First of all, unlike other indie concerts, I could actually hear the music. The sound wasn’t pummelling my ear drums. Lately I’ve been tricked into concerts with some gear head machos who like to blast distorted guitars and all their glitzy gizmos to hide behind how terrible their songs are. They aren’t good enough to captivate the audience, so they crank it over crowd chatter.

Luckily, this concert was part of the Slut Island Festival, so it was a macho-free zone. And Lydia’s set was focussed on music. She is a film score composer, so it was interesting to hear music as an art, and not a gimmick or a vanity trip. I liked how the musicians wore masks, as if to say, ‘hey, don’t look at me and judge me! Just listen to the music!”

There were acoustic instruments, violin and cello, a laptop for the back tracks that had all the glitter, harmony and beat, her synth and voice. Perfect set up. Perfect levels. It was just right, like honey to my ears.

She played her songs from her latest EP, including my personal favourite, Malachite.

So there, I wish I attended more concerts from the Slut Island Festival because, let’s face it, most of the music scene, even in Montreal, is dominated by cisgender males. And, speaking for myself, and many other people I know, it is intimidating for anyone else to come into the scene. We need festivals like this on a monthly basis at least!