Blusher hit the accelerator on the Northcote Social Club

Header Image credit: Louis Harrison

Three pairs of chunky sunglasses decorated the merch desk, canvased by two merch designs printed on tees and a small printed price list. 

People were already filing into the space with a couple of point-and-shoot cameras held firmly in the grasp of those scrambling for barricade-less barricade spots. 

The uniform consisted of knee-high boots, equally as high socks, winged eyeliner, star hair clips, white skirts, linen shirts and the odd pair of jeans. I wondered how in-tact that eyeliner would be by the end of the night after the sticky air caught up with sweaty dancing.

Plumä kicked off the night with light-up heels, an intense power stance and an aura that commanded attention from attendees. 

Known for her dreamy soundscapes, her set featured an intense red-light wash before moving into a strobe black-and-white mood that intensified as the smoke unfurled around her legs. 

While Plumä’s music is hard to categorise into a single genre, eclectic instrumentation and manipulation of sounds drew the audience in. 

The intermission between sets saw more people pack into the sold-out show.

With a recognisable upbeat electronic meets indie-pop sound they’re known for, Blusher threw themselves right into one of their hits, ‘Rave Angel’ as they took the stage. 

The first part of the set following ‘Rave Angel’ saw them play ‘Racer’ and then ‘Limelight’, ‘Dead End’ and ‘Hurricane Chaser’ from their debut EP Should We Go Dance? Which was released in 2023.

Between playing their 2024 releases like ‘24 Hours in Paris’, ‘Accelerator’ and ‘Overglow’ and more of their older music, the band played new music to give their audience a taste of what the next chapter of Blusher’s music might sound like.

The energy in the room was high all night as Miranda, Lauren and Jade played off each other, swapped instruments, danced and put on a show that demonstrated their infectious fervour for music and performance.

Before hitting the home stretch, Blusher covered Justin Bieber’s 2012 hit ‘Beauty and a Beat’, lighting a match to the hearts of all those in the audience who shamelessly or secretly adored dancing along to this song on Just Dance.

With a combination of their club-worthy music, lighting that matched each song’s vibe and a fun performance style, the crowd eagerly drank in ‘Accelerator’ and the Remix of ‘Accelerator’ before the band finished the night off with ‘Backbone’.

This gig felt like what I imagine a club environment to be but with good music and a great crowd.

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Blusher is a Melbourne/Naarm-based band comprised of Miranda, Lauren and Jade.