Live Review: The Lounge Society - Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh 27/09/2022
Barely a week into their UK and European tour, The Lounge Society are sending crowds into a frenzy. Squeezing into their sold-out Edinburgh show, I had the joy of watching this up and coming band hit all the right notes and show that they plan on sticking around.
The four boys gave no time for introductions as they started playing the moment they leapt on stage-tonight would be all about the music and a celebration of their newest release, ‘Tired of Liberty’. They kickstarted the gig with Cain’s Heresy, a track from their 2021 EP ‘Silk for the Starving’, a blistering track which melts together industrial post-punk sound with more current indie instrumentation. The track is unapologetic, political and punchy and vocalist Cameron delivers it with a ferocity that sets venue alight. His tone is FULL of emotion, going from the extremes of angst to the pits of devastation between songs, he’s in his own world and we have the joy of witnessing it.
While they started with something the fans would already know, the boys quickly moved onto their new material. ‘People are Scary’ subverts expectations and nods to the likes of ‘Talking Heads’ rather than ‘The Doors’. There is a real maturity to these guys and there is a lot of reference to their countless inspirations. Though they started this journey as young school kids, they demonstrate a musical and existential awareness far beyond their years which is refreshing for such an up-and-coming band. The gig is a whirlwind tour of different genres and has everything from David Bowie to the Arctic Monkeys.
Remains, another track from their new album, brings the energy to a new high and is a real showcase of drummer Archie. He is unrelenting and powers through complex and elaborate sequences like they’re nothing. The permission for the audience to mosh is entirely in his hands and he knows it. Never once faltering nor missing a beat, he is able to lose himself in the music and atmosphere and being able to witness that is very special.
Lighting is worth a nod in this set as the boys make use of colour and strobes to bring the energy up. The venue is small and there is little stage-space but it is clear they have put a great deal of thought into the way they illuminate themselves. There is a brilliant moment where the band are lit up in the purple and green hues of Heath Ledger’s Joker and others where you feel like you are on the inside of a police siren as the room flashes from red to blue. The audience particularly appreciate the moments of jittering black and white strobes, emulating the feelings of confusion and angst the band seek out to explore.
Beneath the Screen descends everyone into madness. There is a brilliant instrumental section where Cameron passionately knocks over his keyboard and decides that the only way he can express what he is feeling is through dance. His movements match the disjointed nature of the music; he is an embodiment of the song and the melody breathes through him. The crowd are enamoured by it all and the woman behind me exclaims that she wishes she could dislocate and move her body with such inhibition and confidence. By the end you would assume that he would be exhausted but after switching instruments around the guys jump right back into things with No Driver, which has a synth beat reminiscent of 8 bit gaming and a cracker of a melody. In no time all the boys are dancing along with guitarist Herbie leading the audience in headbanging.
The musical talent of the band is undeniable. While Archie remains a constant, the three boys in the front effortlessly pass around their instruments. Herbie and Hani who swap regularly between rhythm and lead guitar both get the spotlight of riffing and carrying the melody and watching the banter of the switcheroos and the exchanged looks between the boys is really special. Their bond is laid bare onstage and you really get to see just how much fun they are having. Whilst Cameron is very much the lead vocalist, moments where everyone yells out the lyrics demonstrate that in this band, everyone is equal. All four members are front-men in their own right and each bring a different flavour to their sound.
They throw it back to ‘Burning the Heather’, the first track from their first EP. The bass solo here deserves a mention, setting the tone and leading the audience into a funky mood before doing a 180 and spinning the song on its head. Several shifts in time signature and rhythm show the musical ability of these guys; they aren’t here to create manufactured pop-records but are intent on forging their own sound. When talking about ‘Burning the Heather’ you must take a moment to acknowledge and commend how unapologetically political it is. The boys are very frank in their music about their Northern upbringing in Yorkshire and have explained that they want their music to be a vehicle to influence others and bring about change. Scathing and pervasive, the lyrics interrogate social behaviour and invite listeners to really look at themselves and assess their actions. The roots of this track are based in the historical act of burning crop fields to smoke out game wildlife for hunting but the message they’re putting across here is something more universal. It is amazing to see them use their platform as a tool for education and inciting change and demonstrates how they understand the potential music has to make a real difference.
The hour set closes with Generation Game. The track itself is not new, but has been reworked and recorded to finish their LP. The beginning of the track is designed to build up the crowd; Herbie circles round a hooky riff and each of the guys join with layers of sound which build up to Cameron’s vocals coming in. By this point, the boisterous front row has lost the plot and a mosh pit is in full swing. Out of nowhere, everyone is forced to pay attention in a slower sequence where crunchy chords and a new blue lighting give everyone a chance to breathe and focus on the lyrics. In this moment, we are shown the vulnerability at the core of this song as Cameron talks about families, life, growing up and that ‘death is a blessing’. This moment of existential introspection is brought to an abrupt stop when the speed picks back up and the guys have a final frenzy before the stage turns to black and the house lights come on.
In the post-gig giddiness, the guys join the fans at the front of the venue who wait eagerly to get signed copies of their record. Watching them interact with the fans was incredibly special before I got my own slice of their attention; there was a real sense that they truly cared about what their fans had to say and took time to engage with everyone, embracing and checking in with those who they recognised from previous gigs. While their music is punchy and fiery, there is also a very genuine and warm energy which radiates off these guys and seeing them both on and off-stage it is clear how much this all means.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
