You know you’re in for an interesting evening when one of the first things you see is a woman getting her head shaved while singing on-stage.
That’s Bec Callander of Rackett, whose band is always an entertaining prospect; a surefire warm-up for tonight’s proceedings. Body Type follow, who have more or less become the support band’s support band in 2017. It’s a role they slip into comfortably – their dark, jangly and hypnotic indie-rock is a welcome and ever-intriguing contrast to the brighter musical styles and approaches scattered across the rest of the line-up.
18-year-old Gretta Ray – yes, you read correctly – confidently showcases her heart-on-sleeve folk-pop like a veteran, with a voice that is well on its way to being unmistakably hers. The truth is, ‘Drive’, ‘Unwind’ and ‘Towers’ are all songs that people twice her age would kill to have written. Jack River, too, is an emerging name with lots of promise – and its central focus, Holly Rankin, is one of the brains behind this entire operation. With a glitter-and-rhinestone aesthetic, Jack River execute multi-faceted pop that emphasises Rankin’s vocals – all bubble and sass, not unlike a young Gwen Stefani.
In a flourish of jitters, Bec Sandridge is the type to get lost in a moment when performing. It’s almost to a fault – snapping a string halfway through – but it’s done with such theatricality and conviction she easily gets away with it. By the time Alex Lahey arrives, the energy in the room is ready to ascend. Lahey and her trusty backing band dutifully take things up a notch with a last hurrah for 2016’s B-Grade University. One year on, there’s still nothing quite like raising your voice in solidarity with ‘…People Like Me’ and ‘Let’s Go Out’.
Ali Barter may seem in a curious position, headlining over Lahey’s crowd-pleasers, but underestimate an artist of her calibre at your own peril. Still riding high on her top-tier debut, A Suitable Girl, Barter and co. have locked into the album’s glistening hooks as well as its razor-sharp guitar edge. This results in a live show that is equal parts pop pleasantry and mane-thrashing rock stomp – Barter truly has the best of both worlds right now. Ending with an anthem for dismantling misogyny (‘Girlie Bits’) is perhaps the perfect way to end the inaugural Electric Lady.
Yes, there are teething problems. A line-up of this size is better suited to all-day festivities, rather than attempting to cram it all into a single night. There’s also the issue of the line-up featuring entirely cis women, and only one person of colour – Rackett guitarist Kat Ayala – making their presence felt. Even so, it’s a step in the right direction to creating something positive and prosperous, with potential to develop into something bigger and better. One has full faith it will.
Electric Lady’s premiere event unfolded on Friday June 30 at the Metro Theatre.
