The queue wraps around the corner outside Sydney's Metro Theatre, every ticket long gone before doors even open. The crowd is here to see Geordie Greep for whom predictability has never been part of his vocabulary, whether fronting Black Midi or now forging his own path with his debut solo album, The New Sound. The lights drop and the screech of racing car tyres ring through the theatre for several minutes. It's an offbeat introduction that stretches the anticipation before Greep and his six-piece band finally emerge to an enthusiastic reception.

On a cold Sydney night, a queue snakes down George Street long before the doors of the Metro Theatre open. Inside, the room quickly fills with a crowd that has grown alongside Vacations over the past decade, singing quietly to themselves as they wait for a band whose rise has been anything but conventional. What began in Newcastle has become one of Australia's most unlikely global success stories, fuelled not by radio saturation but by algorithms, word of mouth and songs that have travelled far beyond the country's borders. The evening opens with Gal Musette, whose elegant blend of indie pop and introspective songwriting provides an understated beginning.

A one-off, completely sold out, hometown show celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album ‘Hills End’, performing it front to back (including tracks that had never been played live) plus a run through fan favourites from across their whole catalogue. That’s what DMA’s were up to on Friday night. If you don't know the DMA's story, here's the short version: three friends from Sydney. Johnny Took, Tommy O'Dell and Matt Mason. Took had been playing in a psych band with O’Dell, and the origin of the whole thing is almost unoriginal.