Last Friday Lunar Sounds released their debut single ‘Reputation’, a release that perfectly captures the band’s fierce energy and give-no-fucks attitude that permeates their music. To celebrate, the Leeds based DIY group took over Wharf Chambers for the night, inviting local bands Bad Idea and Duck to support.
Entering the venue, the audience was greeted with the opportunity to eat Lunar Sounds’ delicious spread of homemade coconut curry, biscuits, ginger and carrot cake and banana cake – all of which were VEGAN. Instantly a friendly and welcoming atmosphere as we waited for the gig to kick off, mingling with friends, old faces and meeting new ones. Of course, I must also mention the incredibly large pink knickers that were hanging as a backdrop to the stage being an entertaining start.
First to the stage were Leeds based four-piece, Bad Idea, fronted by a female lead whose vocals were brilliant. Bad Idea warmed up the crowd instantly with their fuzzy guitars and catchy hooks that had strong vibes of 90’s teen movie soundtracks that make you reminisce. Next up were Duck, another Yorkshire band who switched up the vibe with their noisier, more synth-driven sound. Their heavy synthetic drum beats and electric guitars flooded the room with an enjoyably overwhelming volume.
Last but not least, Lunar Sounds came on, sporting styles that reminded me of the fearless Corinne Burns with her lightning eyeshadow in The Fabulous Stains. They opened with ‘The Getaway’, a song that’s got a deep blue mood, accompanied by lyrics such as “I wanna to run away, I wanna get away, I’ve gotta find a way” whilst at the same time being incredibly upbeat, urging you to dance along wildly. Chesca and Anna, both on guitar, were mirroring each other play as they rocked the stage. You can tell the band have great cohesion and are clearly very close outside of their work, which is always a lovely thing to know as that positivity and closeness is disseminated through their songs.
‘Reputation’ came second to last in Lunar Sounds’ set after being so keenly awaited. All of the band’s releases have been considerably up-tempo and upbeat, but this one sure does take the banana cake. A powerful and infectious track built around a solid riff; you can’t help but channel your inner badass as it plays.
The night was the perfect balance of gritty and refined and the whole crowd felt united, as usual in Wharf Chambers which is such a lovely space in itself. All three bands were nothing short of impressive in their own individual ways and Lunar Sounds did an incredible job of executing the set-up of the night so brilliantly.
Make sure to listen to ‘Reputation’ so as to not miss out on all the fun
Zoë Hapeshi