Performing at Homebake 2009

It's back to the Domain we go, for Homebake's 15th anniversary event, surely one of the best ever. Powderfinger tops our selection of marquee names, with lead single from 2009's Golden Rule, the politically charged "All of the Dreamers," which rattles along at a searing pace while advising us not to follow leaders into the dark. Former Salmonella Dub frontman Tike Taane kicks in with "Always On My Mind," the first single from his debut solo album and the most successful track of all time in New Zealand chart history, while JET pumps it up a couple of notches with "She's a Genius," and Midnight Juggernauts look beyond the stars with "Into the Galaxy." Rockers and ravers unite in our Homebake '09 Next Steps.

Eclecticism has always been the name of the game at Homebake — that's why the festival has emerged as arguably the country's ultimate crowd-pleaser. Those of you who like to shake it hard 'n' good may want to cut straight to the chase with Canberra house duo, the Aston Shuffle (aka Mikah Freeman and Vance Musgrove), conjuring up a head-spinning array of beats on "I Wanna See You," or perhaps the Bumblebeez, whose "Dr. Love" crunches a path to electro-bangin' bliss via the Crookers Remix. Eddy Current Suppression Ring whips up a righteous racket with "Which Way to Go" and Perth's Sugar Army rolls like thunder through "No Need for Lovers."

Since debut year 1996, Homebake has become the nation's best-loved homegrown, all-Aussie (and Kiwi) festival, founded on the twin principles of great, locally sourced music and honest-to-goodness philanthropy. Since it's the event's 15th anniversary, the 2009 lineup really is something special: the perfect blend of big names and breakthrough bands, united for one stellar December night at the Domain in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. From the bittersweet delicacies of Sarah Blasko ("We Won't Run") and Sia ("Breathe Me"), to the smart, funky wordsmithery of Hilltop Hoods ("Chase That Feeling") and the veteran genius of Tim Finn ("Persuasion"), Homebake 2009 is one perfectly cooked excuse for a summer shindig.