Live Review: Wetfest

We make our way into Howler halfway through Porpoise Spit's set to the sound of a chanting crowd. Frontwoman Elly Hewitt leads into a cover of Robbie Williams' Feel, as a tribute to Wet Lips and the outstanding work that they, among other bands who are here tonight, have done to curate such a fantastic scene for Melbourne music. Porpoise Spit end with a track that's an homage to the ridiculous moment that was Karl Stefanovic's 2009 post-Logies broadcast. The crowd isn't quite ready for this ingeniously named band to leave just yet, but it's a good thing DJ Eva Lubulwa is here to sustain our energy.

Next up is RaceRage, who continue the party with their hard-hitting rap and electronica. Their energy fills the stage and wins the audience over as they begin to lose their reservations. They play a new track, Stolen Wealth, for the eager crowd.

Moaning Lisa take to the stage next, slowing things down with some fuzzed-out prog-rock numbers that grip the audience. Their lead guitarist endures some technical issues, so Charlotte Versegi and Hayley Manwaring take on "the art of stalling" with an impromptu cover of Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet. The outfit continues to interact with the audience, Manwaring urging punters to "come up to us later and guess our star signs", and Versegi admitting "I'm not a guitar player, I just have a lot of feelings," to which Manwaring replies, "It's not about frets, it's about feelings". They wrap things up with their "gayest song", Carrie (I Want a Girl). 

Suss Cunts waste no time as they rip into their first number Get Laid. Nina Renee makes endearing repartee with guitarist Helena Holmes and the audience as drummer Tahlia Eastman takes a moment to recuperate. "We've just come to realise that we're so much worse than [the previous bands]," Renee claims, "so we're just going to make awkward banter to compensate" - a sentiment that is clearly untrue, as this straight-talking trio serve painfully relatable lyrics and tight numbers.

The mood shifts as Corin takes to the stage stirring dark electronica. Her numbers draw bodies closer and heads nod towards the ground as punters sway. There is slow-burning power in her tracks and the audience is gripped by the oscillations.

Wet Lips enter the stage in their finest leopard print with champagne in hand. The three-piece build up into their first number, Here If You Need, and the audience jump right into it. This evening marks the beginning of Wet Lips' indefinite hiatus and bassist Jenny McKechnie insists that "it's not a funeral, it's a celebration" with guitarist Grace Kindellan adding, "Going on hiatus is so in fashion, I'm glad we're getting it out of the way now before it become's 'so 2018'." Everyone makes the most of each second of the band's set. They wrap things up with Shame and Can't Take It Anymore, before embracing for a moment. We continue to cheer well after they've left the stage and are reminded of just how much this outfit has done to a create safer and more inclusive environment in Melbourne's music scene over the past few years.

The celebrations continue through the night with Brisbane-based MC Jesswar heating things up with her hard-hitting rap as she urges, "All the bad bitches please move to the front," before her track Savage.

DJ Brooke Powers is the final act of Wetfest 4 and spins a variety of house, acid and minimal to curate the perfect house-party feel to conclude what has been a showcase of incredible talent across all genres.