By Henry Groves
It isn’t very often that I get instantly excited by a new band, but when I saw Lambrini Girls back at Great Escape 2023, I was immediately hooked. For those who know me, since that day, I’m not sure I have stopped talking about Lambrini Girls. Since then, I have seen them support Pigs x7 and, more recently, I have seen them play 3 London shows in 2024. Downstairs at the Dome in January, Moth Club in February and now Scala, their biggest headline show to date. I also don’t think I have seen a band as deserving of such an epic growth as the Brighton/London duo in a very long time. This was a show that I had been looking forward to ever since I booked the ticket, and I knew that it was always going to be incredible.
Lambrini Girls are known for their lively and dynamic live shows, but even by their standards, they started off even more energetic than ever. Walking onto the stage, vocalist Phoebe Lunny and guitarist Lily Macieira grabbed beers and Lambrini and sprayed it into the crowd. They also grabbed handfuls of cake, which ended up in the audience. This really set the tone for the rest of the night, starting the show off in such a Lambrini Girls way. Typical Lambrini Girls’ shows usually end up with both members in the crowd, and it wasn’t long before lead singer Phoebe ended up standing on people’s hands over the Scala crowd. They don’t keep their energy trapped on stage; they play a large part of their set from the audience. The venue size doesn’t matter; they are guaranteed to end up somewhere in the crowd.
Lambrini Girls produce an intense sound, filling the room and at no point in the set do they let up. They haven’t just gained attention for their punk bangers but also the meanings behind each song. Tackling topics including toxic masculinity (Lads, Lads, Lads), sexual assault (Boys in the Band) and support for the LGBTQ+ community (‘Terf Wars’ and ‘Help Me I’m Gay’, each song has an important message. This is true punk music, and the band aren’t afraid to stand up for their beliefs. They recently turned down shows at SXSW festival in Texas due to the festival’s biggest sponsors having links with the Israeli army. It is one thing voicing support for these communities, but seeing a band turn down massive career-changing opportunities is truly inspiring. It just shows that everyone can do better and not just stand up but also do something.
Throughout their set, they are frantically moving around the stage. As soon as you take your eye off either one, it is fully possible that they will somehow appear in the crowd next to you seconds later. At one point, Lunny even climbed up the side of the venue to the balcony. Her aim was to jump off into the crowd, but she quickly got stopped by security who were looking incredibly worried. I normally try and pinpoint my highlights of the set, but the whole show, from start to finish, was flawless.
In the space of a few months, Lambrini Girls have gone from 300-capacity venues to playing Scala, with more than 1,000 people coming through the doors, and I am certain they are not finished yet. I genuinely don’t think there is a more exciting band out there right now (or that has emerged in the last few years). They released meaningful punk bangers and played extraordinary live shows. They are the wrecking ball the music industry desperately needed, and I am not sure anything is going to stop them.
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