Expecting the unexpected with Lushes
When Waxahatchee pulled out of supporting Kurt Vile and The Violator’s European tour due to health problems, the replacement announced was Brooklyn-based duo, Lushes. Consisting of James Ardery and Joel Myers, the pair were given some pretty big boots to fill, and a very short window of 48 hours before heading off. Playing at University of Leeds’s Stylus venue on 17th November, Lushes may be over half way through their stint with Kurt Vile but, having been on tour in the US at the time of the aforementioned announcement and joining Raketkanon soon afterwards for a list of dates, this autumn has proved pretty busy for the band. Playing at Leeds’ sold out show however, any signs of fatigue are far from apparent.
The venue is bustling before Lushes take the stage, yet few people have reached the large pit in front of the stage at this point. This quickly changes when the band takes the stage, with Ardery announcing that we’re all here to drink beer and hang out. Despite their warm introduction, there is noticeable ambivalence amongst the crowd - yet Lushes only have to open with ‘Dead Girls’ for the wariness to be outshone by a stellar performance. Notably too, for the majority of the set the on stage lighting mimic the French flag, in a touching gesture of solidarity in light of recent events.
In ‘Dead Girls’, Myers and Ardery grapple with a disjointed grittiness that is entwined with a spaced out hollowness. By opening with this song, from their 2014 debut “What am I doing”, Lushes invite the crowd to participate in the suspension of time that their enthralling performance demands. By ‘Auction’, the space in front of the stage has begun to fill up - and continues to do so until, towards the end of the song, the venue is noticeably packed. ‘Auction’ delves deeper into the unfamiliar and unexpected, with an eery chill to it. It’s a track off their latest record, “Service Industry”, released back in October. It’s an album that feels more restrained and refined that than their previous record, but keeps in tact the disjointed razor sharp edge that ‘Dead Girls’ introduced. ‘Auction’ has a coolness to it, with intervals of aggressive noise throughout - with most impact being had towards the end of the song.
As Lushes start and stop with careful precision in the outset of ‘Traffic’, the moments in between are filled by the murmurs of chat from the crowd. It feels reminiscent of the atmosphere experienced during an interval of a play; the anticipation of what is to come. Following a burst of chaotic noise, ‘Traffic’ is levelled at a pace that has echoes of a riff that sounds reminiscent of something by The Doors, before descending into an enchanting display of sustained sound. This is an example of Lushes’ integration of such a variety of styles and sounds, which has a pretty extraordinary outcome. This can perhaps be attributed to Myers and Ardery’s notably very different musical upbringing - Myers has a classical background, whilst Ardery’s comes very much in opposition to this.
Their set demonstrates that there is less a process of playing a series of songs at work here, than a performance form start to finish. This is perhaps most apparent when ‘Traffic’ flows pretty seamlessly into ‘Feastin’, making for one of the most exciting moments of the evening. As ‘Feastin’ warms up, Ardery is all of a sudden mingling amongst the crowd. At intervals, he pauses to make drawn out eye contact with members of the crowd. The crowd, surrounding Ardery from all directions, is swept into a state of awe, but there is a mood of uncertainty too. Where from here can Lushes go? The song itself is an extended feast of heavier hitting moments with something more ethereal. Afterwards, Ardery - by now back on stage - asks a mesmerised crowd if we’re all still here.
For the rest of the set, Lushes play from their latest album. ‘Bleach’ sees Ardery take his almost-spoken word to another level, set against the Myer’s compelling drumming and their ever-spasmodic effects. Coming to an abrupt end, ‘Circus’ screeches into earshot - a sluggish feeling song with cut throat elements. Lushes’ time on stage draws to a close with ‘Check’, which sees a final display of the duo’s punk aesthetic that comes very much to play in all of their ouvre. The pair prove their worth in Leeds and, as they embark on the next leg of their tour with Raketkanon, are a band worth taking the time to see.
