Baby, You’re A Racer: Blusher Concert Review

I’m racing straight back to the Valley tonight after a full day of live music at Rolling Sets. If you missed that blog post, one of the highlights was seeing Blusher perform and getting the chance to meet them at the barricade following their set! It was so sweet and very appreciated. I’ve been following the band since seeing them support Norwegian artist Aurora on her 2023 Australian tour. To see Blusher as a headline act feels like it’s been a long time coming so I couldn’t be more grateful for the chance to do so tonight! The band are also joined by DJ Tullio and Robert Baxter to warm up the crowd!

This is what happened during Blusher’s Racer show at The Brightside on November 30th, 2025.

TULLIO

Tullio starts off the night with a great girly-pop club set on the decks. With a consistently strong beat of to dance to and some exciting throwback samples like Promiscuous Girl, the crowd started to gather at the front of the stage and start warming up their dance moves. The set transitioned into a very cool mix, that I imagined would not go astray in a 2000s all-girls nightclub on a Saturday night where everyone is releasing their inhibitions. As I thought Tullio was winding up, they built to an impressive high and increased both the volume and the energy on the floor, culminating in a viral PinkPantheress moment. Tullio’s set was the perfect kickstart to the evening, with cool club beats and an exciting blend of music to draw the people to the floor!

ROBERT BAXTER

Naarm/Melbourne artist Robert Baxter was next, with an absolute banger of a set that would have left you thinking they were the main act of the evening. Their music ranged from brooding, beat-heavy club tracks to sensual and fun hyper-pop dance tracks. Robert wowed the crowd with their high energy set, which showcased their innovative sound, gorgeous dance moves, and charmingly sweet personality. We were treated to the songs of their latest EP, Stargirl and I didn’t see anyone in the crowd who wasn’t dancing or singing along to the catchy lyrics in Robert’s music. Their set beautiful highlighted the queer experience, with personal experiences of community-building and resilience towards discrimination becoming points of expression and creativity. In this way, they champion themselves and the queer community, while also creating memorable AND exciting music to bring some positive back to the world. Robert Baxter is a star you want to see live, so keep an eye out for their next shows or stream their latest song, I <3 Girls, now!

Fave song: Suspicious

BLUSHER

I was thrilled to get a headline set from Blusher tonight after their festival set yesterday! The band from Naarm/Melbourne consists of Miranda Ward, Jade Ingvarson-Favretto, and Lauren Coutts in a dreamy team-up to become a powerhouse pop girl band. The talented singers and instrumentalists blend perfectly together to deliver a Y2K-vibe concert experience, bringing bright club beats to the stage in a modern light. The show tonight is a celebration of their latest EP, Racer, with the title track forming an exciting opening number before seamlessly transitioning into Somebody New.

Blusher’s lyrics are catchy, making it easy for everyone to sing along while also allowing for the girls to weave their voices around each other with some gorgeous melodies. Blusher encapsulates the experience of girlhood in their show and sound. They’re a nostalgia-trip without being dated, instead bringing to light the complexities of the girlhood experience and the tough transitional experiences we go through growing up. After their Triple J cover of Your Love Is My Drug/SOS, Softly Spoken tackles the headrush of staying in a relationship that isn’t necessarily healthy, compromising yourself in the process. It’s unfortunately not uncommon, and the dark undercurrent on the song emphasises the mature nature of the song.

Yet, the set is far from sombre. We soon move onto Last Man Standing, triumphant in its sound, and the ever-so-danceable Marathon. These songs are relatable, building a sense of community. It can be deep and meaningful and plain fun all at once. Blusher proves that artistry can be dynamic and exciting, not always stiff and stolid. The girls are unrestrained by their microphones and instrumental gear, navigating smoothly between mic stands, props and positions throughout the night for an immersive show. Their choreography and coordinated outfits are incredibly fun, inspiring fans to bring themselves into the vibe curated by the band.

The love-struck Limelight and liberating WHATEVERWHATEVER had everyone singing along, pouring their hearts out with fantasies of finding their meeting a lover in the colourful lights of The Brightside and the realities of a completely wonderful night that we all left feeling better for having experienced! The interim songs 24 Hours In Paris and Backbone (with its iconic choreography!) brought the crowd into a calmer, beautiful and sincere emotional moment, letting us linger in a sense of bittersweet yearning. Party anthems Dead End and Rave Angel amped things back up and had everyone jumping on the floor!

We were treated to a second cover, this time a mash-up of Addison Rae’s Diet Pepsi and Charli XCX’s party 4 u. This was the start of the end, as Don’t Look At Me Like That took us into an emotional ride fit for a romcom. The heavier sonic sound of the bridging musical break after this contrasted magically with the whimsy of the bubble guns shooting into the crowd, raising our heartrates with anticipation for the finale. Accelerator brought us speeding back to the vehicular rush of the Racer EP, before we ended with RUNNING TO YOU, a gorgeous ending that made us feel like we were home, even as we knew we would soon have to leave.

Their music is evocative and intellectual, with an addictive magical pop sound. It makes me feel seen and gives me hope that I can express myself however I want without compromising the intelligence and creativity that serve as my strengths. The band ensured that their fans left feeling empowered and loved, stopping by the merch desk to meet at the end of the show to sign tees and take pics, which was the cherry on top of an excellent show!

Hopefully Blusher are running to you next! They’ve got another festival weekend coming up and are also touring with Rebecca Black and will be back in Brisbane this week, followed by Sydney and Melbourne. Congrats on a fantastic set of shows and hopefully you’ll be back at The Brightside before we know it!

Fave song: Backbone

SOUNDS GOOD?

I love Blusher’s distinct aesthetic and commitment to a thrilling live set with their choreography and on-stage antics! Whether you love pop music or a band that goes all out on their show, these other acts might be for you too:

Haiku Hands – A different genre, but the same commitment to putting on a memorable show for the crowd. Haiku Hands is an alternative electronic group with a darker sonic vibe, who are also excellent at inspiring a party with their exciting choreography and flair for the dramatic.

Peach PRC – Peach PRC has a similar sound with dreamy vocals and a bouncy beat. She has a cute aesthetic and some bright club hits to dance to, that make you feel free to dance and sing with no shame at all! With shows coming up in the new year, now is a great time to start listening to Peach PRC.

Dizzy Days – Dizzy Days is another girl band, this time drawing inspiration from 70s disco and reinvigorating that sound for a modern audience. With groovy music and a charismatic stage presence, Dizzy Days makes for a fun act and I’m hoping to see more soon!