Russell HughesMoaning Lisa @ The Tote, Melbourne 23/11/2018
On a miserable day in Melbourne that included the poignant march against family violence, Moaning Lisa gave a show that was so packed with love and good vibes that it left you convinced their was light at the end of the tunnel.
This band are gay and proud, they wear it on their sleeve and it makes them who they are – which is a four-piece in the middle of a quiet revolution.
Every time the Canberra outfit come to town they play in bigger and bigger venues. Back in August it was the Old Bar in Fitzroy, now it was Collingwood’s The Tote who hosted them. Who knows where Moaning Lisa will end up next, but you’d be safe betting that it’s somewhere larger again.
On paper, Charlie sings and plays the bass while Hayley plays the guitar and takes secondary duties on the vocals. But in real life the pair are interchangeable and take up different duties throughout the course of the show.
But don’t be fooled by their softly softly catchy monkey persona on stage, the duo are razor sharp and rock solid. Moaning Lisa are an outfit that sound just as great live as they do on a record, and on stage is where their fuzzy, garage rock, grunge notes can be expressed fully.
They haven’t been around long but you wouldn’t know it. Charlie and Hayley are real naturals on stage – cracking jokes, gently taking the piss out of each other and engaging with the crowd.
Just before Carrie (I Want A Girl), Charlie got all the girls in the crowd to step to the front, complimented one on her outfit and launched into the band’s biggest hit to date.
The world definitely needs more grunge tinged, fuzzy-around-the-edges guitar led rock that doubles up as one massive, cosy, accepting love-fest and Moaning Lisa are here to deliver that.