Words originally for Outline Magazine
Newcastle newcomers Lisbon have found themselves on
the fringes of mainstream success with a string of fruity singles boosting the
hype around their impressive touring schedule. But after a string of dates in January,
the four piece hit up Norwich on their latest leg of touring for a notably less
exciting evening.
VYNCE (that’s with a ‘y’, as we’re reminded to an
almost patronising degree) are our main support. The Merseyside quartet
describe themselves on Facebook as “poppy indie”, a vague and cringe-worthy phrase
which more than summarises their performance tonight. Their watered down sugar
pop is catchy and performed tightly, but originality is clearly a concept lost
to them. And where other acts from the northeast – see Clean Cut Kid for
example – get by on charisma, VYNCE also lose marks. Frontman Peter Pegasiou just
about looks the part with his hair in a bun and a leopard print shirt hanging
from his shoulders, but his lifeless stage presence adds to the long list of
things that bore me about this act.
A gig is not good when the music is the least
enjoyable aspect. Indiscernible pop nonsense is what Lisbon deliver tonight by
the bucket load, the singles Shark and
Vice barely standing out against the
Bastille meets Coasts meets X Factor brand of lowest common denominator noise
that these guys produce. There’s a song called Banana for crying out loud. It’s introduced by the question, “Are
you ready for Banana?” How can I take this seriously? Bless Matthew Varty for
giving showmanship a go, though. Leading the four piece, he nails the ad-libs,
getting a clap along going here, an arm wave there, dishing out his best thanks
between tracks. But too much of the performance is offered by lights and effects,
which compensate for the bland music we’re subjected to.
It’s worth pointing out that the majority of
Lisbon’s fan base are young teenagers who, on a school night in mid May, will
be stuck at home stressing about GCSEs and other such trivial pursuits. So congratulations
Lisbon, you’ve also failed on the scheduling part of the job, but I’ll let you
off because you yourselves look like you should still be sat in a musty gym
somewhere trying to recall whether mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
Sorry kids, but a flashy stage introduction and coloured lights that sync to
the beat of your kick drum isn’t enough to save your painfully empty show
tonight. Come back during the summer holidays and maybe give it another shot.
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