Live Review: Electric Lady feat. Ali Barter, Alex Lahey, Bec Sandridge & More

It’s fitting that Sydney’s Rackett christened the Metro’s stage for Electric Lady. Dressed in wedding white and anything but “feminine,” the all-gal punk four-piece set the tone for the evening ahead: they were loud, they were energetic and they were in total control of their music and their set. Things reached fever pitch when vocalist Bec Callander said goodbye to her long blonde locks and received a choppy shave from an electric razor mid-song - she looked straight ahead and didn’t miss a beat. It is full on drama and one of the most rock‘n'roll things I have ever seen. These ladies have been popping up all over Sydney lately and are ones to watch. 

By the time that Jack River's set came up, the Metro was heaving. Her set of jangly rhythm-heavy highway ballads hit the mark. She also trotted out a new cover of Lorde’s delicate Writer In The Dark. River’s rendition lost the song’s operatic drama but the melodies slid comfortably into her sound.

Bec Sandridge may not be top of the bill, but she was, as always, the star of the show nonetheless. Drama and charisma define her as a performer and seeped out of everything from her bleach blonde bob to her rich voice as she skipped across (and got lost in) her melodies. 

Melbourne’s Alex Lahey was clearly a crowd favourite. The audience knew all of her lyrics and triumphantly shouted them back at her in loops with her music. She took a sober moment towards the end of her set to address the evening’s purpose: "If you identify as female and you have something you are thinking about doing, you should just do it. Whether it's playing the guitar or bingo!" 

Ali Barter rounded the night out with a set of her indie pop-rock. Her classical training shone through and she nailed every single one of her technically demanding hooks. She didn’t quite carry forward Lahey’s energy, but her set made for a mesmerising nightcap.

For all of the evening’s leading ladies, many of the night’s women are backed by – undisputedly capable – bands of all male musicians. By the time the evening is over, far more men have been on that stage than women. Clearly, there is a still a long way to go for women in rock.