Queenslanders understand Summer. With the weather up North often frozen in this particular state, it’s fair to say that its inhabitants “get” the sun. Of course, the music also reflects this with acts like The Grates, Last Dinosaurs and The Medics boasting music that is bouncy, feel-good and the perfect summer soundtrack to a balmy day spent at the beach or park, rather than blistering in the sun.

The Medics are a hirsute group who look like a bunch of slacker hippies but their volume and raw power suggests otherwise. They performed a short, sharp set of raucous rock numbers including “Beggars” and “Joseph”. Bassist, Charles Thomas put in one theatrical performance, doing the kind of moves that’d make The Who’s Pete Townshend proud, including using his axe like a gun and pretending to fire it off at the crowd.

At times they sounded like Kings Of Leon with their sheer rawk sound and Kahl Wallace’s high-pitched vocals. But at other times they’d add an extra blip or flourish (like the xylophone, for instance) making them seem a lot more like Radiohead. The quartet pulled out all the stops for the finale. Save destroying their actual equipment, they put on lots of crunchy solos and dashed around the stage with reckless abandon. In short, they did a good job of leaving the punters wanting more.

Last Dinosaurs were next and this quartet were also joined by a traveling keyboardist (the more the merrier!) They played catchy ditties with a Drums-like rhythm that was combined with the sounds of the swirling sea. “Time & Place” had a Strokes flavour and had people clapping and bopping along with ease.

They played tracks from their forthcoming debut LP, including new single, “Zoom”. These cool new numbers sat well alongside the old favourites that have their own feel-good nature and rock and roll sway. “Honolulu” was dedicated to the audience and got people joining in with the chorus. Basically it boiled down to nice guys plus good tunes equaled one happy crowd.

But the night belonged to The Grates and specifically, front woman Patience Hodgson. The cheers for the band’s name had started before the set had even begun and the excitement only grew with the first sighting of Hodgson in her glow-in-the-dark bangles and colourful outfit. The first offering was hit, “Science Is Golden” which almost signaled that the night and party were set to start straight away, no filler or prolonged excitement here! The band in turn were rewarded by punters offering a hand-made sign; expressing their undying love with their hands made to resemble love hearts; and one gentlemen who tipped his hat to the fine lady in red.

“Like You Could Have It All” saw the rock chick hiking up her skirt in a style reminiscent of the Divinyls’ Chrissy Amphlett. She did not stop for breath at all, standing on the monitors, skipping and dancing as if the Metro needed rain. Before “Carve Your Name” she would receive a rose – her first-ever real one – and the effervescent lady gushed.

For “19 20 20”the crowd kept lurching forward as Hodgson jitterbugged and twisted around. She would almost wind up a casualty after being pushed into the crowd. But eventually she’d attempt to surf through it, much to the horror and dismay of security and the sound guy.

New drummer, Ben Marshall may not have giggled his way through the set as his predecessor, Alana Skyring would have done, but he seemed to be lapping things up and shaking his head like an enthusiastic Muppet. In “Change” John Patterson showcased his excellent guitar-work, playing varied riffs with great aplomb and at one point it almost sounded like he was playing a bass. The guy does a great job and could certainly hold his own among other guitarists with just a drummer for musical accompaniment, like Nick Zinner and Jed Kurzel, to name a few.

Years ago the spectators at the Grates were a 50/50 split between the guys that loved Patience and the girls that loved Patience. In the case of the latter they’d dress and act like their idol. Tonight however, it was all about the Rock Boys who had come out in droves and were pleased to share in their song. The fact that Hodgson even got a burly security guard to smile and giggle when she put a hat on his head is testament to her ability to put on an awesome show and include everyone. Consider that she waves more than people bidding a ship farewell and really takes the time to thank the supports; calls out to punters up the back and at the sides; and even offers the bangles on her arms to the lucky few at the front. She is such a sweetie pie.

We were asked if we wanted to bounce to “Aw Yeah” and in “Message” Hodgson whipped her hair back and forth. “Turn Me On” was equal parts sensual and incendiary with the music boasting the absolute force of The Mess Hall. This also continued into the buzz saw guitar of “Sukkafish”.

There was a big sing-along in the punchy indie pop of “Burn Bridges” and a crowd surfer in the apt, “Trampoline”. In “Sweet Dreams” Patience did some interpretive dance moves, swimming along for what proved to be the last song of the main set. They wasted no time in returning for a two-song encore with the finale, “Inside Outside” seeing the beginnings of a circle pit as people lost their collective shit, jumping around and yelling the lyrics back to the band.

Patience and Co. had put on one rocking performance where the former proved to be the consummate show woman almost equal to the greats like Debbie Harry and Chrissy Amphlett or contemporaries like Karen O and Beth Ditto. The simple guitar/drums combo of Patterson and Marshall also delivered excellent music that was heavy, frantic and tasty.

The inhuman lady in red had had a never-ending supply of energy that left us all feeling revitalised and joyful. With results like that you could imagine one in ten doctors to start recommending a dose of the trio’s live show as a cure-all or ingredient to a happy life, just like the shot of the vitamin D found in abundant supply in Queensland. To think that some people thought there was something in the water...