The Lemon Twigs live review: Everything in perfect harmony
“Come on!” A guy melodically wails in praise midway through The Lemon Twigs‘ show. They take note of this odd celebratory call-out and within moments they have whisked it into an improvised track. This snapshot serves as a paradigm for their show; they’re skilled enough to make anything seamless and alive with the buzz of simply doing what they love enough to tap into rarified rock ‘n’ roll rapture.
Evidence for this comes from their endlessly excitable stage manner. They are a force to behold in the flesh. Michael’s high-kicks could snap the top off of The Shard, and Brian so perfectly captures the 1970s with his aesthetic that all other hipsters look a bit too HD and post-roll-on deodorant compared to his air of retro authenticity.
However, the real feast is their awe-inspiring talent. The whole four-piece band are multi-instrumentalists and this gives them a tightness that is only matched by their trousers. With a cohesive sound assured, they are given the room to play around with the music. This sense of liberated fun is infectious. You leave a Lemon Twigs show inspired and humbled.
In the modern age, it is a rarity to witness a vocalist have the bravery to belt out notes like Tony Yeboha’s volleys. However, the whole band are brimming with enough confidence and talent to simply give everything their all. This gives everything consummate polish. When Brian emerged to sing ‘Corner of My Eye’ in a solo capacity in the hushed intimate New Century Hall, he could’ve been forgiven for taking a more cautious approach to the tricky falsetto notes, but that just wouldn’t be The Lemon Twigs, and as a result of his brilliant bravura, he rattled the rafters with a stunning vocal performance that left several viewers in the vicinity a little weepy.
Then – as another emblem of their live experience – this weepy atmosphere was back to rocking with the aptly named ‘Rock On’ as the mercurial band mix up emotions and music like performative alchemists. Over the course of their 21-song set, this sense of weaving through the potentials of indie was palpable and effortless, like a live incarnation of Love’s life-encapsulating Forever Changes.
It was their new record Everything Harmony that took centre stage. It’s an album that projects sorrow through comedy with such a light touch that it’s like stepping on a loose paving slab on a rainy day and having pocket change and confetti slosh up onto your sock. The live experience is much the same, a joyous ride through the strange ways of life presented with plenty of quirkiness and driven home by stunning musicianship from all involved, including the opening act Tchotchke. It’s simply great to be part of a world where The Lemon Twigs exist.
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