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.