FESTIVAL REVIEW: Lume Fest 2023
Marking its inaugural year, Camden’s alternative music Lume Fest has done remarkably well; having sold out is VIP allotment that also gave entry to the after-party, and only a handful left of general admission. It’s perhaps less surprising, though, when you consider the organisers have successfully assembled a who’s who of the best and brightest bands in the UK’s scene – all the while ensuring gender parity and representation on the lineup across all three stages.
YOUR MISERY open the main stage at The Underworld with their brand of modern post-hardcore in the vein of bands like HOLDING ABSENCE or DAYSEEKER. The crowd might be small but the band sound much bigger, easily pushing into the corners with their emotive songs. Em Lodge of DELAIRE THE LIAR joins them onstage briefly for a feature that draws loud cheers and the band debut both unreleased old and new material that shows a clear progression in sound, one that people gladly latch onto. A promising start both for the festival and the young band.
Rating: 7/10
Following them are Brighton’s SNAKE EYES; the self-styled ‘grit-pop’ trio come on to Everybody Wants to Be a Cat and play an infectious blend of raucous guitar-driven pop and grunge that sits somewhere between TEENAGE WRIST and NIRVANA with added sugary hooks. The old saying about power trios always sounding bigger rings true here too, even their more minimalist parts sounding outsized through sheer effervescence. It’s not without technical hitches (“I’ve got new guitar strings, what a palaver”) but that doesn’t dampen their vibrant biting music with songs about sertraline (Happy Pills) and other ailments of modern life.
Rating: 8/10
Over in the confines of The Black Heart, LIZZY FARRALL delivers her modern pop rock with conviction. Fresh off a support slot to Australian pop-punks YOURS TRULY, FARRALL is clearly used to the stage, playing off technical issues with ease and has both the presence and songs to back her up. There’s more than a few barbs to her sugary hooks, lyrics dealing with mental health (“I don’t belong here”) and other poignant topics that have drawn her a devoted fanbase. There’s a raw intimacy to her songs and the pulsating guitars in songs like Yellow Paint or Gas Lighting belie how incisive the lyrics can be underneath the sugary coating.
Rating: 8/10
Today’s show at The Underworld marks DELAIRE THE LIAR‘s return to the live circuit after five months, but it’s like they were never away. From the outset, guitarist/vocalist Ffin Colley hurls himself and high kicks across the stage. Throwing a new song into the mix as their second song gives a hint at where they’re heading and its furious energy with screamed vocals from both Colley and bassist Em Lodge, and its hardcore beatdown ups the dynamism of their alt rock. Following it is a searing No Thanks that the smaller, but devoted, crowd goes nuts for. No Accident ups the emotional ante as it drops the pace for a tear-jerking first verse that becomes a towering emotional purging. It’s difficult to pigeonhole exactly where the band sit sonically and and it’s obvious we’re witnessing a band onto something truly special. Half an hour passes by in what feels like the blink of an eye with their cathartic songs in the most energetic performance of the day so far.
Rating: 9/10
Over on the Camden Eye’s Intimate Stage, early headliners TETHER are busy tearing the room apart with their furious metalcore. At barely 50 capacity with no stage, intimate is almost a misnomer; it feels smaller with the room rammed to the rafters and movement near impossible. A blistering assault of screams, churning riffs and battering ram drumming, they go down a storm to the gathering. It feels extremely DIY in the best way, harkening back to other floor shows the band have doubtless played, or pub gardens such as their slot at last year’s Castlefest in Luton. They’ve been working on new material that they’re extremely keen to share with the room; it sounds much as expected, slotting in with their existing songs with ease. Easy onstage charisma and turbulent breakdowns make the London group an easy sell and it’s no wonder the room is so packed.
Rating: 8/10
LAKE MALICE have just returned from a month long run with Indian metal sensations BLOODYWOOD and the experience it’s given them shows. Their hyperpop-infused metal concoction sounds even more vital, though they are delayed by some technical gremlins for a good ten minutes before they can start. Once the opening of Magic Square hits though, all is forgiven as the band sound as vital as ever. There’s no live bassist tonight but that’s only really noticeable during the opening as the mix is swiftly adjusted and the low end returns in force. They’ve a small core of devotees that turn up in meme “Yee” tees (don’t ask) to almost ever show and are always the first to open the pits and the energy is more than welcome, swiftly claiming the title of most raucous crowd of the day yet. Some of the intricacies of guitarist Blake Cornwall‘s riffs are lost but it’s no issue as likes of Black Turbine and latest single Stop The Party do the exact opposite. Alice Guala commands the throng with ease, a whirlwind of energy, visceral screams and soaring melodies. They litter their set with unreleased, often unnamed songs which doesn’t perturb the crowd at all; if anything, they go just as hard for those. LAKE MALICE continue to cement themselves as one of the leading lights in the UK’s incredibly diverse alternative scene.
Rating: 9/10
Barely five minutes later and GRAPHIC NATURE are busy demolishing The Black Heart for their headline set at Lume Fest. The outfit blend gnarly breakdowns, nu-metal infused metalcore and skittering electronics from trap to drum & bass to create a hybrid that brutalises all in its path. The pit doesn’t stop at any point; even between songs people pace in circles ready for the next battering ram riff. Vocalist Harvey Freeman is a giant of a man, an imposing presence that towers over not only the crowd but his band mates too. The intimidation factor can’t be ignored in how deliriously aggressive their music is as he headbangs and demands movement in the tone of voice that brooks no disagreement. “Let’s try some 2009 SLIPKNOT shit,” he grins before inciting a “jumpdafuckup” moment that, once people are jumping, quickly morphs into a pit that near swallows the room. It’s an hour long lesson in violence that certainly leaves more than a few bruises.
Rating: 8/10
Closing the evening (at least before the VIP after-parties) is DREAM STATE, who arguably had the world at their feet before 2020 hit. Since then, they’ve had to rebuild and reconfigure with a brand new lineup around original guitarist Aled Evans, and tonight is a headline set befitting of their status as a band who should be well on their way up. They’ve only released a three-track EP in their new configuration so naturally tonight leans more on debut Primrose Path and its preceding EPs, but all of their new songs are welcomed with open arms. Opening on Open Windows and new song Comfort In Chaos, new singer Jessie Powell not only introduces the lineup but states emphatically they’re here to stay; given the cheers they get and her own commanding performance, that’s not hard to believe. The gutturals Jessie brings to bear regularly alongside the vulnerable choruses stamps her identity firmly on the songs; she might follow in huge footsteps but she does so admirably and she’s embraced by those in the room.
New bassist Jake Bowen similarly steps up, taking on backing vocals with ease and sounding fantastic. They’re clearly humbled by the reaction, taking multiple opportunities to thank both the crowd and everyone involved in running the festival for having faith in them and putting the event on, a sentiment echoed by everyone in attendance. There’s moments it feels like a band still getting back into the swing of things like during In This Hell but given how fresh the lineup is, it’s easily excused, especially given the strength of their set the rest of the time, and Jessie‘s easy connection to the crowd as she often reaches out to hold hands, create heart gestures or for mic grabs. It feels like a basement hardcore show in the best way with the camaraderie between band and crowd; DREAM STATE most certainly are back and we couldn’t be happier.
Rating: 9/10
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