Lisa Gibbs is a singer, bass player, guitar player, keyboard player and percussionist, who has been playing in bands for the last 15 years. The genre of music Lisa plays is Alternative/ Electronic/Post-punk/Goth/ Shoegaze/Dreampop/Dark-wave.

Lisa's bands are as follows:

• USER are a DIY electronic post-punk-darkwave-gothrave-shoegaze odyssey! Hailing from Melbourne, USER are known for their dramatic live performances, interwoven with mind bending projected visuals which transports audiences to dark, otherworldly places. Originally the brainchild of Andrew Nunns (The Black Heart Death Cult/Autohaze/Underground Lovers/GB3-Kilbey/Lime Spiders) and Frank Galgano (The Lamp/HAL/Euphoric Amoeba), USER have since morphed into a four piece with captivating vocalist/bassist Lisa Gibbs (The Moth Body/The Same Same) and atmospheric guitarist Daryl Bradie (Gersey/Walkerville) joining the fold.

• The Moth Body plays a sparkling admixture of Eighties post-punk and Nineties alternative / dark-wave influences. Sam Sejavka’s (The Ears, Beargarden, FACT) clever, emotive, often eccentric songwriting is most often compared to that of early David Bowie. The most arresting aspect of their act is the interplay of Sejavka’s seasoned vocals with those of his long time collaborator and guitarist Lisa Gibbs (USER). The band is theatrical in its essence and difficult to ignore on stage, with Gibbs’ intense concentration on her work and her captivating presence. Sejavka, still at heart an old school front-man, echoes his words with movement and gesture.

• Greenhouse, The Same Same and Verdaine. Lisa was also in the touring band for Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy’s project Kilbey/Kennedy.

• Recent collaborations have been with: The Cold Field, Dave Graney & Plutonic, GB3 (Glenn Bennie & Steve Kilbey) and Martin Kennedy.

Lisa has played gigs at St Kilda music venues including: Pure Pop, MEMO Music Hall, Greyhound Hotel, Inkerman Hotel, Newmarket Hotel, The Espy, George Lane, Lost . 

Some Iconic memories I have of female performers in St Kilda are:

• The Palais - Seeing PJ Harvey at The Palais in both 2001 and 2003. In 2001, support was by The Go-Betweens who had the fab Adele Pickvance on bass. Seeing Dead Can Dance in 2013 and seeing The Human League in both in 2017 and 2024.

• Underground Lovers at Pure Pop – supported by one of my bands at the time Verdaine (I was on bass guitar)

• Thurston Moore at the Prince Bandroom -  in his touring band was Deb Goodge on bass (My Bloody Valentine) – who later made everyone backstage cocktails and they were supported by one of my favourite Melbourne bands from the past 20 years - Harry Howard & The NDE – with the amazing Edwina Preston and the legendary Clare Moore.

• The Crystal Ballroom reunion at The St Kilda Bowlo (03/03/2012) – The Ears performed with Phaedra Press on cello (before she joined The Moth Body) and Kerri Simpson on backing vocals. Angela Howard performed bass with Mick Harvey and Phil Calvert as part of a Rowland S. Howard tribute of unreleased songs from 1977, while Karen Marks joined Ash Wednesday on stage to perform" Love by Numbers" and Bronwyn Bonney performed her hypnotic solo material.

All of these women are pioneers and legends of the Melbourne alternative music scene and have influenced me in multiple ways:

• Lisa Gerrard – Dead Can Dance. Otherworldly use of her voice and sounds which were not just lyrics. How she mixes traditional ‘world’ music instruments (yangqin) with electronica.

• Bronwyn Bonney nee Adams – Crime & the City Solution. Incredible violin player who draws out melody and emotion.  

• Catherine McQuade – Ultimate bass and BV cool in The Ears, Deckchairs Overboard and then as the singing voice of Christine Yates in Sweet & Sour. Effortlessly moves from post punk to 80s pop. Catherine jokes that we are “the bookends of Sejavka” ha!

• Clare Moore – all class and power – amazing drumming and BVs and Keys and xylophone – multi-instrumentalist who is fabulous to watch live and keeps it straight so Dave can be Dave.

• Denise Rosenberg – Primitive Calculators and Little bands (Thrush & the Cunts). At the forefront of experimental & avant-garde music scene in Melbourne. Such a counterpoint to what was happening in the Melbourne music scene at the time.

• Anita Lane – Unique voice, style icon, singer, songwriter for The Birthday Party, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and heaps of collaborations. Such a district voice and influence.

• Genevieve McGuckin – These Immortal Souls.  Originally from Brisbane, adopted by Melbourne.  Post Punk Piano and organ player extraordinaire. The duelling melody lines of piano and guitar.

• Philippa Nihill – Underground Lovers – detached cool vocals.  Her vocals on the track ‘I Was Right’ is credited as being at the forefront of the Shoegaze genre. How the vocals are mixed in amongst the swirling guitars – awesome!"