Live Review: Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, Montaigne, Alex Lahey

There's a lot of weather/storm reports being exchanged at Rochford Wines as Cyndi Lauper fans pledge their allegiance through colourful outfit choices and outlandish wigs. Alex Lahey is a vibrant choice for first band of the day and her catchy, familiar songs such as Ivy League and You Don't Think You Like People Like Me go down splendidly while we are fed and watered.

Next up, Montaigne (Sydney singer-songwriter Jessica Cerro's chosen moniker) rocks it like a boss dog in a musk-stick pink velour power suit. She dances constantly and it's all very prancersise. Because I Love You is a set highlight and the future promises great things for Cerro and co, but her voice does sound a little samey/screechy after a while and could use some variation in delivery to truly nail the dynamics in her set. 

But then it's the storm's turn and this is an unwelcome addition to today's schedule. The Clouds persevere as inclement weather conditions take hold, but punters flee to any available shelter. The Garden Bar's giant umbrellas (and actual bar) give us shelter, but we can only really admire Trish Young's pink hair from up here and can't hear anything over the sound of the rain, which is frustrating. Then an announcement recommends that we return to our cars until the rain passes. 

And then just in the nick of time, the rain stops and we race down to find our seats for Blondie. Although Debbie Harry's outfit could probably be seen from the moon, it definitely needs to be appreciated from up close. Her crown features a couple of furry bees and she sports a black smock that reads "Stop Fucking The Planet" for the first few songs. Blondie's latest album is called Pollinator and they're donating some of the band's merch profits to the Save The Bees organisation, so it all ties in very nicely. Harry observes the Rochford Wines conditions are "wet and wild" and she's not wrong. Opening track One Way Or Another - with Chris Stein's rabble-rousing guitar riff - sees us dusting off the sidestepping dance moves and every imaginable variation. We admire drummer Clem Burke's OG CBGB T-shirt as well as his rambunctious, cymbal-smashing playing style. In lieu of Melbourne, Harry labels us "Yarra", which is little odd. A fair few new songs make their way into the setlist and the crowd is noticeably chatty during these, wishing to substitute some of these for more from their back catalogue. But that's mainly because Blondie's hits from back in the day are just so damn incendiary! Our Call Me singalong is deafening and Harry delivers a, "CALL ME!" at song's close that's so insistent it actually gives us a fright. The power of Atomic ("...make it magnificent") hasn't waned over the years. Melodic gongs open Rapture, which sends us into a state befitting this song's title — this has gotta be one of the best songs ever written, right? Amazingly, even though Harry regularly forgets song lyrics throughout the performance (and kind of invents some as she goes along), she raps to perfection during Rapture.

We're then gifted "a little treat from Beastie Boys" thanks to a rockin' (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) cover, which transports us back to our HSC common rooms. A punter attempting to light a cigarette in the front section receives a bollocking from a furious older dude who storms up to her and points in her face, "Oi! Piss off with your smokes!" Tom Kessler's guitar solo, which he finishes by playing axe behind head, causes absolute mayhem while we admire the artistic channels shaved into his hairdo. The sassy, insouciant Heart Of Glass is an absolute joy to writhe to and we all "Oh-woah-oh-woah-oh!" along with the irresistible keys riff.

After a short refuelling break, Cyndi Lauper's She Bop lures us back down the hill and this line-up's second, iconic New York artist (with trademark Queens accent we wish we could somehow load into our GPS) looks immaculate, her cotton-candy pink hair flowing from a quilted black leather biker cap with pearl trim and black PVC trench coat. And she sure is sassy! There's a false-start during her cover of Patsy Cline's Walking After Midnight and she tells her guitarist off. Lauper's a perfectionist and clearly loves her band, though, introducing them in a very personal fashion with charming anecdotes. Alex Nolan is exceptional on guitar - remember her name.

Lauper acknowledges, "I love being with Blondie, together" in this line-up. The melodica solo during Money Changes Everything is ever-so punk and smokes collective noodles. And Lauper has a social conscience, using this platform to inform us about the Green Belt Initiative (a global effort for joint, cross border activities in nature conservation and sustainable development). Lauper moves around the stage to find the sweetest spot from which to sing, pointing out, "I'm in the know!" Time After Time breaks our hearts as we focus on Lauper's extraordinary lyrics: "Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you..." Girls Just Wanna Have Fun reminds us how striking Lauper's image was back in the day and how many feathers she proudly ruffled. She truly smashed through glass ceilings and paved the way for the current crop of gamechangers (Lauper's look back in the day was as edgy as Yolandi Visser from Die Antwoord's is now). Lauper's closing solo rendition of True Colours is "beautiful like a rainbow". The song's fearless message, coaxing us to celebrate the difference and embrace individuality, is needed more than ever in today's uncertain political climate. We glide back to our cars with tear-streaked faces pretending the rain's to blame.