he wasn't in a completely clear headspace. When the band played “This Heart Attack”, they truly shone – the crowd got rowdy and it was great – but after it finished, the crowd died down, and the band seemed puffed out. It really wasn't the stellar performance many, including myself, were expecting, and it was disappointing. The set list was also a surprise – no “Are You Magnetic” was a little upsetting. The encore involved two songs no-one had heard, and most people didn't even bother staying. Faker live really didn't clock up to what they're meant to be – my advice would be to stick to listening to their CDs until they've gotten themselves together.

All in all, Choose Your Own Adventure was a great festival. The punters were cheerful and happy-go-lucky, most of the bands were extremely impressive, and I found myself a few new favourites. The atmosphere and venue were positively brilliant, and I'd definitely recommend everyone to get out and support FBi at their next gig or party – it's bound to bring some good, good times.