Four years since their debut, Lambrini Girls are quickly rising through the ranks of punk-rock stardom and from their live shows, it’s not hard to see why. Watching the pair, comprising of singer/guitarist Phoebe Lunny and bassist Lilly Macieria, as they go about controlling the eager crowd with ease – it is resoundingly clear to all in attendance that they are in the presence of two musicians who, while admittedly quite drunk, are at the top of their game.
Launching into their first song ‘Big Dick Energy’, a humorous critique of bland heterosexual flirting and faux-woke personas, Lundy asserts the band’s raw, aggressive and deliberate sound – one escalated by Macieria’s jaunty basslines. The crowd is thrown into a frenzy before Lundy miraculously regains control, ordering them to the floor. All oblige – looking over the diverse crowd it is clear that the only thing every attendee truly has in common is a full-bodied enthusiasm for whatever the band have to offer. On command, the crowd leaps to its feet and chaos ensues as throbbing basslines rip through the venue.
Lundy calls out to the crowd, asking if anyone is queer, gay or bisexual, to which a large proportion of the crowd responded by throwing up their hands. The band are quick to praise their LGBTQ+ audience members and introduce the song ‘Help Me, I’m Gay’ – a particular stand out of the set. The song feels like it was written for that exact moment – a freeing anthem that seemed to resonate deeply with the crowd. The mosh pit once again is torn open, and despite it being loud, sweaty and violent, it was also inclusive, safe and seemingly filled with genuine connection in the crowd – Gorilla was no longer a gig venue, taking on instead the role of a sanctuary.
More of the same followed as Lambrini Girls presented a barrage of songs, including ‘God’s Country’, which sees the band take less of a humorous tone. Their anger was palpable as Lundy highlighted the deep corruption in the UK which punches down on the working class while protecting the rich, and outdated ideas and traditions such as the worship of “king and country”. Following this was ‘Lads Lads Lads’, a tongue-in-cheek takedown of toxic masculinity, which kept up the breakneck pace of the show and prevented the crowd from even thinking about stopping.
Between the blitz of songs and mosh pits, Lunny took several moments throughout the night to remind the crowd that Lambrini Girls really do have something important to say. Touching on issues from the genocide in Gaza to damaging government policies, it is refreshing to see a band not shy away from being confident and principled in their opinions.
As the night descends further into disarray, the two fill the main portion of the show with songs from their critically acclaimed new album Who Let The Dogs Out. It is at this point that the pair really start to build momentum. As Lunny descends in and out of the crowd and Macieria starts to dance around the stage, bass in hand – they seem to be having as much fun as the crowd. At the conclusion of ‘Boys in the Band’, a song which conveys the issue of misogyny the music industry, Lunny drew attention to her hand which had been slashed open in the mayhem of the night. This did nothing, however, to hamper the propulsion of the show, as the members of the supporting band Loose Articles emerged from the wings bearing remedial shots of vodka. Lunny once again donned her blood-splattered guitar as the pair mobilised into the most exciting song of the set, ‘Craig David’.
Before the song began, Lunny gave the crowd three options: cartwheel competition, human pyramid, and “the biggest mosh pit Manchester has ever seen” – the crowd erupts at the mention of the latter two, and Lunny proved on form as she responded “How about we do both?”. As Macieria maintained a steady attack of noise, Lunny clambered to the top of the newly formed human pyramid, before toppling back down to earth in the song’s chorus in a punk-rock spectacle.
Lambrini Girls closed out their set with ‘C*ntology 101’, a catchy, repetitive song that draws comparisons to Warmduscher and Soft Play‘s earlier work, while displaying the pair’s unique sound. The audience are invited to enter call and response, shouting “c*nty” in response to the song’s humorous verses, all while seemingly every member of the crowd and band crowd-surfed around the venue as the show reached its chaotic conclusion.
Lambrini Girls are a band that feel very personal, a cathartic scream in the face of modern-day nonsense and injustice. They blur the line between crowd and band and, leaving the gig, you are left with conflicting thoughts. You want the band to reach mega-stardom, you want all your friends and family to know about them – but you wonder if this would prevent you from able to attend the most involved gig you’ve ever been to. One thing is for sure, however: this Brighton duo are not to be ignored.
