Fergus McPhail and his family - mother, father, older sister and younger sister - have just moved from Brisbane to Melbourne, and this is the story of Fergus's life in this first turbulent year of readjustment.
Fergus doesn't waste time getting to know a few of the locals - especially the girls, who quickly fail to succumb to his charms. His next-door-neighbour, Rodney, shares Fergus's interest in music and bands and has a drum kit, but that's where their similarities end. However, Fergus does become friends with Lambert, a fellow year ten classmate, and Mitch, a younger guy. The three of them have plans to form a band one day, but Mitch is the only one who shows constant commitment to the idea.
Fergus and Lambert are just slightly distracted by their alluring classmates, Sophie and Angela, who become the subjects of most of Fergus and Lambert's plotting and scheming. Add to this the general and constant chaos in the McPhail household, and here is an extremely funny saga of young love, youthful ambition and failures aplenty.