IT'S hard to remember a Hunter music festival with a more troubled lead-up than Under The Southern Stars.
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Since it was first planned for April 2020 as a '90s rock festival, it's been rescheduled three times due to the pandemic, had its headline act changed from Throwing Copper-hitmakers Live to '70s pop-rock act Cheap Trick and been shifted from the beachside Newcastle Foreshore to Maitland Showground.
Under The Southern Stars shows in Forster-Tuncurry and Gosford were also scrapped altogether. It's naturally led to ticketing dramas with many punters still awaiting refunds.
A "Refund for Under The Southern Stars" Facebook group was even created by disgruntled ticket-holders.
But finally last Friday Under The Southern Stars began in Maitland, becoming the first festival in Australia to host foreign acts since the pandemic.
The Foo Fighters' Geelong stadium show on March 4 stole bragging rights for the first international concert.
Some fans were caught out by a late change in set times after Australian band Electric Mary pulled out due to COVID. This saw Rose Tattoo and 2000s US band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's take the stage earlier than advertised.
The Maitland crowd, largely seated on camping chairs, struggled to make sense of BRMC.
Their droning psych-rock sound never engaged the audience, despite performing their better-known tracks Beat The Devil's Tattoo, Spread Your Love and Whatever Happened To My Rock'n'roll.
The feeling of detachment wasn't helped by guitarist and co-frontman Peter Haynes performing the set in a face mask and beanie.
Under The Southern Stars reached its zenith for American '90s rockers Stone Temple Pilots. The intros to Plush and Interstate Love Song undoubtedly attracted the biggest reaction of the evening.
Led by the guitar and bass attack of Robert and Dean DeLeo, STP were a slick and well-oiled machine. However, as much as you try, there's no escaping the feeling that seeing new vocalist Jeff Gutt on stage was akin to watching a tribute act.
Gutt's mannerisms and vocals closely resembled STP's iconic original frontman Scott Weiland, who died aged 48 in 2015, two years after being sacked from band.
You couldn't imagine Pearl Jam continuing on without Eddie Vedder.
With that said though, Maitland happily ate up the STP nostalgia. For the encore Gutt delivered a thrilling rendition of Sex Type Thing as the sun set on the showground.
As the lights took effect UK grunge band Bush arrived on stage. Frontman Gavin Rossdale might be 56, but he's lost none of his rock charisma and appeared in sensational shape in his sleeveless shirt.
After opening with new song The Kingdom and Sixteen Stone track Machinehead, a grateful Rossdale said: "I couldn't believe it. Five minutes ago I was standing there thinking it's gonna get cancelled."
Bush's set featured a thrilling performance of new songs Blood River and Quicksand, which stood confidently against their '90s hits Swallowed, The Chemicals Between Us and Comedown. Strangely it was Bush's most famous song, Glycerine, that produced the only disappointment.
Cheap Trick were always a curious replacement for Live, and understandably many punters left after Bush. Those that stuck around for the Rock'n'roll Hall of Famers were treated to a glam rock spectacle, complete with Robin Zander in a white glittery suit and navy captain's hat.
Dream Police, Surrender and If You Want My Love provided singalongs, but you couldn't escape the fact it was the wrong festival for this band of septuagenarians.