The three young, blonde girls sitting behind me trill expectantly as they look around Rod Laver Arena, taking it all in. Stimulus, response. Stimulus, response. Finally, having discussed clothes, boys, Avril, and more clothes, one of them earnestly asks her pals, “What is the mosh pit?” There’s no doubt about it, this is My First Rock Concert for the majority of the sell-out crowd.

Canadian punks Gob open their set with a video presentation of Britney Spears introducing herself as “the evil one” against a backdrop of hellfire, announcing that “Gob is on a mission to rid the world of crap pop music and kick some serious ass” in a voice that was not a girl, not yet a woman, more like James Earl Jones. My blonde pals grab each other’s arms, and one yelps, “That was really scary!” Gob play a suitably snotty brand of punk, with a clownish ‘tude belying their finely crafted brand of power pop/rock, a la their equally talented alumni, Sum41. Add to the killer choons their – gasp! - fun stage presence, and you have a pretty irresistible package. When they dedicate Paint It Black to “all the hott mothers” [Audience Recognition Level: 11%], or ask the crowd to request their songs on FM radio - but only because “one more Gob song is one less Creed song EVER” - it’s hard not to like them. They finish with the excellent Give Up The Grudge, closing the song with Welcome To The Jungle’s “it’s gonna bring you down huh!” [Audience Recognition Level: 5%], and singer Tom ‘skating’ on his guitar across the stage. Who cares if it’s not real punk - and what is? – because if more bands enjoyed what they do as much as Gob clearly do, the music world would be a better place.

By this point, excitement levels in the pre-pubescent crowd had supernovaed. The lights drop, and the words ‘TRY TO SHUT ME UP’ are projected on the black curtains. The curtains flutter to the ground and there she is, the fun-sized sk8r grrl, jumping up and down with her fists balled like a kid who wants a Bertie Beetle. Down the runway she sprints, to the opening strains of SK8ER BOI [Audience Recognition Level: 110%], as the bloodcurdling screams from the fans slice through my eardrums like so many razorblades. If my young pals didn’t know what the mosh pit was five minutes ago, they’ll be getting an awakening right now. A young girl in the crowd offers her hero a teddy, and Avril places it on stage with the care of a teen organising her stuffed toys on her bed. She stomps about, stopping here and there to blink with touching uncertainty before sprinting somewhere else. The songs are great; sparkling with the earnestness of youth and the energy and possibility of a life not yet lived. The terrific Anything But Ordinary and I’m With You are particularly affecting without mawkishness. Avril’s voice is surprisingly huge, too, and she hits her notes with total ‘whatever’ confidence – there’s no uncertain Aguilera-esque sliding up to the notes here.

They power through new song I Don’t Give A Damn, and it’s clear that Avril doesn’t – but only about her detractors. She’s clearly humbled in the presence of such adoration from her young fans. “You guys are awesome!” she goofs, “This is my first visit to Australia and I think it rocks”. They play a spritely cover of Basket Case [Audience Recognition Level: 8%], and then race through to the inevitable Complicated, when two fans are pulled from the crowd to assist in the vocals with charmingly tone-deaf enthusiasm. Avril and her cute blonde guitarist return to the stage for an acoustic encore, performing album-track Tomorrow, and a moving take on Knocking On Heaven’s Door [Audience Recognition Level: me and the mums and dads] that was closer to Bob’s than Axl’s. Finally following Things I’ll Never Say, she thanks the audience once more and leaves the stage. The glitter cannons have exploded and it’s way past bedtime for most of the young crowd. My blonde friends stand staring ahead for a few minutes, trying to process their experience, before one enthuses “ohmygod!” and they race out to relive the night all the way home in the Tarago.

Avril Lavigne - whose genuine, no nonsense stance is so fresh in the pop market that it is wrongly assumed by most to be contrived – has given all these young fans a special experience tonight. For them, it has nothing to do with album sales or songwriters or stylists, but rather the affirmation that just by being true to yourself you can make your dreams reality. On a larger scale, the fact that music - rather than image - is relevant to young kids again thanks to Avril’s tentative rock makes the experience even better. There’s something so touching about thousands of young hands making hesitant goats in the air: it’s so new to them and I hope tonight is the beginning of a lifelong love affair with rock & roll.