Lemuria, The Fighting Cocks, Kingston

Come to a Lemuria show to see one ace power pop trio and get two for your money. Tonight’s openers Muncie Girls are an absolute joy to behold, with a delightful line in summery melodies courtesy of Lande Hekt’s powerful yet effortlessly smooth voice. Backed up beautifully by chirping guitar lines and insistent drum beats they look like a band comfortable in their own skins and hitting their song writing stride in fine style.

Unfortunately for Moose Blood, their Brand New-meets-The Only Way Is Essex shtick fares less well. Whilst the twinkling instrumentation is solid enough, lyrical choices about fucking girls, reading Bukowski and drinking coffee all night make them feel both cliched and, frankly, a bit misogynistic. Little doubt that they will be massive as 90s American Football style emo is one of very few remaining punk bastions yet to be packaged, lacquered and sold off to the highest bidder and they are all very handsome men with lovely tattoos - but artistically it just seems somewhat hollow. 


After that, Lemuria are a breath of fresh air. Infectiously feel-good and relentlessly friendly they are the sort of band that you want to watch all night and then go to the pub with afterwards. Their modest-to-a-fault on stage demeanour is typified by diminutive singer Sheena Ozzella whose softly spoken thank yous and butterfly-delicate singing voice make her a remarkably engrossing frontwoman. “It’s freezing in here, thanks for freezing with us!” she jokes as her band plough through a career-spanning setlist in a room which, now packed, is sweatier than a sauna in hell.

Tracks from 2008’s ‘Get Better’ sound particularly excellent tonight with both ‘Pants’ and ‘Lipstick’ inducing substantial sing a longs from a crowd who seem notably knowledgeable of all the band’s work. Elsewhere, more recent offerings like ‘Brilliant Dancer’ underline that they are stepping away from their punk background into lighter territory, though bassist Max Gregor’s bouncing, pirouetting performance is a perpetual reminder of Lemuria’s bloodline. Closing out with an utterly beautiful rendition of ‘Ozzy’, the trio have once again served us a reminder of what a brilliant live proposition they continue to be.