Live Review: SAD13, Lubulwa, Freya

The atmosphere at a Thursday night gig at The Curtin makes for a chilled-out lovefest between mates. Adoration oozes forth for solo tune-maker Freya. The stage name of local DIY whiz Tamara Westwood, Freya takes the sounds of Animal Collective and Dan Deacon and throws her own unique style on top. Straining vocals over warbling synths is an initially odd combo, but Westwood is a powerhouse of raw emotion and catchy beats.

Lubulwa take to the stage next and, from the moment those first ethereal chords ring out, it's clear this is going to be something very special. A supergroup of sorts, Lubulwa hosts members of Immigrant Union, Radio Wonton and Kodiak Galaxy, blending their efforts together to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Vocalist and synth player Peter Lubulwa has the energy of any formidably confident frontman before him, and he leads the rest of the band with total poise and a cheeky smile.

While the openers bring the house down, SAD13's Sadie Dupuis flogs her own merch from the back of the room. She chats with punters, signs LPs and gives more to her fans than just a t-shirt and an ink mark. Dupuis is a modest badass from before the show even starts and there's no way anyone's going to forget that after tonight.

Blasting into <2 (Less Than Two), Dupuis and drummer Zoe Brecher kick off a masterclass in DIY excellence. With just a bedazzled guitar, drums and light-up synth rig, SAD13 take the power of their entire band and compress it into a phenomenal and uproarious duo. They didn't come all this way to fuck around!

With such an intimate crowd, Dupuis makes everyone feel safe and welcome while throwing down the gauntlet to mark her territory as a bona fide rockstar. It's a sentiment that's not just echoed through her music, it's screamed with awesome feminist disdain and a call to arms for the likeminded. Dupuis belts out, "I say yes if I want to," in the pro-consent anthem Get A Yes. In the superb Just A Friend, she tears down the sordid notions of friend zone and heteronormativity, singing, "You treat me like some grand deceiver, 'cause you never just believe". Not to be taken too seriously, Dupuis suddenly has a realisation, before turning to her audience and exclaiming, "There's a doughnut back there, but don't eat it. It's mine!"

The guitar-heavy Devil In U rings throughout the room with sheer, insane brilliance, before Dupuis and Brecher close out the night with the poppy, indie genius of Hype. Drink in hand, Dupuis coyly walks through the crowd under a blanket of pure reverence, into the arms of her friends and fans.

SAD13 deliver the undisputed underdog gig of the year and only a few were lucky enough to experience it.