It’s decided: I’m kicking off every night out with a glass of champagne and wrapping it up with a sweeping conga line, as per Holiday Sidewinder’s standards. Every other approach now pales in comparison.
When the Los Angels-via-London-via-Sydney songstress isn’t living a rugged life on the road as a valued member of Alex Cameron’s tight-knit touring troupe, she’s wafting into dive bars in full arena regalia crooning sweetly to some sincere synth action. A new pop icon has emerged, folks, and it feels right.
With a tasselled Playboy Bunny playsuit and a sweeping conga line, Holiday Sidewinder’s Wayward’s set was mesmerising and electric.
The dual bar/stage space at Waywards would turn out to be the perfect foil for some Sidewinder antics – her first home show in quite some time. I arrived as the room was still abuzz from Baby Beef’s preceding set, which I have no doubt was something similarly spectacular.
The crowd was already thick but managed to pack in tighter as Sidewinder swiftly took the stage in a stunning ensemble that was perhaps plucked straight from Madonna’s personal collection – a tasselled Playboy Bunny playsuit, yellow feathered boa, Coors Light cowboy hat, headpiece mic and red satin kitten heels.
Holiday lunged (quite literally) into her anthemic track Leo with some electrifying choreography, and a synth line that would prick La Bionda’s ears. Tales of Sydney’s amassed pokie machines segued into Casino as Sidewinder began to schmooze her way into the crowd.
We thought we’d peaked when she climbed onto the bar for a whirl but, as it turns out, Sidewinder is the gift that keeps on giving. The cream was saved for last when the top floor of The Bank turned into a massive conga line, and when the music turned over to the DJ she just kept on muzzing with the crowd. Honestly, I think they’re all still there, bopping away.
Maybe I just don’t go to enough pop performances but, boy, the talent here was totally mesmerising, harnessed, ahead of its time. I’m Sidewinder hooked.
Listen to Holiday Sidewinder’s new single Baby Oil here.
