Live Review: Ali Barter, Kane Strang, Moaning Lisa

29 September 2017 | 3:00 pm | Melissa Borg

"'The Captain' showcased Barter's soaring falsetto set against endearing indie guitar pop - a combination the band have nailed."

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Moaning Lisa came out kicking, ripping through their support set.

A strong female front and grunge-esque tunes gave them a circa 1990s girl band vibe - think Letters To Cleo. Playing a mix of released and unreleased songs, there was evidently some fans in the room while the rest of us lapped up what they were dishing out and giving back the appropriate applause.

New Zealander Kane Strang's set lacked charisma and struggled to get out of its monotone rut. When the four piece finally kicked it into gear, Strang broke a string - thankfully someone came to the rescue and they continued the set with a borrowed guitar. My Smile Is Extinct was well received as the set closer.

Live With You and Far Away opened tonight's set with a bang. Ali Barter and co. were in fine form, showcasing the majority of songs off latest cut A Suitable Girl.

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Throwing back to older tune Hypercolour got a good showing of singalongs and smiles plastered across faces, while The Captain showcased Barter's soaring falsetto set against endearing indie guitar pop - a combination the band have nailed.

However, not wanting to pigeonhole themselves and taking inspiration from fellow Aussie's Tame Impala, the four-piece covered the latter's psychedelic number 'Cause I'm A Man to much applause. They followed it up with Cigarette, which was as edgy and dynamic as it sounds on record.

Barter shared a new tune with us about someone she really liked, a nice contrast to the fair amount of anger present on A Suitable Girl. However, that frustration at the patriarchy was unearthed again in soon-to-be classic closer Girlie Bits - a song Barter says is open to interpretation.

Disappointment hung in the air as the band exited the stage, but a half-arsed call for an encore was enough to get a solo Barter back on stage to bare it all with Tokyo.