Music / Colour Me Wednesday
Review: Lemuria, Exchange
A visit to the recently revamped Exchange is a joy. The bar has been revitalised and now you can see right outside the window into the street which is buzzing in anticipation for Bristol Pride. That’s not the only reason this venue is excited – New York pop-punk outfit Lemuria are in the house to play out their debut album Get Better in celebration of its tenth birthday.
We walk into an enthused crowd as support act Colour Me Wednesday snap off pithy, relatable guitar pop tunes one after the other. Songs about how you should purge the Tory from your body sit next to songs about how the band feel as if they’re failing their twenties, but it’s anything but miserable. The energy is ever so slightly enraged, but everyone is having loads of fun – at one point the two guitarists lock into a faux-guitar battle that leaves them sprawled on the floor. The band’s cover of Demi Lovato’s Cool for the Summer (spun into Queer for the Summer) is another triumph that leaves us buzzing for the main act.
is needed now More than ever
Lemuria take to the stage with an extra member: Tim of indie-punk band Woahnows. They play their now ten-year-old album right through, only pausing for a quick break to tell everyone their nicknames which all relate to meat – singer and guitarist Sheena is Lil’ Salami, while new addition Tim is Roast. The audience giggle appreciatively, and you get the feeling everyone here has seen Lemuria a fair few times before.
The songs are just as heart-melting as they always have been. It’s a testament to the lyrics that they can still burrow down deep and get you reciting every word. When the music dips low, you can hear the words leaving everyone’s lips. “Here you go, giving me pieces and parts, the cheapest parts, from the shittiest places,” sings Sheena, and we sing along, relating parts of our lives to hers. It’s an exercise in vulnerability that’s completely cathartic and incredibly enjoyable. This is how Lemuria keep people coming back for more.
All photos by Jon Aitken
Read more: Review: Steve Winwood, Colston Hall
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