Peoplel had flocked to the Foundry in groups to catch a glimpse of Melbourne indie-rocker Ali Barter on Thursday night, and the sold out show did not disappoint in terms of performance. Local support Eliza and the Delusionals and fellow Melbournites IV League were along for the ride, bringing along their own distinct flavour to the figurative ice cream sundae. 

Eliza's pink hair (which under observation had recently been changed to a peachy orange) shone like a beacon, leading me away from the bar to the front of the stage as she strummed the opening chords. Donning a Bec Sandridge shirt and playing a bunch of new tracks, her vintage indie-rock was as familiar as it was fresh, and the sweet, sweet tunes of singles like Salt and The Ground encouraged a blazing dance-a-long for a early set. 

IV League were the soft centre of a hard lolly; lead singer Bellas' sing-songy voice called out over poppy guitars, beckoning more punters to the dancefloor (although this may have been in hope she would drop her cool beret). The alt-pop sound was refreshing in the indie rock soup and single Bleached closed off the set. 

Ali Barter came onto the stage a bit late, and by this time the audience was salivating, ready to consume any sweet morsel she had to offer. The opening chords of latest single Please Stay rung out over the waiting crowd,a nd from there on it was guns away, playing back-to-back bangers that were punchy and powerful. The middle of her set was perhaps a little slow, playing a bunch of album tracks to a radio single centric audience, but that didn't deflate the overall mood of the show, with powerful bangers like Cigarette and One Foot In from her latest record, and older single Hypercolour amping up the energy and encouraging drunk punters to dance and sing/shout the lyrics. Not one to disappoint, Girlie Bits closed off her set despite running well over time. 

It's really good to see so many female musicians coming to the forefront of the indie industry and absolutely owning it. Both IV League and Eliza and the Delusionals complimented Barter well and added an extra flare to her bangin' aesthetic - 90's girlpower is well and truly back and this show was a surefire show of it. 

Olivia Shoesmith