Live
UPSTAIRS AT THE GARAGE
The band are dynamic, well-rehearsed and on top of their game. The
set is basically the songs from the album and when the band play this
well, they’re a force of nature. The line-up is a bit of a surprise
tonight (if any Lilygun line-up is ever a surprise) because Aaron
John has taken over lead guitar duties while David Ryder Prangley
plays bass and Belle Star (of course) is drumming. The personnel change
certainly doesn’t have any negative effect on the band; if anything,
they’re a tighter more focussed unit because all of them have
already been involved at some stage in the band’s history. It’s
difficult to pick out any highlights because the band was on fire
but my personal favourite was “Scum”, the song which disses
all the haters, with an even more personal edge tonight (especially
when Anna-Christina made a point of asking Aaron to introduce it).
They have a great set of songs with a wonderful sense of dynamics,
they’re playing really well as a unit and Anna-Christina is
an incredibly charismatic leader. They’ve done the album now
and they’re ready to take on the world. All it needs is one
little spark and the whole thing will lift off. One synch opportunity,
one radio play in the right place or one well-placed support slot
is all they need to launch them; they’re ready. [Author:
Allan McKay, Music Riot - 5/10/12]
Read
the full review here
RENAISSANCE ALTERNATIVE FESTIVAL
This lot seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment, but they
do have a forthcoming album to promote so it's good that they are
out there. I only saw this band in Kingston last night, but I'm not
getting tired of seeing them as they are doing something different
and their songs are interesting and dynamic. Tonight's performance
by Lilygun is at least as good as last night's, but I find it noticably
more enjoyable because there is a more suitable atmosphere here. Lilygun
never fail to impress with their dramatic and moody songs - always
well performed by musicians who have a real feel for this sort of
dark and stirring material. Led by the mysterious and enigmatic Anna-Christina
the band cast a spell over the audience as the intricate songs weave
their way into their souls. Once again Lilygun's set seems over all
too soon, but I think they made more of an impression than most the
other bands on the bill - it will be interesting to watch their progress
after their debut album comes out next month... [Author:
Dom Hemming - 19/8/12]
Read the full review here
THE PEEL - SURREY
Lilygun turned in an excellent set of alt/Goth/Glam tunes and their
music came across very well over a decent sound system. The intriguing
Anna-Christina has assembled a band of good players around her to
put her music across - with powerful and dynamic drumming from Belle
and some very fluid bass playing from Rachel Stamp's D.R.P. (helping
the band out on their current run of gigs and contributing some bass
to the forthcoming album) Lilygun's music draws you in. Anna-Christina
performs with heartfelt passion and appears totally lost in the music
- one of those musicians who gives the impression she totally lives
for that all too brief time on stage. Sometimes you see a band who
play their music with total conviction and belief in what they are
doing - Lilygun is one of those bands, and it's good to see things
are finally starting to happen for them with some good press and a
bit of airplay. All too soon Lilygun's set is over - always leave
'em wanting more they say. The probem is that many of the band's songs
are quite long, and consequently one or two of their best songs have
to be left out of half hour support slots. [Author:
Dom Hemming - 18/8/12]
Read the full review here
THE BARFLY - JUBILEE LATE NIGHT SHOW
Lilygun's mixture of Goth, Glam, and Grunge (with some added metal)
seems to go down well with Camden's clubbing hipsters - I think a
buzz is starting to build around this band. [Author:
Dark Lord of Barnet - 3/8/12]
Read the full review here
THE HORN - ST ALBANS
I'm at The Horn to see Lilygun. The bass player may look familiar
to some of you - especially if you are fans of Rachel Stamp. Yes,
it's David Ryder-Prangley - a friend of Lilygun who sometimes stands
in on bass at shows. It's been a bit of a revolving door as far as
bassists go with this band, but the rest of the lineup now seems much
more settled and all the better for it. Although this band have some
Goth influences and tend to often play on Goth bills you can't pigeonhole
them with anything as narrow as that - either in image or sound. The
Cure are an influence, along with Smashing Pumpkins , but there is
also metal, grunge, and hard rock thrown into the mix. Lilygun shows
are loud, dramatic, and expressive - Anna-Christina's drama and classical
music background all coming into play to create a memorable performance
that draws you in to Lilygun's dark world.
