Fifteen years after first taking to a Deniliquin Ute Muster stage, Furnace and the Fundamentals made their second consecutive appearance on the Deniliquin Ute Muster main stage on Saturday night.
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Delivering another dose of what they describe as "big, stupid fun", the crowd favourite outfit is famous for their high-energy performances, matching suits and wildly unpredictable stage antics.
The Ute Muster continues to hold a special place in the band's history.
"Deni has a very special place in our hearts because it was our first gig 15 years ago, and the vibe here is just awesome," frontman Elliott ‘Furnace’ Crane said.
"We love it."
The band's first appearance at the festival came on the Bundy Bar stage, a considerably different experience to performing on one of the event's major stages.
And to now be invited back two years in a row for the ‘main event’, the band agreed some things had changed while others remained exactly the same.
"We were on a different stage back then, but I definitely remember the chaos."
That chaos is something the group has become known for.
Last year's performance featured inflatable tube men descending from above the crowd, a stunt that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the festival.
The idea grew from plans for a traditional balloon drop before the band decided to put its own spin on proceedings.
"We wanted to do a balloon drop as a fun thing to do, but we always like putting our spin on those sorts of antics and shticks," keyboardist Lachlan ‘Pluto’ Nicolson said.
"I can't remember who had the idea, but someone just thought, 'What if it was inflatable men dropping down?'
"We are now Australia's biggest importers of inflatable men, I'm pretty sure."
The colourful inflatables are just one element of a stage show packed with visual spectacle.
Equally recognisable are the band's glittering suits, which have become a trademark over the years.
The look was originally inspired by advice from one of the band's early managers.
"One of our first managers wanted us to look sharp," Pluto said.
"We're a pretty ragtag bunch of humans in many respects.
"So we had the suits, but we also wanted to make it our own and give it some flair and some razzle dazzle.
"We just kind of made it our own."
While often labelled a cover band, Furnace and the Fundamentals have carved out a niche all of their own through creative arrangements, mash-ups and theatrical live performances that transform familiar songs into something entirely different.
With an extensive catalogue to choose from, putting together a set list remains an ongoing discussion before every major show.
"We always change it up if we come back year-on-year," Furnace said.
Fresh from performing at another Aussie festival on the Friday night, the group arrived in Deniliquin to clear skies after a wet lead-up to the weekend.
The band's popularity at the Ute Muster has clearly not gone unnoticed.
In the lead-up to this year's event, several artists and patrons identified Furnace and the Fundamentals as one of the acts they were most eager to see return.
Pluto said the support from regional audiences was especially rewarding.
"I feel like we have a bit of a connection with regional audiences," he said.
"It's an unpretentious crowd at Deni.
"We don't make any bones about not being the highest of art. It's just about big, stupid fun.
"I think we have an affinity with the people around here, so it's really heartening to hear they connected with us and the show."
Furnace and the Fundamentals were the closing act of the 2026 Deni Ute Muster and once again lit up the stage with a variety of mashups, dance moves and, of course, inflatable men.