Bec Sandridge never fails to disappoint, and her show at the Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane was sure to be an absolute blast. A little chilly outside for a November night, inside at the lodge it was filled with the warmth of her anthemic disco pop. 

Asha Jefferies opened the night with her soft performance, a little more low key compared to Sandridge's uptempo blasters. Her angelic vibrato silenced the room as she played through her setlist. This year's single Coburg was a set highlight. 

Melbournites IV League were up next and they brought a boppier style of indie pop rock to the small stage in the Black Bear Lodge. Lead singer Bella's voice rang out over the mingling crowd and drew the audience closer to the front of the stage. I held my frosty beer and perused from the back - the room was rather small and the crowd wasn't yet thick so it was a sucessful vantage point. Single Change My Mind was a highlight of the set that sent the crowd wild. 

By the time Bec was due to take the stage I had repositioned myself by the front right corner - a position far enough away from Bec's guitar  that her usually long guitar strings wouldn't take out my eyes but still close enough to feel the sweat floating through the air from the stage into the crowd. Performing as a three piece, the drummer opened the set with some funky beats, followed by an epic synth player who shredded on the bass synth parts, before Sandridge took to the stage, armed with her battered guitar. 

She stuck to her outfit theme and was dressed in sock garters, black school shoes, knee length shorts, a white blouse and a grey pvc trenchcoat (which we were assured was unbelievably hot - it was only there to cover the purple shampoo stains on the blouse). This outfit alongside her tall stature made for an impressive display that was hard to take my eyes off - and then she started playing. 

Starting with a new song, the crowd took a little to warm into her set.  By the time she played High Tide people were singing and dancing and having a blast. You're A Fucking Joke and In The Fog soon followed, as well as a solo rendition of I Keep Running Back. Her in between set banter was  hilarious; the roundabout way she talked about things was odd but funny. For someone who looks as striking as she does you'd expect them to be straightforward and blunt, however, Bec Sandridge came across more as awkward and cute, which was endearing in a way. 

Certified banger I'll Never Want A BF closed out the night with a full sweat boogie (from both the crowd and Bec herself - seriously, how does she do those moves while shredding on the guitar), and she left the crowd that was hanging for more with the promise of a sweaty cuddle by the merch desk. 

Olivia Shoesmith