If I was a music journalist I'd probably spout cliches and invent
some new ones: 'Lilygun are spearheading the new 3G rock movement
- Glam, Grunge, and Goth'. © If you go and see this band, you
will remember them - which is more than can be said for most other
bands on the circuit. Drummer Belle rivals the band's singer in the
glamour stakes, while guitarist James is more like the anti-glam and
gives the sound more of a hard rock edge, alternating with some very
interesting technical playing and an ethereal edge. Things have really
been looking up for Lilygun in the last few months, with some very
good reviews for the last two singles, some radio play - including
the Xfm Rock Show. Not only that, but the band have a new deal with
Cargo Records who will be releasing the debute Lilygun album at the
end of August. Go and see this band now while you can still catch
them for around a fiver on the door. [Author:
Dom Hemming - 18/7/12]
UPSTAIRS AT THE GARAGE
Headliners Lilygun are the main reason I'm here tonight, and they
don't disappoint. The current lineup of the band is probably the heaviest
and hardest rocking one yet, although that's only part of what this
band is about. Having seen this band a few times now it gets hard
to write about them without repeating myself - how many times can
I write about the 'charismatic Anna Christina' and how she 'stalks
the stage with cat-like grace' etc? That all still holds true, and
this show is better than their last one (which was also good) in the
cramped confines of the Intrepid Fox. That gig was fun, but tonight
the band have a bit more space to spread their (bat)wings and fly.
When this band rock out it can get pretty intense. This band is quite
a mixture of styles and influences, both musically and stylistically
- from the glam to the anti-glam - also with a male drummer in Belle
who rivals the band's female singer on the glamour front! There is
plenty of light and shade in the band's set - matching the name Lilygun
which captures the contrasts - something pretty and also something
which might kill you if you aren't careful! As well as the music being
good, this is also an intriguing band to watch - newish guitarist
James Ford has brought a much heavier and harder sound to the band,
but also a very technical approach which demands your attention without
seeming to have the usual ego such players tend to bring with them.
Also, he uses very few effects pedals and relies instead on his varied
technique - a player who might not look like a rock star but is genuinely
interesting and lets the music do the talking. Ballet and classical
music trained Anna Christina has good stage presence and manages to
draw you into her world - well at least as far as she is willing to
at this point in the band's career. Lilygun don't play as many gigs
as they'd probably like to, so when they hit the stage Anna Christina
in particular is determined to rock out as much as possible - the
band are taking no prisoners tonight. [Author:
Dark Lord of Barnet - 3/3/12]
Read
the full review here
02 ACADEMY ISLINGTON - GOTHAM XII FESTIVAL
Lilygun are an interesting contrast with the previous band. Both feature
female vocalists with classical ballet training - but there the similarities
end. Well apart from both having a bit of a Goth influence obviously!
The intriguing Anna Christina has a totally different approach to
how she want's her band to be perceived. Although her classical background
is less obvious, it must help in the way she moves with fluid grace
onstage. With Lilygun the focus is far more on the music than the
visual presentation, although there is a certain theatrical quality
in Anna Christina's stage presence. This band's lineup has seen a
change since their recent Purple Turtle show, with another bass player
spinning through the revolving door. Aaron John from Boy Of The Afterthought
is standing in for this gig. Lilygun have been sounding heavier and
more metalic recently since guitarist James Ford joined the ranks.
This is greatly accentuated at this show as the guitar is VERY LOUD!
I don't have a problem with that Lilygun got a noticably better sound
mix than the previous act, and the clarity helped the 'light and shade'
textures of the music shine through. This is certainly the biggest
and best (and loudest!) Lilygun show I have seen. I really enjoyed
the much heavier sound of the band - it will be interesting to see
if this will be reflected in the band's forthcoming album. [Author:
Dom Hemming - 3/12/11]
Read the full review here
MONTO WATER RATS THEATRE
I'm here to see the new and improved Lilygun - not that there was
anything wrong with the old Lilygun. Since I last saw the
band the guitarist and bass player have changed. The essential formula
of the band is unchanged, but this is definitely a leaner harder rocking
machine now. One thing that hasn't changed is singer Anna-Christina
who stalks the stage with cat-like grace - but beware - she has claws!
The music is dark and brooding, without falling into the usual Goth
stereotypes. Influences seem to range from Glam to grunge and back
again, but Lilygun are impossible to pigeonhole - sombre yet striking.
The new lineup of the band is heavier and more dynamic, it will be
interesting to see where this takes them on the forthcoming album...
[Author: Dark Lord of Barnet - 9/7/11]
CAMDEN UNDERWORLD
Lilygun are an intriguing band led by the enigmatic Anna-Christina.
