Live Review: Lucius @ The Academy

Robed in galactic green capes with matching fiery buzzcuts, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig descended on The Academy with their Brooklyn brand of noise pop like two regal extra terrestrials come to conquer the human population.

Two ethereal voices rang through the crowd as the ‘80s beats of ‘Madness’ snaked into our minds. Howling harmonies, screeching synths and grating guitars were the formidable weapons Lucius employed to wage war on our ears and the crowd was reeling with the onslaught.

“This is the first night of our tour. We’re so thrilled to be back in Europe and the UK,” Jess announces in a little Brooklyn accent—Cue grumbles of discord from the previously entranced crowd.

Luckily the drummer speaks up after a palpable pause: “But we’re in Ireland! This happened to me the last time and I got so much shit for it,” Andrew advises the co-frontwomen.

“We’re wearing green for fuck’s sake,” Holly laughs, and so do we. Crisis averted.

Back to more mind-bending, hair-raising music: the crowd swayed in frantic disharmony as the dreamy skittish loops of ‘Truce’ gave way to upbeat swinging vocals. The siren calls of ‘Something About You’ led the crowd with twitching fervour to Lucius’ noise pop anthem ‘Born Again Teen’. Crackling with energy and experimental racket this was the incendiary highlight of an avant-garde musical tempest.

But now our assailants are missing and the stage is dark. A long atmospheric instrumentalist intro pummels the crowd as we wonder what can be next. And then we hear them—their twin-vocals swelling around the swoonsome notes of ‘Almighty Gosh’—and we realise that the red-haired duo, unrecognisable in a brand new gold ensemble, our in our very midst. The crowd gives way to their lithe forms as they flit through the beautifully abrasive notes of a song that laments how we “forget the Almighty”.

But the surprises weren’t over there. Lucius proceeded to call to the stage an “old friend” who they had met at their Whelan’s gig in 2014- none other than national treasure Bronagh Gallgher, best known for her role in the iconic film The Commitments. Together the trio crooned along to a stripped down version of Elvis Presley’s love ballad ‘I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’.

Talk about firing on all four cylinders: Lucius gave a performance last night that was at once magnetic, haunting, beautiful and monstrous. This Brooklyn quintet are a maverick talent and if last night is anything to go by, their galactic quest will surely end in world domination.

Check out our photographer's snaps of Lucius' dazzling performance here.