Indeed, it is resoundingly embraced by an extremely talented Sydney-based cover band called Never Ending 80s.

The band's motto - "We'll have you partying like it's 1989!" - might seem like an empty slogan but this statement is fulfilled to the very letter and spirit by the sheer joy of this band's performing style.

Channelling all things 80s - big hair, exaggerated make-up, extravagant colours, ripped jeans and tights, and pink sunglasses - the band really knows how to wow a crowd.

Performers Dani Wilde (vocals), JC Hollywood (vocals), Pete Voltage (Bass), Adz Arcadium (guitars) and Davey Rocket (drums) are all exceptional musicians and they provided the Bathurst community a much-needed life-affirming experience in light of the region's heart-breaking drought.

Their show at Bathurst Panthers brought together farmers, shop owners, Charles Sturt University students and many more locals - who had raided every supermarket and discount store party section in anticipation.

The punters were decked out in items that typified the age of excess: fingerless gloves, fishnet stockings, leg warmers, hair gel, Madonna-style pearls, and all things fluorescent.

The occasion also inspired many to tizz up their hair and adorn themselves in colourful outfits and costumes, paying homage to stars of the era.

The music and theatrics exceeded audience expectations and even sometimes the boundaries of the stage itself when enthusiastic "ragers" spilled over it. The music and dancing created an electrifying and ecstatic experience.

One standout band member was bass guitarist Pete Voltage who made some hilariously unforgettable Spinal Tap moves. His fantastic sense of humour resonated with the crowd as his phallic bass guitar gestures really spoke to the audience and to a scene that was all about having fun, letting go, embracing the past, as well as fully inhabiting the present.

The huge popularity of such songs as A-ha's Take On Me, INXS's New Sensation and Prince's 1999 exemplified a charming optimism often associated with '80s comedies, especially Madonna's breakout movie Desperately Seeking Susan (1985).

But the music of the '90s cannot be dismissed and many songs evoke a haunting mood. This was brilliantly captured when the Never Ending 80s played Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991) for their encore.

Now in a socially mediated online age in which one has unlimited access to music, bands like the Never Ending 80s take us back to the future reminding us that part of the joy of music is about appreciating it as a live and collective experience.

The extremely festive nature of the occasion enabled Bathurst's regional community to bask in the glow of joyful music and movement.

The event especially meant something to local farmers and townspeople who are all suffering from the dire effects of a global warming-induced drought.

This talented, energetic and life-affirming band is not to be missed.