Lilygun shows don't seem to happen very often, so there seem to be
quite a few people here to see this one. They are rewarded with a
dark and atmospheric performance. This alt/rock band's influences
vary from Goth to grunge, with a little Glam thrown into the mix.
The songs in the set veer between dark and brooding and uplifting,
while Anna-Christina's feline stage presence is captivating. She draws
you into her dark world, but she also shows you the light at the end
of the tunnel. After the show is finished you are left wanting more
and wondering how long you will have to wait until the next show.
[Author: Dom Hemming - 26/9/10]
Talented vocalist Anna Christina, Lilygun have unique style strongly
marked by front lady. I like the unusual sound of their bass guitar.
[Author: Jerrek Last.fm - 30/9/10]
SCALA
The group are fronted by Anna-Christina on guitar and vocals. The
group delivered an entertaining support slot, producing dark rock
with a bit of slap bass thrown in for good measure, with the main
duo charismatic and interesting performers.
[The Music Fix - 19/2/10]
Read the full review here
COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE
We didn't get to see all of Lilygun's set, but the 4 songs we did
get to hear sum up why this band deserve a bigger audience. Their
style swings on a compass somewhere between ephemeral, folk/rock,
intense, fusion, all with a darkwave twist and topped off by Anna-Christina's
lorelei vocals that draw you in and keep you there. No drums tonight,
just the addition of Adam B on guitar, but none the less powerful
for it. Intriguing and definitely worth checking out further. [Lilygun
Unplugged set - Last.fm 15/2/10]
Read the full review here
PURPLE TURTLE
Lilygun may not appeal to readers of this website but for the open
minded of you Lilygun are a name to remember. This London based band
played a unique set consisting of songs that lay somewhere in between
Sonic Youth and the tender moments of Bjork. Led by guitarist/vocalist
Anna-Christina, the band played grooves that took you on a rollercoaster
ride of musical emotions. [Getreadytorock.com:
27/11/09]
02 ACADEMY ISLINGTON
Next up were Lilygun. Although not strictly goth, Lilyguns dark alternative
music presented the crowd with one of the most interesting sets of
the day. Influences from the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Skunk
Anansie can be heard throughout the set, with dark versus giving way
to unobtrusive choruses, backed up by understated gothly bass lines.
Frontwoman/guitarist Anna-Christina is the main focal point, with
her vocals helping create an atmospheric sheen around the music -
music for a understated generation. [Author:
DJ 69 - Gotham Festival 10/5/09]
02 ACADEMY ISLINGTON
Lilygun were almost out of place on the bill today with their All
About Eve style hippy goth rock. The singer had a great voice and
the band sported another comedy bass player. What was really impressive
though was the fact that the guitarist and drummer quit the band 3
weeks ago and the two people playing today had stepped in to fill
the breach and you would never have known that they were new to the
band. It was nice to see a band really enjoying themselves. [Author:
Keith Butland Gotham Festival 10/5/09]
THE COBDEN CLUB
Menacing heavy chords twist into sweet flowering melodies and each
song has its own flavour. Diamonds stands out but I like the way their
set has something for everyone to appreciate. Lilygun is unpredictable,
powerful and has a genine darkness that other bands can only try in
vain to achieve. [Rock On The Web 2009]
Read full review here
BORDERLINE
Lilygun set the standard for the rest of the evening - no fucking
around, these were serious musicians doing what they do best. With
their rhythm section missing, the band had called in some favours,
but the last minute replacements didn't cut them down. Anna-Christina
is a captivating presence, very much the core of a band she writes
as well as plays for. Playing the face, she is polite, self-effacing;
bordering on shy between songs. "Moonlight" and closer "Diamonds"
stood out - beautiful, melodic, with just enough fireworks to get
my Canarian tapas bar jumping. This is the London I love.
[Author: Nocturnal, Ryan Cole 24/7/08]
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from SUF 2008
BULL+ GATE
The vocalist, her hair extensions aswirl, has an easygoing charm and
a voice as powerful as it is meticulously controlled, she can peel
a mean lick off a hollow-body electric too. [Oct
2007]
BULL+ GATE
A genre defying act, Lilygun offer an indie take on grunge-metal -
Lilygun's female singer is strident about songs and messages, tunes
punctuated regularly by accusing cries. Like the singer, the rhythm
section dwells on the dark side, with full hooky bass-buzzing and
stomping drums that crack, pump and rumble. But the sunshine is not
far away, as rasping thrash guitar gives way to frills and jangles,
delicately mournful picking, a shimmering waterfall of strings. The
songs seem intensely personal and they're delivered with passion to
suit. "Give me my poison", "There were times when all
I wanted was some honesty", and "The many other masks you
leave behind". Not to mention the sweat-drenched t-shirts you
leave behind.
