Live Review: Stonefield, She Rex, Lester The Fierce

Retro power rockers Stonefield are on the road spruiking their debut LP, and stuck a middle finger up at a spectacular storm that had a go at flooding the 'Dale on Friday evening.

Since their appearance on the scene in 2010, the four Findlay sisters from rural Victoria have enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity courtesy chunky earworms like Black Water Rising and Through The Clover, and despite not bringing anything new to the table (bands like Fu Manchu and Black Mountain have done it far better before), they bring an authenticity that's hard to ignore, and are a welcome addition to the genre.

First up were Lester The Fierce, a psych-pop outfit from Melbourne who nearly stole the show right out from underneath the other two acts. Sprawling passages of swirling guitars and martial drumming surrounded band leader Anita Lester, whose voice cut through the din like a banshee through a storm. Hooks were dropped left and right, and it was an arresting performance. Nothing in the set really topped the final track (and lead single) Howl, but then again nothing else did that night either. It's a great piece of widescreen indie rock songwriting and it was played with plenty of guts.

Sydney group She Rex played a rote set of mechanical rap-rock, dressed up with plenty of lip curling and attitude courtesy of vocalist Nikkita. The rapping itself seemed forced and full of artifice, with no depth or substance. All the stomping and snarling felt juvenile and wasted the decent band behind it. Tash Adams' impressive drumming was in sharp contrast. A relentless assembly line of snares and kicks snapped and cracked, and everything had laser-cut precision. Whilst not being overly complicated, it was very impressive.

Stonefield's entrance was marked by some Floyd (as if they needed to reassert their allegiance!). Their sound is far too straightforward to warrant Floyd, but whatever. As a group they're tight, and it's too easy to just write it off as sisterly intuition. The way they key off each other – whether making room for the guitar to throw down a riff or backing off to give the synth some space – is really good, and they made it all seem easy. As mentioned, their sound is fairly simple, and it's been done before, but it's easy to enjoy and their set was a fierce yet fun experience.