Lusts formed whilst searching for the ghosts of Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemmingway. This kind of purity comes across in abundance during their headline set at John Kennedy’s Xposure night.
Brothers James and Andy Stone played tracks from ‘Illuminations’, a decent but not great album. Tonight though, their performance takes these songs to another level. They inject a style and a sense of marvel into everything they do on stage and its infectious throughout the intimate crowd.
Their debut album showcases classic pop sensibilities in the style of New Order and Echo & The Bunnymen. Live though, Lusts get across their distinctiveness a lot more. There is just enough punk aggression to suggest these brothers are set to travel a very interesting path.
Perhaps the biggest signifier that Lusts will go on to become a great live band is the difficulty in selecting a highlight. Support bands Whistle Jacket and especially FEWS, both built towards their big hitters whereas, Lusts hit the ground running and didn’t deviate.
They have dates coming up at the legendary Night & Day venue in Manchester and festival appearances at SXSW and The Great Escape. Expect them to make a big impact.