Somehow, until Thursday night, the Melbourne jangle-rock five-piece had never played in Newcastle.

You would have thought Rolling Blackouts C.F had toured consistently and developed a loyal following, given the reception they received.

A crowd of 700 packed into the Cambridge's main room, obviously the $10 tickets thanks to Jack Daniels' promotion of the gig helped lure punters, but undoubtedly the band's extensive back catalogue was also a deciding factor.

Brisbane's Hatchie, real name Harriette Pilbeam, opened the night with her '80s and '90s-inspired dream-pop.

Hatchie's heavily-electronic sound, complete with programmed beats and synths, felt too dense and lacked dynamics at times.

There's great songs in there, for sure, but they were lost in the wall of shoegaze sound.

In complete contrast, Rolling Blackouts C.F exploded onto the stage, as if a ball of tension had be wound tight and released.

RBCF are a true band, in every sense. All five members have their role.

There's no obvious charismatic frontman or focal point - guitarists Fran Keaney, his cousin Joe White and Tom Russo are the chief songwriters and each share the lead vocals.

None could be considered gifted vocalists, but they work solidly within their limitations.

White's flashy treble-led guitar solos and energetic boxer-like bouncing, meant he was the most eye-catching of the three-pronged attack.

Tom Russo was also reserved in his flourishes of guitar, while Keaney's acoustic locked into the rhythm section.

Cowboy-hatted drummer Marcel Tussie and bassist Joe Russo's importance cannot be overstated.

While the guitar trio were out front, Joe Russo rarely left Tussie's side as they created the tension which is at the heart of Rolling Blackouts C.F's sound.

The result is a sound reminiscent of The Go-Betweens and Coloured Girls-era Paul Kelly.

The Cambridge show was a happy bonus at the end of a year-long world tour for RBCF, and it was obvious the band was treating it like a party.

"Marcel [Tussie] might be getting married soon," Keaney joked. "Thanks for coming to the bucks party."

Tussie's partner is indie-pop artist Stella Donnelly, who cancelled her gig at the Cambridge the night before due to illness.

The set list touched on all three of RBCF's albums with the tracks An Air Conditioned Man, My Echo and Cameo hitting particularly sweet.

The White-led Talking Straight delivered the biggest singalong, closely followed by the Tom Russo-sung French Press, which had crowd surfers rising throughout the Cambridge.

For the encore Keaney introduced Clean Slate as one of "our first ever songs and it's about falling down and getting back up again."

After coming off stage the five-piece were beaming with smiles. Even they were seemingly surprised by the feverish reception they'd received.

You get the feeling Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever will be adding Newcastle on their next tour itinerary.

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