Spurred by the success of the series of 'Save FBi' concerts last
year, the Sydney community radio station launched the inaugural
Sydney Sounds Like festival. A series of concerts throughout July,
'Choose Your Own Adventure' featured an all-ages, multi-stage
afternoon event at the Factory Theatre.

Whilst the courtyard was filled with music courtesy of DJ sets
from members of PVT, Dappled Cities and others, the main stage
featured an intriguing mix of burlesque performers and headlining
bands.

Arriving to see the second half of the set by Georgia Fair,
we are treated to a folk-based sound differentiated by lead singer
Jordan Wilson's slightly country twang. The duo is complemented by
additional members, and the full band sound translates well,
resulting in an enthusiastic reception from an obviously devoted
audience at tnhe front of the stage. "Little While" is a
lilting little track which showcases their appreciation of harmony,
whilst "Picture Frames" is the clear standout track.

After a quiet spell, The Holidays seem to be resuming their
schedule of touring dates and introduce new material in their set.
The band seem to be a great deal more sample based, and in some ways
this seems to diminish their natural energy experienced on previous
occasions. However, those tracks which are more rhythm-driven still
deliver, and their more well-known releases fare better perhaps in
part due to crowd familiarity. "Golden Sky" has an almost
tribal base, and the lightness of Simon Jones' vocals are
complimented brilliantly by the backing harmonies. "Moonlight
Hours" sustains this energy and adds atmosphere with the
sustained vocals in the chorus.

The Holidays are a band producing really great recorded material,
but unfortunately the mood and liveliness is not continued in their
live representation. With a new album due soon, hopefully this gap
will be bridged as audiences are more familiar with their complete
catalogue.

Following a brief live percussion set from Laurenz Pike,
drummer for PVT and Jack Ladder, the stage is filled
with the seductive, soaring melodies of The Jezabels. The band
provide the highlight performance of the night, and reinforces why
they are seen as one of the best bands in Australia. Their sound is
anchored by the combination of Nik Kaloper's intuitive percussive
technique and Hayley Mary's utterly outstanding vocals. It is with a
mixture of envy and admiration that I watch their performance, as she
truly possesses one of the best female vocal ranges.

The sound is shaped and expanded by the contributions of
keyboardist Heather Shannon and guitarist Sam Lockwood, and together
the group create this dense, sophisticated and truly unique offering.
"Easy to Love" juxtaposes a pared-back verse with a chorus
filled with vocal leaps and pulsing percussion, whilst "Hurt Me"
best represents the layered, brooding Jezabels sound. Easily a
compelling highlight of the day.

The final performance comes from FBi stalwarts Cloud Control.
Keyboardist Heidi Lenffer acknowledges the support the radio station
has played in the journey of the band to their current heights, and
this seems to reinforce the unique and vital place the station has in
the cultural fabric of Sydney.

The live offering from Cloud Control has remained fairly
consistent over the past few years, with slower offerings
intermingled with their brand of spangly folk-pop. However the
positive press has seen the band grow in confidence, and lead
vocalist Alister Wright is now every bit the frontman with attitude
and a somewhat superfluous blue rain jacket to boot.

"Meditation Song No. 2" demonstrates the bands’
aptitude for sophisticated song-writing, whilst current single "This
is What I Said" maintains its momentum live. Other tracks from
2010 debut album Bliss Release

are
not as strong, with "Gold Canary" not quite reaching the
lofty heights of their previous offerings.

Interestingly, it is still
their older tracks which resonate most strongly in live format. Their
2007 self-titled EP was such a musical breath of fresh air, and these
songs are still arguably the best released by the band. "Vintage
Books" and "Deathcloud" have an innocent energy which
compels just about every audience member to dance, whilst final song
"Buffalo Country" maintains its twangy pop sound and ends
the evening on a high.

In compiling such a line-up,
FBi manages not only to showcase the breadth of musical talent within
Sydney, but also highlight their own significance in supporting and
fostering musical development. Congratulations must go to the
organisers and all those supporting the event.