The Lilygun set is an impressively varied romp through distinctive
and individual songs. There are heavily strummed ballads, angry punk
belters, and juddering PJ Harvey blues-stomps that pull-up refreshingly
short. The last song is a tight popsicle, complete with phaser fx
and squealing climax. This is an array of sounds you could use to
create a new Skunk Anansie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cure side-project
The Glove, or a psychedelic reinvention of Hole. Lilygun's music rains
like a shower of petals and bullets. Just like the snow in Summer.
[Author: RF - 2007]
I'm used to being surprised at Lilygun gigs. Either the lineup has
changed since the last show, or the set has, or the style and emphasis
of the songs and delivery, or the singer has recently survived a horrific
ordeal, but what caught me out at the Bull & Gate on the 7th December
was the fact that I didn't hear them start, and continued nattering
to friends in the bar for most of the first song. Wondering if the
Bull & Gate had installed sound-proof doors since the last time
I went, I lead my party hurridly in, only to find Lilygun sitting
around the front of the stage strumming their way quietly through
the final bars of their opening number. There was no drummer. At first
I assumed the drummer would be joining them after the acoustic intro,
but it didn't happen. There was no drummer coming from anywhere on
this night, and having brought some people along with the promise
of 'you must see this band, you'll love it', I was a very concerned
that I had dragged them out to see only three-quarters of the band
doing their best to improvise.
Luckily, Lilygun did a very good job of hastily adapting the arrangements
of whichever songs they could, adapting admirably under very difficult
circumstances, to deliver impressive-sounding renditions of both familiar
and unfamiliar songs.I should say that I'm not at all keen on 'unplugged'
stuff. I like rock music for a reason - three reasons actually, and
those reasons are guitar, bass and drums. On the whole, a genre of
music designed to be delivered through those instruments is not suited
to being deprived of the explosive rhythmic devices on which it rests.
Despite this, the quality of songwriting and instrumentation was generally
sufficient to entertain this hard-hearted old critic, with Anna-Christina's
excellent voice leading the line admirably.I look forward to seeing
the full product again in the future - once a new drummer has been
recruited. By a funny coincidence, I once played in a band where the
drummer failed to turn up to a gig at the Bull & Gate. If I correctly
recall the story I heard, the Lilygun drummer decided to go for a
meal somewhere instead of honouring his obligations to the paying
customers. All I can say is - if that's true then I hope he got food
poisoning. [Ashley Dreher, Diner 2007]
SOUND
Lilyguns sound has changed. I don’t mean radically in a different
direction or with new banjo solos but they just sound tighter and
musically as if they’ve stepped up a gear. It was brighter and
more together then previous gigs I’ve been to in the past. Granted
there’s been a year or so in there and that’s not to say
they didn’t sound very good in the past. I must admit I tend
to put a lot of credit to bands that incorporate the drums and bass
into their songs instead of just using them to provide the backing.
At this gig both were exceptional. The guitar playing was immense
and the singer is a bright star. I really enjoyed listening and the
rest of the crowd did too, it had a great vibe. My only complaint
was they didn’t play ‘Mind & Soul’ but that’s
pretty minor considering! [JM Bravado
International]
METRO CLUB
The first thing that struck me about Lilygun's gig was how professional
and together they sound and look. They open up with a bang and it
left you wondering what kind of vibe these guys were going to bring.
The singers voice was soothing yet powerful at the same time and the
guitarist was playing loose and funky yet could equally rock when
needed! The drummer was in the back but still centre stage and raised
slightly so she was very much involved with the audience and you could
see and hear her powerful playing. The bass player was spot on and
kept everyone entertained with great playing and the fact that you
could tell he was really into the music that was happening that night.
The gig left me wanting to hear more and to introduce more people
to Lilygun's own brand of rock action. The last thing I remember was
a buzz about hearing something new and watching a band that enjoys
playing it. [Jeremy Moss, Sanctuary
Records]
THE HOPE & ANCHOR
Lilygun open the night - and once again it is a pleasure to have them
play. Now two boys and two girls, the line up has changed once more,
and the band seems more focused than ever. They are producing some
really great little songs - proper rock stuff delivered with real
passion and energy, with crunchy guitar riffs and a real strength
to the songs. These girls (and guys) are definitely a live act worth
catching. [John Swaine, Neon Promotions]
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