It was barely mid-afternoon on day one of the very first Changing Tides Festival when it seemed all the puzzle pieces dropped into place.

The crowd surged - ever-so gently forward as Georgia Flipo assumed control.

She flicked the switch - not just from "real person" to G Flip the performer and multi-Aria Award winner, but on behalf of the festival in its rookie year.

It felt like "that moment" - when the hard yards organiser Simon Felice had put in over the past three years reaped rewards. Instantaneously.

And that was long before Peking Duk and Spacey Jane - the crowd favourites of pumped-up punters early in the piece - even played a note.

And let's be honest, that's just day one. That's before we even get to Leisure, The Temper Trap, Ziggy Alberts, UK rock duo Royal Blood and headliner dance legends, Pnau.

But back to the triumvirate of female queens who set this festival on its path to greatness (ie: a permanent fixture in the summer festival calendar).

There's a feelgood factor in Kita Alexander's presence after some early tunes from Wollongong indie rockers Finding Darcy, WA three-piece Dulcie and Central Coasters Moving Stills

There's a distinct homegrown vibe and Kita slots in perfectly with her distinctive blend of chilled tunes and emotional connectivity.

There was enough of an old-stuff-and-new-stuff mix to keep established fans happy while still promoting her debut album released earlier this year.

After Kita came Sycco ... and back in 2020 when she first appeared on Like A Version, singer-songwriter Sycco covered a Pnau classi, Embrace.

That Pnau winds up the festival on Sunday is a full circle of sorts for the woman who now sells out tours on her own thank you very much.

There were enough bangers in there - from Dribble to Ripple - to earn her a raft of new fans as she set the stage for G Flip.

And the onetime drummer in a wedding band hit the stage with all the swagger of someone at peace with with the world and their place in it.

She's played the MCG on grand final day, the AFLW grand final and is locked in for New Year's Eve in The Domain at Sydney. That's before we mention the sold-out US tour and the European tour coming.

Yet her she is, with her tight-as-a-four-adults-in-a-Nissan-Micra band, rocking it mid-afternoon Saturday at Kiama.

From Killing My Time to Queen to Good Enough, Drink too Much and the immensely singalong-able Worst Person Alive, they kept the pace and their distinctive drums a'beating.

Ending with Gay for Me didn't suffer without Lauren Sanderson's fun vocals as GFlip's faithful fans (who know EVERY word of EVERY song) joined in with customary enthusiasm.

All in all it was a glorious three-artist block on a day full of talent, bangers, sunshine and good vibes.

Bring on the evening, the cool change and day two on Sunday.