Live Review: DJ Emoceans, Habits, Miss Blanks, Cable Ties, Simona, Miss Destiny, Eat-Man

Melbourne's own bubblegum-punk four-piece, Eat-Man, are the first from tonight's punk-rock consortium to take the stage. They burst into their set with high-energy tempos and riffs married to luxurious vocals. The group's frontman performs the last two tracks while spraying what seems to be a full can of hairspray and scrunching up his locks. He then asks us, "Is my hair big enough?" and for the sake of fresh air and the environment we give a thumbs-up.

Miss Destiny are up next, with their hard-hitting rock'n'roll sound fractured with shards of heavy metal. Guitar shredder and vocalist Harriet Hudson performs with ferocious carelessness, ripping through Law And Order among other tracks off their 2016 self-titled debut album. Old-school noise rockers The Dacios carry the heavy tone throughout their set, revving up the room with fat riffs and high-octane energy.

DJ Annaliese Replica starts swinging records in a new direction before Simona hits the stage, warming up the audience's electronic inclinations with a little Total Control. Simona is joined by guest vocalist Cultra, whose melodies are consumed in the electronic whirrs and space-like pop-techno of Simona's sounds. Simona's music is characterised by multifaceted layers of emotionally infused electronica, getting the punters' feet moving during No Allegiance and her 2017 release, Triumph.

After being well and truly warmed up by the incredible selection of support acts, punters pile in for the winner of the 2017 Corner Award and tonight's headliner, Cable Ties. The three-piece - consisting of Jenny McKechnie, Nick Brown and Shauna Boyle - are revealed behind when the venue's red velvet curtains open. The group kicks off with Paradise, a number from their 2017 self-titled album. McKechnie takes a moment between songs and tells us, "I had this whole thing prepared, to remind you all to be respectful... but I don't even have to say it, you're all just the best," which is testament to the powerful work that the group has done to help curate safe and mindful spaces in the scene. Punters stir as McKechnie's guitar signals the beginning of politically charged tirade, Say What You Mean. Cheers fill the room as she shouts the iconic line, "I am not a production unit/I am a human being". They end their set with a group hug among the collapsed stage decorations.

Miss Blanks takes to the side stage, performing tracks Haters and Drop It Low among others from her 2017 release, Diary Of A Thotaholic. The mood shifts towards a celebratory dance party, which is maintained by goth-party jammers Habits and closing act DJ Emoceans, who wrap up the Cable Ties Ball with dream-pop party tunes.