The Lounge Society deliver a frenetic display of post-punk at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club
In 2020, teenage post-punkers The Lounge Society released their first single, ‘Generation Game’, on the legendary record label Speedy Wunderground. Having also released tracks by the likes of Black Midi, Black Country, New Road and Squid, the band were in good hands.
Two years on and the band have released their debut album, Tired of Liberty, also produced under the supervision of Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey.
Blending the sounds of post-punk bands such as Gang of Four, Television, and synth-inspired new wave acts like DEVO and Talking Heads, The Lounge Society encompass decades of alternative music within their sound – reminiscent of the early days of post-punk whilst also sounding fresh and burgeoning with possibility.
The four-piece, hailing from West Yorkshire town Hebden Bridge, embarked on their UK tour in support of their debut album in mid-September, which will continue into mid-October. On Thursday (September 29), they stopped by Leeds’ most iconic venue, Brudenell Social Club, joined by local energetic post-punkers Pop Vulture and fellow Speedy-produced musician Joyeria.
The crowd was an equal mix of middle-aged men and teenagers, with the latter group populating the front half of the crowd, throwing shapes and singing along in unison with lead singer Cameron Davey. The band launched into their popular single ‘Cain’s Heresy’ from their debut EP Silk for the Starving, a multi-faceted post-punk anthem that made for the perfect high-octane opener.
The band members rattled through tracks with rather seamless performances – most notably drummer Archie Dewis, who seemed to draw the whole unit together with unrelenting power, completely immersing himself in the music. Similarly, Davey was unstoppable, proving himself to be a very capable frontman, switching between bass, guitar, vocals, and keys. The track ‘Beneath the Screen’ saw him utterly lose himself in the peppy guitars and pounding drum rhythms as he ferociously shook his head and channelled the likes of both Ian Curtis and David Byrne before smashing his head on the keys as the song came to an intense end.
Furthermore, the band displayed incredible vigour as they performed the cacophonic ‘Valley Bottom Fever’, sing-along ‘Last Breath’, and groove-inducing ‘Burn the Heather’. The Lounge Society are very good at what they do, and each song was played flawlessly, with Davey’s frenetic movements clearly hypnotising the crowd.
Yet, I couldn’t help but wish that the band would push themselves one step further. The foursome definitely have it in them to play around with more unusual and bold sounds, as demonstrated by Davey’s retreats to the keyboard, which delivered some of the most compelling moments of the night.
However, the band are still very young – all around 19, so there is plenty of time for them to expand their sound. For now, they are proving to be one of the country’s most impressive up-and-coming post-punk acts who definitely know how to put on an impressive show.
