Lush at the Roundhouse

Lush

Pixx

Roundhouse, 6 May 2016

For some reason I never listened to Lush back in the good old 90s and only really discovered their music about ten years ago. But even though I stupidly ignored their music, just the image of Lush, especially that of Miki Berenyi's postbox red hair and Emma Anderson's cute black bob (it's all about the hair for me obviously), brings back waves of nostalgia, probably because they were ever-present in the pages of my favourite music paper back then, Melody Maker.

Tonight's gig made me feel like it could have been the 90s again, only this time I had the sense to appreciate Lush's beautifully swirling melodic noise. Long gone is Miki's trademark red 'do (she still looks great though) and obviously the late Chris Acland isn't here (his suicide in 1996 led to the break-up of the band), replaced by Elastica's Justin Welch, but here they are playing in Camden again as if 20 years hadn't passed and they sound (and look) as good as ever.

With a big banner declaring "Lush" at the top of the stage and lights surrounding the instruments looking like gleaming jewels, the band take to the stage like returning heroes and it's hard to believe they haven't actually played together for so long. Beginning with early track De-Luxe from their second EP Mad Love, it sets the tone for the night: that this is going to be all about Lush at their shoe-gazing best, all noisy distorted guitars and dreamy harmonies (although Miki really does take centre stage, both figuratively and literally, she's the only member who says a word to the crowd). 

It's surprising how good and relevant it all sounds and it's evident by the mix of ages in the audience that Lush isn't merely a nostalgia act. They've even got a new EP out called Blind Spot and although they only play one song from it, Out Of Control (dedicated to parents with teenage kids and teens with parents!), it fits seamlessly in with the older material.

Tellingly they only play one track from their final and most poppy album Lovelife. Although it was most certainly their most successful spawning three hit singles obviously it doesn't hold too many happy memories and Berenyi even reluctantly introduces the one song they do play from it, Ladykillers, by sighing, "Right is it Britpop anthem time?" Still it sounds great and actually fits in with their more punky older songs such as Hypocrite and Lovelife.

I can't deny it's kind of more exciting though when I see Berenyi's 12-string electric guitar come out and you know it's all going to be jangly indie sounds as heard on tracks like Sweetness And Light  and For Love or a spooky intensity on songs like Light From A Dead Star. It's also clear that Emma Anderson is underrated as a guitarist and what she does is such a huge part of the band's distinctive sound. The reason why Melody Maker and the other music mags of the time were so interested in both Berenyi and Anderson wasn't just because they were girls in a band or looked good, it's because together they were an indie powerhouse. 

It wasn't just a mist of gorgeously distorted guitars though, there were also plenty of lighter moments such as when the band collapsed into giggles became one of them (bassist Phil King I think!) started playing the wrong song. Berenyi also amusingly asked us to cheer her child's school teacher who was there tonight, told us how once at the Roundhouse she got so annoyed with someone filming the gig on their phone and blocking her view she spent the whole show wiping snot on the back of his coat and warned us not to take too many pictures! 

The encore proved to be the most powerful part of the show with Miki dedicating Stray to "the person who is not with us tonight" Chris Acland and encouraging us to remember him in happier times. It's followed by a beautifully building and melancholic Desire Lines and an intense Leave Me Cold. The final encore, Monochrome, sends us nicely on our way in a wave of ethereal loveliness that leaves no doubt that it's a very good thing indeed that Lush is back.

Supporting Lush tonight is the latest 4AD hopeful, Pixx, a 19-year-old songwriter Hannah Rogers from the BRIT school and seeming every bit like it. Apparently there's been talk of her being the next big thing but to me it sounded like St.Vincent and Kate Bush sung by an annoyingly quirky posh girl. She was wearing an intriguing arty triangular headpiece (or "crown" as she called it), I will give her that at least.